Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Young climate activists in Wisconsin sue state over pro-fossil fuel policies

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 18:43:08 +0000

Lawsuit brought by two non-profit law firms have had previous wins in Montana and Wisconsin

Fifteen young climate advocates, aged eight to 17, on Friday sued the state of Wisconsin over its pro-fossil fuel policies.

The case provides the opportunity for state officials to “make the correct step to decarbonize Wisconsin” because of the “climate harms they’ve caused youth”, said Kaarina, 17, who is the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Wildfire explodes in California wine country as heatwave scorches US west

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 18:28:24 +0000

Multiple fires have ignited this week with searing heat expected to last days and extend to Pacific north-west

Multiple wildfires have ignited across California as the state continues to scorch in a multi-day heatwave that is expected to last through the weekend.

Air pollution from oil and gas causes 90,000 premature US deaths each year, says new study

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 18:00:38 +0000

Study analyzed health impacts of fossil fuels from exploration to end use, and found communities of color bear brunt of harm

Air pollution from oil and gas causes more than 90,000 premature deaths and sickens hundreds of thousands of people across the US each year, a new study shows, with disproportionately high impacts on communities of color.

Hurricane Erin intensified at a near-record rate. Is Florida ready for the next big storm?

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 15:11:47 +0000

Erin went from a tropical storm to a category 5 in about 24 hours, underscoring the danger of hurricane season amid a diminished Fema and National Weather Service

This season’s first hurricane – and the first of the Trump administration’s new era of meteorological austerity – has been making its closest pass to the US this week.

On Friday morning, weaker than days earlier, it was still a large storm, heading north-east, and affecting the US east coast with threats of coastal flooding.

Wolf hunting in western US does little to prevent livestock losses, study finds

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:00:36 +0000

Analysis of legal hunting in Montana and Idaho shows that eliminating one wolf protected just 7% of a single cow

Legalized wolf hunting in the western US has had only a minimal impact on preventing livestock loss, a new study led by the University of Michigan suggests.

The research, published in Science Advances, compared data from Montana and Idaho, two states where public wolf hunts have been permitted, with Oregon and Washington, where hunting remains illegal.

Alarm over Fema aid rule requiring email address for disaster victims

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 12:00:33 +0000

Experts call change likely to pose problems for Americans with limited internet access ‘troubling to say the least’

Current and former Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) officials are concerned over a new agency rule requiring disaster victims to have an email address in order to apply for federal aid.

Weather tracker: monsoon rains cause deadly floods in Pakistan and India

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 09:12:20 +0000

More than 300 dead after downpours in mountainous regions and several killed in Indian city of Mumbai

Heavy monsoon rains have continued to pummel the Indian subcontinent over the past week, bringing devastating flooding and landslides and leaving hundreds of people dead in what has already been one of the deadliest monsoon seasons in recent years.

Week in wildlife: a clumsy fox, a swinging orangutan and a rescued jaguarundi cub

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 06:00:25 +0000

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world

‘Bee buffets’: the pollinator pathways turning drab alleys into insect havens

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 05:00:24 +0000

Corridors of nectar-rich plants encourage pollination and brighten up city streets at the same time

Take a closer look at the colourful plants dotted along an initially unassuming Bristol alleyway and you’ll see them teeming with insects. Bumblebees, hoverflies and ladybirds throng around a mixture of catmint, yarrow, geraniums and anemones. “It’s buzzing with pollinators now,” Flora Beverley says.

Bumper whale calving season a ‘sign of hope’ for South Australia’s oceans

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 04:22:08 +0000

Almost 200 endangered southern right wales have been spotted off state’s coastline this year, amid concerns about impact of algal bloom

Scientists say a bumper season for southern right whales in South Australia is a “sign of hope” for the state amid the ongoing effects of a devastating algal bloom.