Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Miliband pledges up to £1bn for community green energy schemes

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:30:04 +0000

UK projects will allow local areas to control and profit from renewable power generation, says energy secretary

The UK government is pledging to spend up to £1bn on community-owned green energy schemes in an effort to combat growing scepticism and resistance to renewables and grid upgrade projects.

Ed Miliband, the UK energy secretary, said the new funding was intended to help democratise the energy system, increase the wealth and financial independence of local communities, and potentially cut some local energy bills.

‘A beaver blind date’: animals given freedom to repopulate Cornish rivers

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 19:00:28 +0000

Release into Helman Tor reserve marks historical first for keystone species hunted to extinction in UK 400 years ago

Shivering and rain-drenched at the side of a pond in Cornwall, a huddle of people watched in hushed silence as a beaver took its first tentative steps into its new habitat. As it dived into the water with a determined “plop” and began swimming laps, the suspense broke and everyone looked around, grinning.

The Guardian view on heavy rain: England’s flood defences are not strong enough | Editorial

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 18:50:23 +0000

The disruption and distress caused by record downpours must focus minds on the need for climate preparedness

At least 18 people now dead as historic New York cold stretch nears end

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 17:22:24 +0000

City faced one of longest periods of subzero cold since 1961, forcing ‘code blue’ and extreme weather warnings

Deadly cold tests New York’s ability to protect its homeless communities

The death toll related to New York City’s dangerous and enduring cold has risen to 18, officials said on Sunday.

Australian ministers met Japanese gas companies 20 times amid fossil fuel lobbying push

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:00:21 +0000

Thinktank analysis suggests Japan campaigns to prolong the carbon industry in Australia and hinder move to clean energy

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

US chemical giant to stop producing herbicide called ‘toxic cocktail’ by critics

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Corteva will discontinue a mixture of Agent Orange and glyphosate, but another of its herbicides will still use Vietnam war-era defoliant

The chemical giant Corteva will stop producing Enlist Duo, a herbicide considered to be among the most dangerous still used in the US by environmentalists because it contains a mix of Agent Orange and glyphosate, which have both been linked to cancer and widespread ecological damage.

Global economy must move past GDP to avoid planetary disaster, warns UN chief

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:00:54 +0000

Exclusive: António Guterres says world’s accounting systems should place true value on the environment

Economic growth is still heating the planet. Is there any way out?

The global economy must be radically transformed to stop it rewarding pollution and waste, UN secretary general António Guterres has warned.

Forests are changing fast and scientists are deeply concerned

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 07:17:56 +0000

Forests around the world are quietly transforming, and not for the better. A massive global analysis of more than 31,000 tree species reveals that forests are becoming more uniform, increasingly dominated by fast-growing “sprinter” trees, while slow-growing, long-lived species are disappearing. These slower species act as the backbone of forest ecosystems, storing carbon, stabilizing environments, and supporting rich webs of life—especially in tropical regions where biodiversity is highest.

Trump’s EPA reapproves contentious weedkiller dicamba for some GM crops

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 16:42:30 +0000

Environmental groups said dicamba drift has damaged vegetable farms, trees and other critical plants

The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday reapproved the weedkiller dicamba for use on genetically modified soybeans and cotton. It is a pesticide that has raised widespread concern over its tendency to drift and destroy nearby crops.

The agency said dicamba was critical for farmers who would otherwise have their crops threatened by fast-growing weeds. To ensure the pesticide is used safely, the agency said it imposed strong protections and limits on its use.

Bank chairs backtracking on climate commitments could face shareholder revolts

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 14:00:37 +0000

Exclusive: Campaign group calls on institutional shareholders to vote against re-election of bosses overseeing net zero row-back

Bank chairs who water down their lenders’ climate commitments this year could face embarrassing shareholder revolts as campaigners try to hold bosses to account for environmental backtracking.

ShareAction, a campaign group for responsible investment, will be issuing detailed reports to pension funds and asset managers in the coming weeks, outlining whether 34 of the world’s largest lenders are sticking to their climate goals.