Australian Wind Farm to Install 25MW Tesla Battery

20.08.2018

energy-2181904_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

A Tesla grid-scale battery is to be installed at a wind farm in South Australia.

The 278.5MW Lake Bonney wind facility will soon be home to a 25MW energy storage system, which owner Infigen Energy says will play a crucial role in stabilising the surrounding region’s grid with its flexibility services.

The firm has entered into funding agreements with the South Australian government and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to secure a deal worth around AUD$38 million (£21.7m).

Infigen CEO Ross Rolfe said: “With the firming capability of the battery energy storage system, Infigen will be able to expand its supply contracts from the Lake Bonney Wind Farm to additional commercial and industrial customers in South Australia, which is at the heart of our business strategy.”

South Australia is already home to the world’s largest battery – a 100MW system at the Hornsdale wind farm.

Source: Energy Live News

Baby Food Tests Find 68 Percent Contain ‘Worrisome’ Levels of Heavy Metals

20.08.2018

baby-2423896_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Testing published by Consumer Reports (CR) Thursday found “concerning levels” of toxic metals in popular U.S. baby and toddler food.

The consumer advocacy group tested 50 nationally-distributed, packaged foods designed for toddlers and babies for mercury, cadmium, arsenic and lead.

They found that every product they tested had measurable amounts of cadmium, inorganic arsenic or lead, that 68 percent had “worrisome” levels of at least one heavy metal and that 15 of the foods contained enough to constitute a health risk for a child eating one serving or less a day. Foods containing rice or sweet potatoes were especially impacted and there was no difference between organic and non-organic options.

Heavy metal consumption can have an outsized impact on children’s health cognitive development because they are smaller, their organs are still developing and they absorb more of the metals they consume than adults do. But CR Chief Scientific Officer James Dickerson advised parents not to panic.

“The heavy metal content in baby and toddler foods is a concerning issue but not an imminent threat,” he said. “The risk comes from exposure over time, and the risk can be mitigated. Making changes to your child’s diet now can reduce the chance of negative outcomes in the future.”

Since rice products were the most likely to have worrying amounts of inorganic arsenic, and rice absorbs 10 times the arsenic from contaminated soil compared to other grains, CR advised that parents limit their children’s intake of rice cereals, and swap them out for cereals made of other grains, like oats.

When parents do serve rice, CR recommended white basmati rice from California, India and Pakistan and sushi rice from the U.S. cooked in six to ten parts water per one part rice.

CR also recommended that parents avoid packaged snacks and opt for low-metal foods like apples, applesauce, peaches, strawberries, avocados, bananas, grapes, yogurt, barley with vegetables, beans, cheese and hard-boiled eggs.

While the test was designed to sample the whole market and not single out particular products, CR did publish serving limits for some known products.

For example, it recommended limiting servings of Gerber Chicken & Rice and Gerber Turkey & Rice to less than one per day and servings of Beech-Nut Classics Sweet Potato to less than 0.5 servings a day.

However, not everything should have to fall on parents. The findings also highlight the fact that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not yet regulate and test baby foods more thoroughly than adult foods.

The FDA has proposed limiting inorganic arsenic in baby rice cereal to 100 parts per billion and in apple juice to 10 parts per billion, guidelines they told CR they would have finalized by 2018.

But CR would eventually like to see them move to set and enforce a target of zero heavy metals in infant foods.

“In about a third of the products we tested, the amounts of heavy metals were below our level of concern, and for some of the products, amounts of some metals were not measurable,” CR Director of Food Safety Research and Testing James E. Rogers said. “Every category of food we tested was represented in that lower-risk group. That indicates that there are ways for manufacturers to significantly reduce or eliminate these metals from their products.”

Source: Eco Watch

After Plastic Straws, Are Balloons Next To Go?

19.08.2018

oktoberfest-1567043_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

We get it. Balloons are fun and make great decorations. But we hate to burst your bubble—balloons can be a big problem when they are deliberately released into the environment.

