Heat-inducing pollution, plastic-eating fungi, and a Boaty McBoatface outing
Big Blue Bulletin #23
Welcome to the latest edition of the Big Blue Bulletin – a weekly roundup of marine conservation news and updates. Expect good news, bad news, and a cute creature in your inbox every Friday.
Let’s dive in 🐬
Ocean news
🗞️ Big news of the week -
🔥 Heat aggravated by carbon pollution killed 50,000 in Europe last year – study
“Continent is warming at much faster rate than other parts of world, leading to fires, drought and health problems.”
💧 Calls for water firms to be 'punished' after revelations of sewage permit breaches
“Water companies breached the environmental permits almost 700 times last year, new data shows.”
🇬🇱 Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson to remain in detention in Greenland
“Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson will remain in custody pending a decision to potentially extradite him to Japan, a Greenland court ruled.”
💰 Cost of fighting flooding is soaking up English councils’ cash, ministers warned
“District councils in low-lying areas say they have cut day-to-day services such as bin collections to fund pumping stations.”
🇷🇸 Serbian president to meet with 'ordinary people' after thousands protest against lithium mine
“Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of the Serbian capital on Saturday to oppose an EU-backed lithium mining project in the Jadar Valley.”
🔥 Wildfires up to three times more likely due to climate change, new report claims
“The first ‘state of wildfires’ report has been published on the day Greece suffered from fires near Athens.”
🧊 Decade of action for cryospheric sciences
“A call to put polar and glaciers scientific researches at the heart of next years’ international priorities.”
🇺🇸 In shift, US backs global target to reduce plastic production, source says
“The United States, one of the world's biggest plastic makers, will support a global treaty calling for a reduction in how much new plastic is produced each year in a major policy shift.”
🛳️ Down into the ocean's 'twilight zone' with Boaty McBoatface
“Battling choppy waves and high winds, three engineers pulled ashore a yellow submarine in Scotland this week.”
“Hidrovia project to dredge Paraguay River and build ports may destroy vast biodiversity and refuge of jaguars, giant otters and armadillos – and an age-old riverine way of life.”
☠️ New PFAS-busting method destroys 100% of 'forever chemicals' overnight
“Ambient conditions and common materials help to break down one class of forever chemicals in just eight hours.”
🇺🇬 Uganda garbage landslide death toll rises to 26, 39 missing
“The death toll from a landslide at a vast garbage dump in Uganda's capital Kampala last week has risen to 26, while 39 people remain missing.”
🌳 Genetically engineered ‘super wood’ absorbs more carbon and reduces emissions
“It can also offer more sustainable, durable and cost-effective alternative to traditional building materials.”
🇰🇪 Despair as the sea slowly swallows a Kenyan beauty spot
“When Roberto Macri built his luxury hotel in the Kenyan coastal village of Kipini, it was about 100m (330ft) away from the beautiful waters of the Indian Ocean.”
🦪 Fan mussels are back in Europe’s waters – but can scientists keep them alive?
“After a series of mass mortality events, it is more common to find these huge Mediterranean clams dead. Which is why the species’ ‘biggest fangirl of all’, Susan Smillie, is thrilled to see a thriving population in Greece.”
🥵 Balkans' new love for air conditioning strains grid as temperatures soar
“Many in the Balkans region of central Europe have long mistrusted artificial cooling methods. In some areas, away from the tourist hot spots, people even avoid chilled drinks and ice cream for fear of catching a cold.”
🌍 ‘We should have better answers by now’: climate scientists baffled by unexpected pace of heating
“The leap in temperatures over the past 13 months has exceeded the global heating forecasts – is this just a blip or a systemic shift?”
🐋 Whales dodge cargo ships as they swim up river to escape amorous male
“Two whales spotted swimming up a river in Australia may be on the run from a randy male, scientists have suggested.”
❄️ Arctic Svalbard sees record August temperature
“The Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic saw its highest August temperature ever recorded at the weekend, topping 20 degrees Celsius.”
🥤 Plastic-eating fungi could be a glimmer of hope in cutting ocean pollution
“Scientists in Germany have identified plastic-eating fungi that could offer a glimmer of hope in tackling the problem of millions of tonnes of waste polluting the world's oceans every year.”
🐟 Eastern pacific fisheries managers have prime opportunity to boost sustainability
“Measures to help address climate change and improve ecosystem-based management are on table at Panama meeting.”
❗ Ocean Action
✍️ Prevent the Reopening of Longline Fishing in the Maldives
“The Maldives is a global leader in sustainable fishing practices, but recent discussions regarding the potential reopening of longline fishing in the Maldives pose significant social, economic and ecological risks.”
Have a great weekend! 📸
Cover image by Pixabay
Such important reading.
Thanks!