Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Trump touts climate savings but new rule set to push up US prices

admin — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:00:24 +0000

Critics accuse administration of ‘cooking the books’ by claiming US would save $1.3bn from climate finding reversal

The Trump administration claims its latest move to gut climate regulations and end all greenhouse gas standards for vehicles will save Americans money. But its own analysis indicates that the new rule will push up gas prices, and that the benefits of the rollback are unlikely to outweigh the costs.

The greening of career education: US students learn new skills as climate crisis intensifies

admin — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:00:23 +0000

Some districts are adding programs in clean energy and sustainability, while one state is infusing environmental lessons into culinary education and construction

On one end of the classroom, high school juniors examined little green sprouts – future baby carrots, sprigs of romaine lettuce – poking out of the soil of a drip irrigation system they built a few weeks prior.

Rental ebike programs booming in Australian cities as e-scooter ‘moral panic’ sees take-up stall

admin — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 19:00:03 +0000

After a fast kick-off in Australia, e-scooter hire crackdowns fuelled by safety concerns have seen shared ebikes pull ahead

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

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.