The litter is not only a blight on landscapes, waterways, trees and power lines, but balloons and balloon strings can entangle, choke or kill marine life and other animals. That’s not to mention the wasteful use of helium, a non-renewable resource.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that much like recent efforts to ban plastic straws and plastic bags, balloons could similarly be on the way out as the general public becomes more environmentally conscious.

“The issue of straws has really broadened the marine debris issue,” Emma Tonge of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told the AP.

Recently, South Carolina’s Clemson University decision last month to end its 30-year football gameday tradition of releasing 10,000 balloons into the air. Earlier this year, New Shoreham, an island town in Rhode Island, outright banned the sale, use and distribution of balloons.

Releasing balloons is not just an environmental problem, it could also be illegal. States such as California, Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia as well as a number of U.S. cities already have laws that restrict launches.

Balloons are usually made of latex, which is considered biodegradable. However, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) pointed out on a web post that it can take months or years for the rubber to break down, meaning animals have plenty of time to come in contact with the debris.

“There’s an awful lot of confusion over balloons especially what they’re made of and how they break down,” said MCS Pollution Campaigns Officer Emma Cunningham in the post. “Some people believe that because latex is natural balloons made of it are harmless once let go. This just isn’t the case. Latex may last for up to four years in the marine environment.”

Balloons made of other materials such as Mylar can last even longer in the environment because they are made of plastic, which never fully degrades. Not only that, California’s Pacific Gas & Electric reported that metallic balloons caused 203 power outages in the first five months of 2018, up 22 percent from the year prior, according to the AP.

Even the Balloon Council, which represents retailers, distributors and manufacturers, established “Smart Balloon Practices” to educate consumers on the proper handling of balloons and to stress the importance of never releasing helium-filled foil balloons.

In 2015, U.S. Fish and Wildlife posted an article that advocated for alternatives to balloon releases and included photos of balloon litter impacting wildlife, including a bird strangled by a balloon string and a dead sea turtle that ingested a balloon.

“The pictures are hard to look at,” the post states, “but they make clearer than any words why we all should find alternatives to letting a balloon go.”

Source: Eco Watch

Reebok Launches New Sneaker Made From Cotton and Corn

19.08.2018

Adidas has shoes made of ocean plastic. Nike has ones made of recycled leather. Now, Reebok has its first plant-based athletic shoe.

The “NPC U.K. Cotton + Corn” sneaker, which debuted Tuesday, has a top made from 100 percent organic cotton, a sole made from a corn-based rubber substitute and an insole made from castor bean oil. No dyes were used for the chalk-colored kicks and they’ll also come in 100 percent recycled packaging.

To make the sole, Reebok used an ingredient called Susterra propanediol, developed by DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, that’s described as “a pure, petroleum-free, non-toxic, 100 percent USDA certified bio-based product, derived from field corn.”

The bio-based shoe is just the first phase of Reebok’s “Cotton + Corn” sustainable product line that was first announced last year.

Reebok’s Future Team, which created the shoe, is now developing footwear that’s actually biodegradable. The goal is to create shoes that can decompose in six months, Reebok said in a blog post Tuesday. The company noted that “most stories about sustainable shoes are recycling stories”—meaning they’re either made from recycled materials or up-cycled from old shoes.

“Our issue with recycling is you recycle plastic, it’s still plastic … You’re not getting rid of the problem,” Bill McInnis, vice president of Reebok’s Future Team, recently told CBS News. “The idea is how do you get rubber and plastic out of the process and replace it with natural things that grow like corn.”

Just think, instead of throwing your shoes away for good—adding to the roughly 300 million pairs that end up in U.S. landfills annually—you can compost them or simply bury them in your backyard.

“Typical shoes are made from oil-based plastics that can sit around in landfills for hundreds of years when you’re done with the,” McInnis said on a company web post. “We’re focusing on creating shoes made from things that grow, made from things that bio-compost, made from things that can be replenished.”

The cotton and corn shoes are available online and cost $95.

Source: Eco Watch

A Beer Crisis Is Brewing in Germany as Bottle Recycling Slows Amid Heatwaves

18.08.2018

beer-923633_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

With summer still in full swing and heatwaves gripping countries around the world, breweries across Germany have been scrambling to keep up with the beer demand from hot and thirsty customers. The brew masters have enough of the bubbly beverage to go around, but companies are running out of containers to distribute their goods as people continue drinking beer without returning the bottles for reuse fast enough.

