The Guardian
Patients at thousands of hospitals and GP practices 'breathing toxic air'
More than 2,000 GP surgeries and hospitals in UK are in areas that breach WHO air pollution guidelines, study says
Hundreds of thousands of patients who visit more than 2,000 hospitals and GP practices across the UK are breathing poisonous air that breaches World Health Organization guidelines, according to a new report.
The study found that a third of GP surgeries and a quarter of hospitals – including some of the biggest children’s centres – are in areas that breach limits for the most dangerous particulates: PM2.5.
Continue reading...Queensland's nature refuge program 'badly under-resourced', report warns
Program that protects and restores environmentally sensitive land on private property stretched to breaking point, report warns
Queensland’s 4.4m hectare network of nature refuges is “stretched to breaking point” and badly under-resourced, a new report commissioned by an alliance of conservation groups warns.
The refuges are designed to protect and restore environmentally sensitive land on private property across Queensland. Landholders agree to dedicate part of their property as a private protected area, and in turn receive government support.
Continue reading...Ban entire pesticide class to protect children's health, experts say
Evidence is ‘compelling’ that organophosphates increase risk of reduced IQs, memory and attention deficits, and autism for prenatal children
Evidence that an entire class of pesticides threatens the health of children and pregnant women is now so arresting that the substances should be banned, an expert panel of toxicologists has said.
Exposure to organophosphates (OPs) increases the risk of reduced IQs, memory and attention deficits, and autism for prenatal children, according to the paper, published in Plos Medicine.
Continue reading...European parliament approves sweeping ban on single-use plastics
Proposal passes 571-53, with Labour MEPs demanding UK mirror EU action after Brexit
The European parliament has overwhelmingly backed a wide-ranging ban on single-use plastics in an effort to tackle pollution in seas, fields and waterways.
Under the proposed directive, items such as plastic straws, cotton swabs, disposable plastic plates and cutlery would be banned by 2021, and 90% of plastic bottle recycled by 2025.
Continue reading...What is African swine fever and how does it spread?
A contagious, untreatable and often fatal virus is sweeping the global pig population – and future mutations could affect humans
ASF is a highly contagious viral pig disease. The most common symptoms of the virus in its acute form are a high temperature and loss of appetite; other symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, and difficulty with breathing and standing. There is no treatment for the disease, some versions can have a 100% mortality rate in certain circumstances. It is not the same as swine flu.
Continue reading...Some of the countries leading on climate change might surprise you | John Abraham
Iran is tackling the potential water supply crisis exacerbated by climate change
On climate change, countries that may not be thought of as climate leaders are emerging at the front-lines on responding to climate change.
One great example is Iran. I have the fortune of performing water-use research with a number of scientists in Iran. And I can assure you they are thinking about, planning, and taking action to reduce the impacts of climate change and ecological destruction.
Continue reading...Labor opposes plan to indemnify new coal plants and warns it could cost billions
Federal opposition calls it ‘an extraordinary waste of taxpayers’ money’ and issues warning to energy sector
The shadow climate change minister, Mark Butler, has issued a clear warning to Australia’s energy sector that Labor does not support the government indemnifying new coal plants against the future risk of a carbon price – noting the cost to taxpayers could run into billions.
While the ALP federally has a policy of not repudiating contracts, Butler told Guardian Australia on Wednesday: “Investors need to understand very clearly that we do not support that. That would be an extraordinary waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Continue reading...Fracking at Lancashire site paused after seismic event detected
Magnitude 0.4 tremor follows several others recorded since Cuadrilla restarted drilling
Fracking operations in Lancashire have been shut down after seismic activity was detected. The move came a little more than a week after the process was restarted in the UK for the first time since it was banned in 2011.
Cuadrilla Resources, which is carrying out the operations at its Preston New Road site, confirmed it paused work early on Tuesday as a precaution because of the microseismic event, which was measured at a magnitude of 0.4 and within the limit allowed by UK authorities.
Continue reading...Revealed: Canadian companies arming Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen
Since 2015, Canadian companies have provided $2.4 billion in combat vehicles, weapons, surveillance technology, pilot training relied on by the oil-rich Saudis
Each time she learns Saudi bombs are falling on Yemen, Shireen Al-Adeimi rushes to her cell-phone.
Living an ocean-away in the United States, the Yemeni-Canadian anxiously scrolls through her WhatsApp chats to make sure her friends and family back home are safe.
Continue reading...Plastic protesters to buffalo racing: Tuesday's photo highlights
Our picture editors round up their favourite photos from the past 24 hours
Continue reading...Microplastics found in human stools for the first time
Study suggests the tiny particles may be widespread in the human food chain
Microplastics have been found in human stools for the first time, according to a study suggesting the tiny particles may be widespread in the human food chain.
The small study examined eight participants from Europe, Japan and Russia. All of their stool samples were found to contain microplastic particles.
