As the Arctic warms and its ice melts, growing numbers freight ships are reaping big savings from the 'Arctic short cut'. But this is creating a huge risk of invasive species spreading in ballast water and on hulls - disrupting both Arctic and temperate ecosystems.
The Arctic shipping boom - a bonanza for invasive exotic species Natasha Geiling Smithsonian | 27th June 2014 News Oceans Transport Natural World Ecology redkingcrab-cut.jpg As the Arctic warms and …
The Bering Sea is America's biggest fishery - but factory trawlers are ripping the guts out of the ecosystem, writes Jeffrey St.Clair, as they have already devastated fishing communities. Mix in nuclear bomb test fallout - an unlikely savior?
… So Long It Looked Like Green to Me on the economics and politics driving the looting of …
This World Fisheries Day, a new report shows how the 'rights-based approach' to fisheries governance is in fact a mechanism for depriving indigenous and subsistence fisherfolk of their traditional waters, write Astrid Alexandersen, Sif Juhl & Jonathan Munk Nielsen, and transferring them to corporations and economic elites. It must be replaced with a 'human rights approach'.
… most fundamental assumptions in neoclassical economics: the establishment of clear property …
Fish from the high seas are too valuable to be eaten, as they lessen climate change through the carbon they carry down to the ocean depths. The carbon benefits are worth $150 billion every year - almost ten times the value of high seas fish landings.
Stop fishing the high seas, say scientists, for climate and ecology Climate News Network | 21st June 2014 News Oceans Fishing Carbon Climate Change Food new_fish-cut.jpg How long before this is all …
New research predicts that coastal regions face massive increases in damages from storm surge flooding over the 21st century - to $100 trillion annually, more than the world's entire economic product today.
Storm surges to cost $100 trillion a year as sea levels rise The Ecologist | 5th February 2014 News Oceans Climate Change Society storm-surge.png New research predicts that coastal regions face …
The UK Government has recently expanded its network of marine protected areas. But as Horatio Morpurgo discovers, the focus on protecting only specific 'features' from intensive fishing is leaving entire ecosystems at risk.
Taking the 'conservation' out of Marine Conservation Zones Horatio Morpurgo | 10th December 2013 News UK Fishing Food Natural Work Oceans lyme-bay-coral.png The UK Government has recently expanded …
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns climate breakdown is having a significant impact on the oceans.
Climate breakdown will flood coastal towns Emily Beament | 25th September 2019 News Science & Systems Climate Breakdown Oceans Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change Ipcc United Nations Un …
The International Chamber of Shipping has committed the industry to legally binding emissions reductions under the Paris Agreement. Unlike the aviation industry, it will make no use of carbon 'offsets', but will reach its targets by increasing efficiency and moving to lower carbon fuels.
Shipping to go 'beyond Paris Agreement' without offsets Oliver Tickell | 8th November 2016 News Transport Shipping Climate Change Paris Agreement COP22 Un Oceans mol-graneur-cut.jpg The International …
As the IWC meeting begins today in Slovenia, the EU, its 28 member states and the United States, Australia, Brazil, Israel, New Zealand, Mexico and Monaco, have expressed their opposition to Iceland's commercial whaling in a powerful diplomatic broadside.
EU leads diplomatic protest against Iceland's whaling The Ecologist | 16th September 2014 News Oceans Cetaceans Iceland EU Endangered Species fin whale landed at miã²sandur whaling …
Small-scale fishing communities are key to any transition towards an ecologically and socially just food regime. But backed by the World Bank, powerful corporate interests are seizing their fish, seas and shores in the name of 'sustainability'. A revolution of the poor is needed to rebuild food sovereignty - and restore the oceans to the global commons.
Ocean grabbing: a new wave of 21st century enclosures Nick Buxton Carsten Pedersen Mads Christian Barbesgaard | 20th October 2014 News Oceans Food Fishing Corporations …
Under the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last August, Gaza's fishers were meant to be able to work up to six miles from the coast, writes Charlie Hoyle. In fact, Israel is routinely attacking boats within the zone, arresting fishermen, and seizing boats and nets, never to be returned. Only last week, one fisherman was shot dead after allegedly straying over an invisible boundary.
Israel escalates deadly attacks on Gaza's fishers Charlie Hoyle | 12th March 2015 News Middle East Fishing Food Oceans gaza-fishing-020312-cut.jpg Under the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last …
Long after Blue whales have ceased to be hunted, their numbers have failed to record substantial increases, writes Luke Rendell. Are ship strikes to blame? A 15-year scientific study says the answer may be yes - and advises moving California shipping lanes.
