Breaking Waves: Ocean News

09/11/2026 - 02:00
This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...
09/11/2026 - 01:00
From an energy-efficient bungalow in the South Downs to an historic chapel in Northumberland Continue reading...
09/11/2026 - 00:00
The country is one of just three that still permits commercial whaling, while its government has faced mounting pressure to ban the practice Iceland will submit a bill in February 2027 which could permanently ban whaling in its waters, a move that would leave Norway and Japan as the only two countries to permit commercial whaling. Whaling in Iceland has been put under intense scrutiny since a government-commissioned report was published in 2023 that found harpooned whales took two hours to die. The report led to a temporary suspension of the hunt that year. Continue reading...
09/10/2026 - 09:00
We’d like to hear from people about the impact of extreme heat this summer – and if you’ve had your power cut It’s been a record summer of heat in the US with rolling heat domes and July being the hottest month ever recorded in the country, surpassing temperatures stretching back over 132 years of reliable measurements, to 1895. July’s temperatures surpassed previous high marks set in July 1936, in the teeth of dust bowl conditions, and in July 2012. We want to hear from people across the US on how they have coped with the heat – and what it has meant for utility bills. Has the heat affected you or your family physically? Have you had to change your daily routines? Have your bills soared with the cost of keeping your home cool? And we especially want to hear from people who have had their electricity cut off during the extreme heat or have had trouble keeping up with utility payments. Continue reading...
09/10/2026 - 09:00
The island chain has tended to avoid the worst effects, but Hurricanes Lowell and Lala left a trail of damage this year Hurricane Lowell surged near the Hawaiian Islands this week, leaving a trail of downed trees and power lines, crumbled roads, sunken boats and destroyed piers on the island of Kauai. Residents were left to grapple not only with the damage, but the rising risks to the tropical archipelago as sea surface temperatures climb. Continue reading...
09/10/2026 - 09:00
Hot weather means sweeter grapes, but outlook gloomier for beermakers, as drought diminishes barley harvest English sparkling winemakers expect their earliest grape harvest and a “vintage year” after a scorching summer quickly ripened grapes. However, beer sellers have warned of a potential shortage after record-breaking temperatures and a drought hitting much of England has caused poor yields of barley. Continue reading...
09/10/2026 - 07:50
Chemours, DuPont and Corteva reach settlement after lawsuits accuse companies of polluting drinking water Chemours, DuPont and Corteva on Thursday reached a $455m settlement with ⁠North Carolina and 11 local entities over Pfas contamination claims tied to ⁠Chemours’ Fayetteville Works ⁠plant and ​other historical discharges. Lawsuits accusing major chemical companies of polluting US drinking water ⁠with toxic Pfas chemicals – a group of pollutants referred to as “forever chemicals” – have led ⁠to settlements worth billions of dollars, including one struck ​by the three companies ‌in New Jersey ‌last year. Continue reading...
09/10/2026 - 06:37
Record demand for A&E units, ambulance services and NHS 111 shows extreme heat having unprecedented impact on health, experts say The NHS came under its most intense strain ever as a result of the summer’s five heatwaves, amid warnings that extreme heat is having an unprecedented impact on human health. A&E units, ambulance services and the NHS 111 telephone advice line all experienced record demand for their services in England in June, July and August as Britain experienced record temperatures. Continue reading...
09/10/2026 - 06:14
Environment Agency says talks under way about increasing prices for industrial users to try to reduce poor water management Ministers are exploring making water more expensive for some users, in the face of severe supply shortages. Despite the UK being a famously wet country, the precarious nature of the water supply has been made particularly acute this summer, with almost three-quarters of England and all of Wales in drought and 27 million people facing restrictions on their water use. Continue reading...
09/10/2026 - 06:00
As public air monitors disappear, federal rollbacks and state laws are making it harder than ever to know what’s in the air As the US’s network for monitoring air pollution deteriorates, a Floodlight investigation has found that the chemical industry is going state-to-state to restrict one of the few options citizens have left for holding polluters accountable: low-cost air sensors. Over the past two years, the non-profit investigative newsroom determined, lawmakers in Louisiana, Kentucky and Ohio have passed strikingly similar laws barring regulators from acting on air-quality data that communities collect themselves – unless it comes from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved equipment that typically costs tens of thousands of dollars. Similar legislation has repeatedly been introduced in West Virginia. Continue reading...