Breaking Waves: Ocean News

08/11/2025 - 11:33
Lee fire is one of largest blazes in state history after burning 130,000 acres, while Elk fire surpassed 14,000 acres Firefighters in Colorado responding to one of the largest blazes in the state’s history are facing gusty winds and dry conditions that are expected to continue to drive extreme fire behavior. More than 1,000 firefighters have been deployed, and while crews have gained containment on one fire, another has grown amid fire-friendly weather. Continue reading...
08/11/2025 - 10:37
Singapore firm using secretive international legal system to seek compensation for climate concerns blocking plans The UK government is being sued in a secretive “corporate court” after a proposal for a new coalmine in Cumbria was quashed by the high court. If successful, UK taxpayers would have to fund a substantial compensation payment to the mine’s investors. It is the first such case to be filed against the UK government by a fossil fuel company as a result of climate policy. The case uses investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) rules agreed in a 1975 trade agreement between the UK and Singapore, where the major investor in the coalmine is incorporated. Continue reading...
08/11/2025 - 08:15
Portuguese firefighters have been battling wildfires across southern Europe, as scientists warn of a 'molotov cocktail' of climatic conditions across the Mediterranean. Southern Europe swelters under deadly heatwave as temperatures pass 40C Europe live – latest updates Continue reading...
08/11/2025 - 07:25
Heavy rainfall cut power and closed roads across Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin Heavy rainfall in half a dozen midwest US states forced motorists to abandon their vehicles, cut power to thousands of households and closed busy roadways over the weekend. The National Weather Service issued flood watches and warnings for parts of Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin. After rainfall began on Saturday in some areas forecasters predicted “repeated rounds of heavy rain”, along with hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes into Monday. Continue reading...
08/11/2025 - 07:00
Some Salisbury, Maryland, residents say the contaminated water from Perdue Farms’ local plant has sickened them Wastewater from an industrial soya bean farm and processor has poisoned a Maryland town’s drinking water with Pfas, several lawsuits allege, raising questions about residents’ health and “forever chemical” pollution from industrial agricultural operations nationwide. Perdue Farms acknowledged that its 300-acre Salisbury, Maryland, operation is polluting local waters, but the chemicals’ sources have not been confirmed. It appears the Pfas are in part also coming from some combination of sludge used as fertilizer and pesticides, attorneys for plaintiffs say. Continue reading...
08/11/2025 - 06:46
Danish company makes $9bn cash call as it says business model has been derailed by US policies Europe’s largest wind power company has blamed Donald Trump for derailing its business model, after it announced a $9bn (£6.7bn) fundraising and its market value plunged by almost a third. The share price for Denmark’s Ørsted tumbled to an all-time low after it told investors on Monday that the “extraordinary situation” facing the industry meant it would need to tap shareholders to cover the costs of its plans. Continue reading...
08/11/2025 - 06:16
Four-year-old boy dies of heatstroke in Italy as scientists warn of ‘molotov cocktail’ of climatic conditions Deadly heat of up to 44C is searing southern Europe, as scientists warn of a “molotov cocktail” of climatic conditions that is fuelling vast wildfires across the Mediterranean. In Italy, where temperatures of 40C are expected in Florence later this week, a four-year-old boy died of heatstroke, and a red alert warning was issued for seven major cities, including Bologna and Florence. Continue reading...
08/11/2025 - 06:07
White House denies suggestions resort in Vietnam presents conflict of interest amid row over compensation rates Villagers whose farms in Vietnam will be bulldozed to make way for a $1.5bn golf resort backed by the Trump family have reportedly been offered rice provisions and cash compensation of as little as $12 for a square metre of land by state authorities. Thousands of villagers will be offered compensation based on land size and location, according to a report by Reuters. The agency spoke to elderly farmers who said they feared they would struggle to find a stable livelihood. Continue reading...
08/10/2025 - 15:22
Judge in Hawaii rules that commercial fishing is illegal in Pacific Islands Heritage marine national monument A federal judge in Hawaii has ruled that commercial fishing is illegal in the Pacific Islands Heritage marine national monument, a federally protected area in the central Pacific Ocean. The decision from Judge Micah WJ Smith overturns an April letter released by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) – also known as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) Fisheries – that allowed fishing in parts of the monument that Barack Obama had protected during his presidency. The letter came about a week after Donald Trump’s presidential proclamation to reverse fishing regulations across the national monument, a world heritage site that includes archeological treasures, marine mammals, seabirds and coral reefs. Continue reading...
08/10/2025 - 13:00
Exclusive: Homes are heating up as summers get hotter but least well-off are shouldering greatest risk, study finds Why UK housing is dangerously unprepared for impact of climate crisis From shutters to reflective paint: how to prevent UK homes overheating Lower-income householders, minority ethnic people and those with young children are more likely to live in homes at risk from dangerous overheating, research has found. The UK has baked in multiple heatwaves this summer, with many people sweltering in dangerously hot homes that were not designed to withstand extreme temperatures. June was the hottest on record and in general this summer England was an average of 1.58C above average temperatures. Continue reading...