Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Ministers should find out what the regulator says before signing away a further £1.8bn of public money There is already a scandal of bad accounting at Drax, one could say mischievously. It’s the one that maintains that transporting wood pellets from North America to burn in North Yorkshire is a “carbon neutral” activity because replacement trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow. You don’t have to be a green lobbyist to think there’s something wrong there. As the research group Ember regularly reminds us, Drax is the UK’s biggest emitter yet qualifies for renewables subsidies. That weirdness in the methodology is one for the government to justify. The Financial Conduct Authority’s investigation is into the grittier issue of Drax’s “historical statements” about its sourcing of wood pellets. Three sets of annual accounts – 2021, 2022 and 2023 – are in the spotlight for adherence to listing rules for quoted companies and transparency disclosures. Continue reading...

Scientists say ‘shocking’ discovery shows rapid cuts in carbon emissions are needed to avoid catastrophic fallout The collapse of a critical Atlantic current can no longer be considered a low-likelihood event, a study has concluded, making deep cuts to fossil fuel emissions even more urgent to avoid the catastrophic impact. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (Amoc) is a major part of the global climate system. It brings sun-warmed tropical water to Europe and the Arctic, where it cools and sinks to form a deep return current. The Amoc was already known to be at its weakest in 1,600 years as a result of the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Analysis of responses shows firms are urging parliamentarians to limit regulation of ‘forever chemicals’ Chemical firms are lobbying MPs not to ban “forever chemicals” in the same way as proposed in the EU, using arguments disputed by scientists and described as “big tobacco playbook” tactics, it can be revealed. Pfas, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and commonly known as forever chemicals owing to their persistence in the environment, are a family of about 10,000 chemicals, some of which have been linked to a wide range of serious illnesses, including certain cancers. They are used across a range of industries, from cosmetics to firefighting. Continue reading...

The invaders present a devastating threat to Britain’s pollinators – constant watchfulness and clever technology are needed to thwart their progress Were it not for the bags of destroyed hornets nests in the corner, you could be forgiven for confusing Peter Davies’ office with the set of a TV detective show. Maps dotted with Post-it notes cover the wall in the repurposed hotel suite just off the M20 in Kent. There is no natural light: the only window looks down on an atrium below, and is partly obscured by a flip chart with the plan for the day. From here, Davies and his team run the national command centre for holding back the Asian hornet, an invasive species that preys on honeybees and other pollinators. “In effect, I’m the incident commander to tackle the hornet. We have a forward operating base at the hotel so we can get anywhere in Kent quickly, because that’s where we’ve had the most incursions,” he says. Continue reading...