While there are approximately 4 billion beer bottles in circulation within Germany, the demand for beer is higher than the return rate of the glass bottles. Germany is very proactive in recycling, having one of the highest recycling rates in the EU at around 50 percent, according to a Eurostat data report. Customers pay a small deposit on bottles when they buy beer from the store, which they get back when they return the empty cases. This small incentive, and a high regard for the environment, encourages customers to reuse and refill the glass bottles up to 30 times.

Greif Brewery recently told its customers to return their empty bottles, or they would have to go without beer. “We’ve had a beer bottle shortage since the middle of May,” said Christian Schuster, employee of Greif Brewery. “We can’t get hold of used ones fast enough, and ordering new ones takes time. I’m having to send my delivery guys out to look for old, empty bottles.”

According to master brewer Thomas Tyrell, who heads up the Berlin plant for California’s Stone Brewing, German attitudes toward aluminum cans are contributing to the problem as much as the heat is. Most Germans believe that cans are not environmentally friendly, so they prefer glass bottles. This is not the case, he pointed out, and the cans hold the same small deposit fees as their glass counterparts. Many Germans also see drinking beer out of a can as being crass and ill-bred, but soon they may not care as many breweries struggle to put fresh beer on the shelves.

Meanwhile, Stone Brewing may have found the only solution to the problem. Stone opened its first brewery in Berlin two years ago — with canned beer. Manners aside, Tyrell added, “We think it’s best for the beer… there is no light ingress and, over time, there are some oxygen permeations through the lid of a bottle, which the can doesn’t have.” Any beer is good beer when there is none to be had, but with crisp and refreshing beer, Stone seems to hold a sustainable recipe for success.

Source: Eco Watch

Thailand to Ban Imports of Plastics and E-Waste

18.08.2018

e-waste-952438_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Thailand has joined Vietnam and Malaysia in cracking down on the world’s trash. Thailand will stop accepting more than 400 types of electronic waste (e-waste), including circuit boards, old TVs and radios, within six months, an environment ministry official told Reuters.

The decision was made Wednesday at a meeting chaired by Surasak Kanchanarat, the environment minister. Imports of plastic waste will also be banned in two years, although specific details of the program are not yet known, Reuters reported.

Southeast Asian countries have been filling a void left by China, which implemented a strict waste import policy earlier this year so it could focus on its own pollution problems. The decision from China—formerly the world’s largest importer of waste—left exporting countries scrambling for solutions for their trash. In some U.S. cities, the pile-up has even resulted in recyclables being directly sent to landfills.

Thailand announced the ban after accepting massive amounts of e-waste from the U.S., the European Union, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, according to DW. While electronic scraps can contain valuable metals such as gold, silver and copper, they can also contain harmful components such as lead, mercury and cadmium.

Surasak admitted to The Nation that the ban will impact the country’s recycling industry and some business operations. However, he noted, “we need to prioritize good environment and health protection for our citizens before industrial development.”

“I have no doubt that the recycling of plastic waste and used electronic parts are profitable businesses at the moment,” he added. “Some business operators may make a lot of profit from the recycling industry, but what will the country gain from their prosperity when our environment becomes polluted and the people suffer?”

Thailand is one of the world’s top five producers of plastic trash, generating two million metric tons of the waste material each year, according to The Nation.

The country’s plastic crisis was underscored this June when a pilot whale washed up dead in southern Thailand after swallowing 17 pounds of mostly plastic bags.

The Thai initiative follows efforts made last month in Vietnam and Malaysia to limit imported trash. Vietnam will no longer issue new licenses for scrap imports, in order to crack down on illegal shipments and increased pollution near processing facilities, Reuters reported in July. The same month, the Malaysian government revoked the import permits of 114 factories that process plastic waste.

