Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Democratic senators launch inquiry into EPA’s repeal of key air pollution enforcement measure

admin — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 16:32:38 +0000

Senators said repeal was ‘particularly troubling’ and was counter to EPA’s mandate to protect human health

More than three dozen Democratic senators have begun an independent inquiry into the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) following a huge change in how the agency measures the health benefits of reducing air pollution that is widely seen as a major setback to US efforts to combat the climate crisis.

‘Nothing says love like chemicals’: Valentine’s roses often covered in pesticides, testing finds

admin — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 15:00:56 +0000

Bouquets imported to Europe found to be heavily contaminated, often with chemicals banned in EU and UK

Stay away from roses this Valentine’s Day, environmental campaigners have warned after testing revealed them to be heavily contaminated with pesticides.

Laboratory testing on bouquets in the Netherlands, Europe’s flower import hub, found roses had the highest residues of neurological and reproductive toxins compared with other flowers.

Trump’s repeal of landmark Obama-era climate rule: four key takeaways

admin — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 11:00:53 +0000

Environmental groups say ‘cynical and devastating’ reversal of endangerment finding has grave implications

The Trump administration has dismantled the basis for all US climate regulations, in its most confrontational anti-environment move yet.

The 2009 endangerment finding determined that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare and should therefore be controlled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). By revoking it on Thursday, officials eliminated the legal foundation enabling the government to control planet-heating pollution.

Nose for trouble: Italian town seeks ‘odour evaluators’ to sniff out bad smells

admin — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 10:00:50 +0000

Mayor of Brendola in Vicenza says he has received complaints from residents who live near industrial zones

An Italian town is seeking a crew of sniffers to identify bad smells in its quest to improve air quality.

Bruno Beltrame, the mayor of Brendola, a small town in the northern province of Vicenza, said he began the recruitment campaign for six “odour evaluators” after complaints about “unpleasant smells” from people living in neighbourhoods close to industrial zones.

Peta calls for pork-free menus as Peppa Pig show rolls into Grimsby

admin — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 07:00:47 +0000

Auditorium to remove bacon and sausages from cafe during stage run after request from campaign group

Campaigners are calling on theatre bosses to stop serving bacon, sausages and ham in their cafes – at least while Peppa Pig and her family are performing in the same building.

Race to find source of carcinogenic Pfas in Cumbria and Lancashire waters

admin — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 06:00:46 +0000

Exclusive: High levels of banned ‘forever chemical’ have been detected in rivers and groundwater at 25 sites

A string of toxic pollution hotspots has been uncovered across Cumbria and Lancashire, with high levels of the banned cancer-causing “forever chemical” Pfos detected in rivers and groundwater at 25 sites.

The contamination, spread across a large area, was uncovered by Watershed Investigations and the Guardian after a freedom of information request revealed high concentrations of Pfos in Environment Agency samples taken in January 2025.

Elon Musk’s xAI faces second lawsuit over toxic pollutants from datacenter

admin — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:47:56 +0000

NAACP alleges artificial intelligence firm is violating Clean Air Act and polluting Black communities in Mississippi

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI is facing a second lawsuit alleging it is illegally emitting toxic pollutants from its enormous datacenters, which house its supercomputers and run the chatbot Grok.

Original Bramley apple tree ‘at risk’ after site where it grows put up for sale

admin — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:19:53 +0000

Tree has never been granted preservation order to protect it under law and prevent it from being cut down

The future of the original Bramley apple tree, which is responsible for one of the world’s most popular cooking apples, is at risk now that the site where it grows has been put up for sale, campaigners have warned.

The tree is situated in the back garden of a row of cottages in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, which has been owned by Nottingham Trent University since 2018 and has been used as student accommodation.

‘A different set of rules’: thermal drone footage shows Musk’s AI power plant flouting clean air regulations

admin — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:00:15 +0000

Images confirm xAI is continuing to defy EPA regulations in Mississippi to power its flagship datacenters

Western US states fail to negotiate crucial Colorado River deal: ‘Mother nature isn’t going to bail us out’

admin — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:11:56 +0000

Negotiators disbanded on Friday without a plan for the basin supplying water to 40m people, thrusting the region into uncertainty

The future of the American west hung in the balance after seven states remained at a stalemate over who should bear the brunt of the enormous water cuts needed to pull the imperiled Colorado River back from the brink.

Negotiators, who have spent years trying to iron out thorny disagreements, ended their talks on Friday without a deal – one day before a critical deadline to form a plan that had been set for Saturday.