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Australia might water down illegal logging laws – here's why it's a bad idea
Nearly half of all fresh potatoes thrown away daily by UK households
Figures show nearly 3 million potatoes a day are wasted, at a cost of £230m a year
Nearly half of the edible fresh potatoes bought by UK householders each day are thrown away - nearly 2.7 million of them per day, and at a “staggering” annual cost of £230m, figures show.
The humble spud is the second most wasted food in the UK, behind bread, according to new official figures released on Wednesday. The new research was offered in support of a government campaign to encourage consumers to reduce their domestic food waste.
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Weatherwatch: climate change and overfishing bring explosion of jellyfish
Warmer and more acid seas cause huge blooms of jellyfish, but scientists are working on ways to convert them into something useful
The combination of climate change and overfishing is causing a population explosion in jellyfish. Since there are fewer fish to eat them, they appear off the British coast in vast swarms. This is a threat to nuclear power stations – because they can block the intake of cooling water – and to fish farms, where thousands get caught in the netting, sometimes killing hundreds of salmon by depriving them of oxygen.
Some species are poisonous, and so caution is required when jellyfish float next to you in the sea or are stranded on beaches. Their sting can be powerful.
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BHP opposes Minerals Council of Australia's war on activist rights
Exclusive: Miner separates itself from call for environmental groups to be restricted to using 10% of funding for advocacy
BHP has said it will not support the Minerals Council’s bid to strip environmental groups of their ability to advocate for policy change.
The surprising move comes amid increasing pressure on Australia’s biggest miner to distance itself from the Minerals Council, which has taken a hardline position against any form of credible action on climate change. The government will soon table a bill aimed at limiting the ability of any charity to use donations raised from overseas on advocacy in Australia.
Continue reading...Farmers must stop antibiotics use in animals due to human health risk, warns WHO
Overuse of antibiotics in animals is contributing to growing drug resistance in humans with serious health implications, says global health body
Farmers must be prevented from using powerful antibiotics on animals reared for food, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned, because of the serious risks to human health that result.
New guidelines from the global body suggest farmers should stop using any antibiotics routinely to promote growth and prevent disease in animals that are otherwise healthy, a common practice in some parts of the world, including Asia and the US. Such routine use is banned in Europe, though campaigners fear the rules are sometimes flouted.
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Delhi smog declared public health emergency – video
A public health emergency has been declared in Delhi as a choking blanket of smog descended on one of the world’s most polluted capital cities.
The declaration from the Indian Medical Association came as the US embassy website said levels of the fine pollutants known as PM2.5 that are most harmful to health reached 703 on the air quality index – well over double the threshold of 300 that authorities class as hazardous
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