Source: Eco Watch

Trees Are Migrating West to Escape Climate Change

17.08.2018

forest-931706_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

An individual tree has roots and, of course, it doesn’t move. But trees, as a species, do move over time. They migrate in response to environmental challenges, especially climate change. Surprisingly, they don’t all go to the Poles, where it is cooler. As it turns out, more of them head west, where it is getting wetter.

Sure, some species, such as evergreens, are heading to the Poles to escape the heat. But others, like certain oaks and maple, are going west in search of rain. For the most part, “tree migrations are moisture related,” said Songlin Fei, associate professor at Purdue’s University’s department of forestry and natural resources, who has studied this phenomenon in recent years. “Precipitation has a stronger near-term impact on species shift than temperature.”

Both trends are a consequence of climate change, which is producing more heat and heavier rainfall, fueling deforestation. This is worrisome, as forests soak up carbon from the atmosphere, and recent evidence suggests that soil is exhaling carbon dioxide faster than trees can take in. The migration of trees may help preserve individual species, but also threatens to destabilize forest ecosystems.

Fei analyzed the movement of 86 tree species from across the Eastern United States between 1980 and 2015 using using field data from obtained from the U.S. Forest Service. He found that 73 percent of tree species shifted to the west, while 62 percent moved poleward.

“The majority of the species move westward are broadleaf species that can better handle flood and drought, and have a large seed mass, which improves the seedling’s ability to survive,” he said. “One example of westward shift species is Scarlet Oak. Miss Scarlett ‘gone with the wind,’ but Scarlet Oak is ‘gone with the rain.'”

Researchers compared the distribution of trees in 1980 and 2015, calculating the distance and direction of the trees’ movement. During the more than three decades covered by the study, the mean annual temperature in the eastern United States, where they collected the data, rose around 0.3 degrees F on average, Fei said. The northern areas of that region saw among the largest temperature increases, he added. Precipitation patterns in the regions also changed during those years, as increasing heat spurred in widespread droughts, another reason for trees to gravitate toward the rain, he said.

The scientists’ initial findings appeared in a study published in the journal Science Advances last year. Fei and his team currently are working to update the earlier results, hoping to publish their new findings soon. The researchers have concluded that changes in rainfall and temperature have put “the resilience and sustainability of various forest ecosystems across eastern United States in question,” Fei said.

To be clear, the study focused only on the eastern half the country, meaning tree species didn’t move to, for example, California, Oregon or Washington. In fact, the transition was gradual. “Species, on average, moved about 10 miles per decade, or about one county during the study period,” Fei said.

The trees have picked up on the trends driven by climate change, moving from regions getting less rainfall than in the past to those that are getting more. Even though the Southeast still gets more rainfall than the Midwest, it’s been receiving less in recent years than its historical average, Fei said. At the same time, rainfall has been increasing in the Midwest. “Reduction of moisture in the Southeast and increase of moisture in the Midwest is one of the major reasons caused the shift of species,” he said.

Fei said it helped that the team could use real-world data for its analysis, and that they did not need to rely on traditional computer modeling. “It is not future predictions,” he said. “Empirical data reveals the impact of climate change is happening on the ground now. It’s in action.”

Source: Eco Watch

Babies in Strollers Breathe Up to 60 Percent More Dangerous Air Pollution Than Adults

17.08.2018

park-2531533_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Parents might want to think twice before pushing their babies in strollers alongside busy streets.

A study published Aug. 10 in Environment International by the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) at the University of Surrey found that babies pushed in strollers can be exposed to up to 60 percent more air pollution than adults.

“We know that infants breathe in higher amounts of airborne particles relative to their lung size and body weight compared to adults. What we have proven here is that the height most children travel at while in a pram increases the likelihood of negative impacts from air pollution when compared to an adult,” study author and GCARE Founding Director Professor Prashant Kumar said in a University of Surrey press release. “When you also consider how vulnerable they are because of their tissues, immune systems and brain development at this early stage of their life, it is extremely worrying that they are being exposed to these dangerous levels of pollution.”

The study found that vehicle exhaust pipes are usually located around 1 meter (approximately 1.09 yards) above ground level, and most babies in strollers are positioned between 0.55 meters (approximately 0.6 yards) and 0.85 meters (approximately 0.93 yards) above ground level.