To save blue whales, move California shipping lanes Luke Rendell | 29th July 2014 News Oceans Whales Cetaceans Ecology whale-propeller-scar-cut.jpg Long after Blue whales have ceased to be hunted, …
There's quite a fashion now for creating enormous ocean nature reserves, write Peter J S Jones & Elizabeth De Santo. The UK kicked off the trend last year at Pitcairn Island, and now the US has followed up with a 1.5m sq.km reserve around Hawaii. But while these look like big conservation gains, the more serious task is to manage sustainably the intensely exploited seas close to home.
Vast remote ‘marine protected areas’ - a diversion from the real job? Peter J S Jones Elizabeth De Santo | 8th September 2016 News Oceans Conservation Fishing USA UK …
A powerful call has gone out the the US Export-Import Bank not to finance a massive coal mine, railway, port terminal and dredged 'canal' through Australia's Great Barrier Reef with $1 billion in loans and guarantees.
US tax dollars must not finance $1bn Great Barrier Reef destruction! The Ecologist | 20th February 2015 News Coal Fossil Fuels Australia USA Finance Climate Change Natural World Oceans …
This week saw international delegates debate an extremely restrictive Global Plastics Treaty text that failed to set out legally binding targets and timeframes on plastic production and reduction.
… 2023 | News Plastic Oceans United Nations Economics Tigertail Beach, Marco island, …
Scandinavian inventors are hoping that efficient new waves power technologies will for the first time make the sector competitive with other renewable energy sources, writes Paul Brown - opening up a massive new clean energy resource around the world.
New technologies promise cheap wave power Paul Brown | 23rd February 2015 News Oceans Energy Renewables Technology atlantic_wave_portrush-cut.jpg Scandinavian inventors are hoping that efficient new …
The renewable energy revolution is in full swing, writes Jeremy Leggett, with costs falling to new lows, deployment of wind and solar surging to unprecedented highs, and confidence ebbing away from fossil fuels. But global warming is also accelerating, with global temperature records broken every month for a year. Will the energy transition happen in time to avert catastrophe?
… Solar Wind Climate Change Oceans Finance Economics fort-mcmurray-cut.jpg The renewable …
A stones throw from where Cuadrilla lost its bid to develop a fracking operation in Lancashire, a solar farm has just won planning permission with widespread local support, writes Ben Lucas. However a 194-turbine offshore wind farm near the Isle of Wight has been refused planning consent.
… interest in UK and international politics, economics and environmental issues. This …
As part of a global week of action campaigners from Divest London have gathered to ‘Raise the Heat' on the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, writes Hal Rhoades - protesting its plan to invest in a ‘carbon bomb' coal project that endangers global climate and threatens to finish off the Great Barrier Reef.
… are facing an uphill battle to justify the economics of the project to risk-averse …
Campaigners are concerned that the UK government is not prioritising sustainability in post-Brexit fisheries legislation.
'Really disappointing' - fisheries bill Catherine Early | 14th September 2020 | News Fishing Oceans Legislation Brexit Fishing boats, Cornwall Campaigners are concerned that the UK government is not …
After over a century of coal ash and colliery waste dumping, the Tyne and Wear coastline is no stranger to industrial pollution. But soon a horrific new technology - underground coal gasification (UCG) - will endanger human health and the environment, backed by unflinching Government support and generous lashings of taxpayers' money.
… at varying levels, to continue austerity economics after next election, the 'pork …
Of all the impacts of climate change, one stands out for its inexorable menace, writes Pete Dolack: rising oceans. And it's not just for distant future generations to deal with: new scientific studies show that people alive today may face 6-9 metres of sea level rise flooding well over a million sq.km including many of the world's biggest cities. So where's the emergency response?
No planet for optimists: coastal flooding may come sooner and bigger than we think Pete Dolack | 8th April 2016 News Oceans Climate Change Emissions COP21 Science Arctic Antarctica big-wave-cut.jpg …
The cost of offshore wind power in the North Sea is 30% lower than that of new nuclear, writes Kieran Cooke - helped along by low oil and steel prices, reduced maintenance and mass production. By 2030 the sector is expected to supply 7% of Europe's electricity.
Offshore wind powers ahead as prices drop 30% below nuclear Kieran Cooke | 19th July 2016 News Energy Renewables Wind Oceans UK Denmark Germany Nuclear Oil Fossil Fuels burbo-bank-cut.jpg The cost of …