Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Political uncertainty under Trump has dampened the market, even as red states see a boom in renewable energy Renewable energy in the US has surged to unprecedented levels, with the combined power generated by solar, wind and geothermal more than tripling over the past decade, according to a new report by a network of state environmental groups. The growth has slashed harmful greenhouse gas emissions, made the nation’s energy system more resilient and prevented thousands of premature deaths from power plant pollution, according to the report by Environment America. The amount of solar energy produced in 2024 – enough to power 28m homes – was nearly eight times higher than a decade earlier. Solar power production increased 27% from 2023 to 2024. Wind produced even more energy – enough to power 42m homes in 2024. The amount of power from wind has more than doubled over the past decade. Wind, solar and geothermal energy accounted for 19% of all retail sales of electricity last year, according to the federal data used to produce the report. The amount of utility-scale battery storage in the US grew 63% from 2023 to 2024 – and a more than 80-fold increase over the past decade. Nearly 3.3m electric vehicles were on US roads at the end of 2023 – a 25-fold increase from 2014. The number of electric vehicle charging ports, meanwhile, grew to more than 218,000 at the end of 2024 – six times more than there were in 2015 and a 24% increase from just the year before. Continue reading...

Party intends to block projects despite net zero industries contributing nearly £1bn to local economy, analysis shows UK politics live – latest updates Reform UK’s plans to obstruct green energy projects in Lincolnshire put at risk almost £1bn in local investment and more than 12,000 jobs, analysis suggests. No 10 said it would fight any attempt by the party to dismantle or block renewable investment in the area, after its deputy leader, Richard Tice, said Reform-controlled councils and its mayors would be able to block what he called “net stupid zero” infrastructure, including solar farms, pylons and battery storage systems. Continue reading...

On average, five fatal whale strikes occur in the country’s waters each year, the highest in the world – and just a fraction of the total number killed, say researchers Photographs by Francis Pérez The memory of a blue whale gliding past his small boat haunts Patricio Ortiz. A deep wound disfigured the cetacean’s giant body – a big chunk had been ripped from its dorsal fin. Cargo ships are the only adversary capable of inflicting such harm on a blue whale, he says. “Nothing can be done when they’re up against those floating monsters.” Continue reading...

Paper in Nature Climate Change journal reveals major role wealthy emitters play in driving climate extremes The world’s wealthiest 10% are responsible for two-thirds of global heating since 1990, driving droughts and heatwaves in the poorest parts of the world, according to a study. While researchers have previously shown that higher income groups emit disproportionately large amounts of greenhouse gases, the latest survey is the first to try to pin down how that inequality translates into responsibility for climate breakdown. It offers a powerful argument for climate finance and wealth taxes by attempting to give an evidential basis for how many people in the developed world – including more than 50% of full-time employees in the UK – bear a heightened responsibility for the climate disasters affecting people who can least afford it. Continue reading...