Infants travelling at that height can be exposed to particulate matter, black carbon, nitrogen oxides and toxic metals.

The study did not compare different stroller types, but Kumar told BBC News that parents could reduce their children’s exposure by using stroller covers and avoiding streets that got lots of car traffic.

The study also recommended a variety of solutions, from building hedges between sidewalks and cars, reducing emissions overall and designing strollers that created a “clean air zone” around the child’s nose and mouth.

But Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Professor Jonathan Grigg, who was not involved with the research, had a more far-reaching solution in mind.

“To help protect children’s health we must promote alternatives to cars fuelled by petrol and diesel,” he told BBC News.

The study comes as concerns about the impact of polluted air on children’s health in the UK have been growing.

In July, newly revealed documents surrounding the death of a nine-year-old girl from asthma in 2013 showed her attacks were associated with spikes in illegal air pollution levels near her London home. While air pollution in the UK is linked to 40,000 premature deaths a year, hers could be the first officially listed as such on her death certificate.

Kumar hoped his research would further discussion of this urgent issue.

“With the multitude of evidence we set out in this review, it is important that everyone across the country begin a full and frank conversation about pollution and the impact it has on our most vulnerable–from parents and community leaders, to government officials and industry,” he said in the university press release.

Source: Eco Watch

City of London Introduces Emissions-Based Car Parking Charges

17.08.2018

car-516373_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The City of London Corporation is introducing new charges for on-street parking based on a vehicle’s pollution levels to help improve air quality.

The organisation, which is the governing body of the financial and commercial district Square Mile, will use RingGo’s Emissions Based Parking technology from Monday, 20th August 2018 to charge for parking based on the environmental performance of a vehicle.

Greener cars such as electric and hybrid vehicles will pay £4 an hour to park in the Square Mile, petrol and diesel vehicles registered from 2005 and 2015 onwards respectively will pay £5.20 an hour each while other vehicles will pay £6.80 an hour.

The RingGo app is a cashless parking solution and motorists still choosing to pay by cash at a machine instead of using the app will pay the highest rate.

The new charges will apply on weekdays between 8am and 7pm when air quality is said to be at its worst.

Chris Hayward, Planning and Transportation Committee Chairman at the City of London Corporation said: “We have seen other areas of London penalise worst offenders such as diesel cars. We are taking this one step further by not only applying punitive measures for these worst offenders but by supporting and encouraging motorists to consider other modes of transport and switch to cleaner vehicles in the future.

“The Square Mile is one of London’s busiest areas, therefore, it is only right that the City of London Corporation continues to prioritise providing a safe and healthy environment for its workers, visitors and residents.”

Source: Energy Live News

Indonesia’s Deforestation Dropped 60 Percent in 2017

16.08.2018

gunung-agung-211559 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

In the midst of the second-worst year for tropical tree cover loss in 2017, Indonesia saw an encouraging sign: a 60 percent drop in tree cover loss in primary forests compared with 2016. That’s the difference in carbon dioxide emissions from primary forest loss equivalent to 0.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide, or about the same emissions released from burning over 199 billion pounds of coal.

New data from the University of Maryland, released on Global Forest Watch, calculated tree cover loss—defined as the loss of any trees, regardless of cause or type, from tropical rainforest to tree plantation—within Indonesia’s primary forest and protected peatland. The decline in tree cover loss in Indonesia was at odds with other countries’ experiences last year, with record-high loss of tree cover in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the second-highest level in Brazil, a spike in Colombia and forest disruption caused by storms in the Caribbean.

The decrease in Indonesia’s tree cover loss is likely due in part to the national peat drainage moratorium, in effect since 2016. Primary forest loss in protected peat areas went down by 88 percent between 2016 and 2017, to the lowest level ever recorded. Additionally, 2017 was a non-El Niño year, which brought wetter conditions and fewer fires compared to past years. Educational campaigns and increased enforcement of forest laws from local police have also helped prevent land-clearing by fire.