Continue reading...Severe thunderstorm covers Rome in hail and floods - video
A severe hailstorm hit Rome on Sunday evening, bringing a dramatic end to a long spell of hot weather and covering the streets of the Italian capital in hail and floodwaters.
Drivers found themselves stranded in high waters, while the runoff poured into underground stations. The temperature around the city dropped by 10C during the storm.
An area of low pressure moving south from northern Europe to Italy over the weekend brought disruption to most of the country, with other Italian cities – such as Milan and Palermo – experiencing floods as well.
Continue reading...UK’s plastic waste is a burning issue | Letters
In August, exchequer secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Tackling the scandal of plastic pollution is one of our top priorities.” But it’s now confirmed what many have long suspected, that the UK recycling industry is riven with corruption (Report, 19 October) and only now is government dimly aware of the problem. Taxing coffee mugs and plastic straws, and placing a charge on plastic bags are commendable actions, but in the face of ever-increasing plastic production, single-use or not, are minuscule and potentially token. In addition to stamping out the illegal export of waste and reducing single use plastic at source, a radical upheaval of domestic recycling is required. Local authorities pay waste management companies to collect, sort and, hopefully, recycle domestic plastic waste. Yet they only recycle a proportion of it and ship the rest abroad. Much ends in landfill or in the oceans. The council tax we pay for these destructive processes could be better deployed.
With rapid progress now being made on carbon capture, home and industrial-based pyrolysis (waste to energy), and other plastic-to-fuel processes, there is a strong case to stockpile plastic that is difficult to recycle or contaminated. In compacted or granulated form at 10% of its previous volume, it can be stored for future use as feedstock for negative emission energy production and other innovative uses. We used to have grain mountains and wine lakes. Why not temporary plastic mountains?
Patrick Cosgrove
Chapel Lawn, Shropshire
Trump thinks scientists are split on climate change. So do most Americans | Dana Nuccitelli
There’s a 97% expert consensus on human-caused global warming, but most Americans are unaware
When queried about the most recent IPCC report, Republican lawmakers delivered a consistent, false message – that climate scientists are still debating whether humans are responsible. The previous IPCC report was quite clear on this, attributing 100% of the global warming since 1950 to human activities. As Nasa atmospheric scientist Kate Marvel recently put it, “We are more sure that greenhouse gas is causing climate change than we are that smoking causes cancer.”
Donald Trump articulated the incorrect Republican position in an interview on 60 Minutes:
Continue reading...P&O cruise ship dumped 27,000 litres of waste on Great Barrier Reef, Senate hears
Australian Maritime Safety Authority report says food waste and grey water spill occurred on 26 August
A P&O cruise ship spilled 27,000 litres of food waste and grey water into the Great Barrier Reef marine park in August, a Senate estimates hearing has heard.
The Greens senator Larissa Waters told the hearing a report from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority – which is investigating the incident – had been supplied to her anonymously.
Continue reading...'Headless chicken sea monster' filmed off Antarctica – video
The deep-sea cucumber that resembles a headless chicken has previously only been filmed in the Gulf of Mexico. But scientists have filmed Enypniastes eximia with underwater cameras in the Southern Ocean off east Antarctica for the first time.
• ‘Headless chicken monster’: deep-sea cucumber seen in Southern Ocean for first time
Continue reading...'Ultra rapid' electric car charging network coming to Australia
Chargefox stations will allow drivers to charge electric vehicles in just minutes
Drivers travelling between Australia’s major cities could soon charge their electric vehicles in just 15 minutes with a super-fast network being rolled out across the country.
The 21 sites on highways between Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane will be powered entirely by renewable energy. Sites are also planned for Western Australia.
Continue reading...FareShare's surplus food redistribution saves UK £51m a year
Charities tackling hunger could save Britain £500m a year if they had capacity, finds report
The collection and redistribution of edible food by the UK’s largest charity tackling hunger – and that would otherwise go to waste – saves the UK economy some £51m every year, according to an independent report published on Monday.
If FareShare and other charities in the sector were able to scale up their capacity in order to handle half of the surplus food available in the UK supply chain, the value back to the state could be as much as £500m per year, it claims.
Continue reading...Plastic straws and cotton buds could be banned within a year
Michael Gove unveils consultation on move to cut pollution and protect oceans
Plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds could be banned within a year under government plans to cut pollution, Michael Gove is to announce.
Launching a consultation on the proposals on Monday, the environment secretary will cite the success of the 5p charge on single-use plastic bags, which led to an 86% drop in their use at major supermarkets.
Continue reading...Look after the soil, save the Earth: farming in Australia's unrelenting climate
Former governor general Michael Jeffery says soil health and regenerative farming is essential for security and carbon emissions
From the red soil of his hometown in the Western Australian outback town of Wiluna, Michael Jeffery very nearly became a farmer.
He opted for being a soldier instead, serving in Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam, where he was awarded the Military Cross and the South Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. After a distinguished military career, he served as governor of his home state of Western Australia and governor general of Australia – who represents the Queen, Australia’s head of state.
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