Kalimantan and Sumatra experienced the largest reduction in primary forest loss between 2016 and 2017 by 68 percent and 51 percent respectively, with the largest reduction seen in South Sumatra, Central Kalimantan and Jambi. On the other hand, West Sumatra and North Sumatra saw an increase in forest cover loss.

Protected peat areas, made up of over 3-meters (10-foot) deep carbon-rich organic soil, covered 12.2 million hectares (30 million acres), half of Indonesia’s peatland hydrological area. The avoided emission from peat decomposition and peat conversion is equivalent to emission from burning 630 billion pounds of coal. Provinces with the greatest decrease of forest cover loss in protected peat areas are Central Kalimantan, Jambi and South Sumatra, provinces which experienced worst fires in 2015.

Such decrease may be partially driven by a longer wet season in 2017, resulting in fewer fires in peat and avoiding the 2015 fires crisis from happening again. However, the decrease also coincides with a number of government actions to curb land clearing in peatland and forests.

First, Indonesia’s president established the Peatland Restoration Agency, tasked to coordinate the restoration of 2.4 million hectares (5.9 million acres) of peatland in Indonesia. Second, the government issued a regulation to ensure a suitable water level in peatland and ban all new land clearing and canal building on peatland, even in existing concession areas. Sub-national elections, which took place in June, may have also contributed to less peatland and forest fires as local politicians have greater incentive to prevent fires. This year’s Asian Games, to be hosted in both Jakarta and Palembang (the capital of South Sumatra) in August, has also driven the government to intensify efforts to prevent the burning of forests and peatland.

Despite this progress, threats remain. Companies secured concession permits in large areas of protected peatland before recent protection efforts. More than a quarter of the 12.2 million hectares (30 million acres) of protected peatland has already got concession areas, dominated by pulpwood and palm oil plantations, or has the potential to be converted to plantations or agriculture.

To this end, the government issued a land swap program that obliges companies whose concessions contain at least 40 percent of protected peatland to protect and restore those areas of their concessions. In exchange, the government will compensate them with land elsewhere. The plan drew criticism from civil society organizations, which voiced concerns that more forests could be opened without clear and transparent data and land criteria, and from companies concerned that the regulations would be bad for business.

First, international support for emissions reduction and green growth must be further strengthened, with this year’s international climate meeting in Poland as a venue for all countries to evaluate and log a more ambitious emission reduction target. Indonesia’s significant decrease in deforestation allows it to launch a more ambitious emissions reduction target and contribute to the global effort in raising ambition.

Second, sub-national governments need more political support for sustainable development. There is already evidence that this is on the rise in Indonesia, with the introduction of Lingkar Temu Kabupaten Lestari (sustainable district platforms) and green growth programs in South Sumatra and East Kalimantan.

Third, monitoring deforestation can be a valuable tool. Spatial data to tools such as Global Forest Watch provide tree cover loss alerts in near real time, enabling the government and public to prevent the clearing of protected peat areas and forests. In Peru, weekly deforestation alerts help identify forest encroachment and construction of illegal logging roads in the Peruvian Amazon.

In Indonesia, monitoring government commitment to peatland protection is also part of the public’s responsibility to ensure a healthy environment. Pantau Gambut, an Indonesian civil society coalition platform that provides information on the commitments from government, public, and companies, enables public to ask stakeholders to fulfill their pledges.

Finally, as a variation on the land swap, proposing a ‘new scheme’ of concessions by converting existing license on peatland into ecosystem restoration concessions could better meet the needs of all stakeholders, if it has a firm legal foundation and support from green business incentives.

If Indonesia keeps strengthening its forest protection and climate action, 2018 could be another promising year for Indonesia’s primary forests, even when the dry season returns and the Asian Games are over.

Source: Eco Watch

Court Orders Monsanto to Pay $289 Million in Cancer Trial

16.08.2018

hammer-1537123_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Agrochemical company Monsanto has been ordered to pay $289 million to school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson, who said the Bayer subsidiary’s chemical products gave him cancer. On Friday, a California jury ruled that the company acted with knowledge that risks of cancer were possible when allowing their weedkillers, such as Roundup, to remain on the market with no hazard warnings. The $289 million sum consists of $39 million in compensatory damages with the remaining $250 million accorded for punitive damages.

The three-day trial in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco concluded with the determination that Monsanto did not warn consumers like Johnson of the dangers associated to glyphosate exposure. The 46-year-old’s case was filed in 2016, but it was rushed to trial as a result of the acuteness of his cancer. Doctors predicted that Johnson, a pest control manager for a California county school system, would not live past 2020 because of the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma he developed while being on the job.

Johnson regularly used popular Monsanto products Roundup and Ranger Pro, both herbicides containing glyphosate, a chemical that poses cancer risks to humans. Monsanto plans to appeal the verdict and cited 800 scientific studies and reviews in its support of the weedkillers. The company said, “Glyphosate does not cause cancer and did not cause Mr. Johnson’s cancer.” Monsanto was recently acquired for $62.5 billion by the German conglomerate Bayer, which is now faced with more than 5,000 lawsuits across the U.S. that resemble Mr. Johnson’s case.

Jurors on the trial were privy to never-before-seen internal company documents “proving that Monsanto has known for decades that glyphosate, and specifically Roundup, could cause cancer,” Brent Wisner, Johnson’s lawyer, revealed in a statement. Wisner’s demand to the company was simple — “Put consumer safety first over profits.”

Source: Inhabitat

Volkswagen’s Electric Cars In Trouble Over Cancer Causing Materials

16.08.2018

As if the huge Dieselgate scandal wasn’t damaging enough for Volkswagen as an automaker, the German car maker might soon find itself embroiled in yet another scandal. And this time, it is for its electric cars! According to reports, Volkswagen, following a ruling by the German federal Motor Transport Authority, might have to recall close to 1.25 lakh electric and plug in hybrid cars due to a small amount of cancer causing ‘Cadmium’ which is present in the cars. These cars include the likes of the extremely popular Volkswagen Golf GTE and other models from the Porsche and Audi lineup too!

Tests have found that the Volkswagen Group cars contain 0.008 grams of Cadmium in their charging systems, which usually is enough to pose a risk to humans. However, in this case, the Cadmium components are well insulated and will not directly be causing any risk to humans until the end of their life cycle. They could then cause significant environmental harm. In fact, disposal of electric cars – and more importantly, electric battery packs, has been a long standing discussion within the automotive industry.

The Volkswagen Golf GTE, which could be one of the cars affected by this is one of the most popular electric cars in Germany with waiting periods of a fair few months to get one new. The electric car is made at the glass factory or transparent factory in Dresden, the same factory that was built originally to build the Phaeton. The production of these electric cars though has not been stopped as the component has been swapped out with another non-carcinogenic material that does not pose any threat to humans and the environment.

Source: Auto NDTV

Community Solar Project Means All Maryland Homes Can Make the Most of the Sun

15.08.2018

maryland-280863_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

A pilot programme has launched to allow people in the US state of Maryland to get involved with solar energy – even if they have no roof space or live in the shade.

Solar developers such as Neighborhood Sun are looking for hundreds of residents to subscribe to six community power projects planned across the state, which will be built over a total of 80 acres.

The community solar program aims to tap into the pool of residential customers who don’t want to get their energy from fossil fuels but currently have no way to switch to a cleaner alternative, such as people that live in blocks of flats.

Developers say need a ‘critical mass of customers’ who are willing to buy the projects’ electricity before they can move forward with plans, which will offer power at a price up to 10% cheaper than standard utility rates.

They say they are currently looking for 2,600 customers across the state.

Gary Skulnik, CEO of Neighborhood Sun, said: “You’re signing up for a project that won’t exist unless we get enough subscribers. You’re actually getting a new project built.”

So far, the General Assembly has authorised about 200MW in community solar projects over the next three years, enough to power about 40,000 households.

Source: Energy Live News

Gin-ius: You Can Now Sip Your Gin with an Edible Strawberry Flavoured Straw

15.08.2018

A range of pre-mixed canned drinks now come with edible straws to cut down on plastic waste.

Diageo’s Premix range, which includes Gordon’s Gin & Schweppes Tonic, Baileys & Iced Coffee Latte and Pimm’s & Lemonade, now comes with a variety of flavoured straws that can be eaten, rather then binned or sent away to landfill like traditional plastic alternatives.

The drinks company has ditched single-use plastic straws across its global business and says it will only use reusable, compostable or biodegradable alternatives from now on.

Global Sustainable Development Director David Croft said: “Diageo is committed to minimising our environmental impact and we are, like many of our consumers, increasingly concerned about the negative environmental impact associated with the irresponsible disposal of plastic straws.

We will admit to having an unhealthy obsession with Gordon’s pre-mixed G&T cans – and will often have a few too many.

Now, drinks giant Diageo has gone and stolen our hearts a second time with their new range of edible drinking straws.

Not only are the straws sustainable and cleverly designed to ensure they’re safe for human consumption, they also come in a variety of delicious flavours carefully crafted to compliment your tinny of choice.

The lime-flavoured straw was designed to add a zesty twist to the classic Gordon’s gin and Schweppes tonic, or if you opt for a can of Pimm’s and lemonade go for the strawberry straw.

There’s a choccy-flavoured one to help you knock back a Baileys mixed with iced coffee latte, or try the lemon edition with a can of the Captain Morgan’s Rum and Cola.

We might just be in heaven.

Sources: Energy Live News/The Sun

Brazil Meets a Major Emissions Goal Two Years Ahead of Schedule

15.08.2018

rio-de-janeiro-1963744_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Brazil has just announced that it has cut 2017 greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation to levels far below its 2020 goal. The country originally aimed to reduce emissions from this source by 564 million tons in the Amazon and by 170 million tons in the Cerrado savanna by 2020, in keeping with the 2009 Copenhagen Accord. However, this past Thursday, Brazil’s Environment Ministry reported that CO2 emissions from deforestation in these areas have already been reduced by 780 million tons, in a major win for Brazil and, of course, the Earth.

Brazil has even higher goals for emissions reduction under the 2015 Paris Agreement. According to Thiago Mendes, the Environment Ministry’s secretary of climate change, “The policy message is that we can and should remain in the Paris Agreement (because) it is possible to effectively implement the commitments that have been made.”

The Amazon is the largest tropical rainforest on the planet, and Brazil’s Cerrado is the biggest savanna in South America. As such, both absorb high amounts of CO2, making their preservation paramount in the battle against climate change. Thankfully, Brazil is already exceeding expectations in this battle, and one can only hope it continues to do so as it strives to meet its Paris Agreement goals.

Source: Inhabitat

France: Non-Recycled Plastic Will Cost 10 Percent More

14.08.2018

plastic-3577044_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

France will roll out a series of measures to accelerate President Emmanuel Macron’s goal of reaching 100 percent plastic recycling by 2025, a government official said Sunday.

“Declaring war on plastic is not enough. We need to transform the French economy,” Junior Environment Minister Brune Poirson told French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.

Here are some of the new initiatives that will be introduced, as reported by Deutsche Welle:

From 2019, items without recycled packaging could cost up to 10 percent more, while products with recycled plastic packaging could cost up to 10 percent less;
A deposit-refund scheme for plastic bottles;
Taxes on landfill trash will increase, while taxes for recycling will go down;
Standardization of the color of recycling bins across the country.

The aim is to encourage consumers to recycle, Poirson explained.

“When there’s a choice between two bottles, one made of recycled plastic and the other without, the first will be less expensive,” she said. “When non-recycled plastic will cost more, that will eliminate much of the excessive packaging.”

Reuters noted that France currently recycles around 25 percent of its plastic packaging waste—the second worst recycler in Europe. To compare, Germany and The Netherlands recycle 50 percent of their plastic waste.

But in recent years, France has taken major steps to curb its plastic footprint. In 2016, the previous socialist government announced a ban on disposable plastic plates, cutlery and cups. The ban comes into effect in 2020.

Supermarket chains Carrefour and Leclerc said they will stop selling plastic straws in the coming months. The country has already outlawed single-use plastic bags in grocery stores.

Commenting about the new initiatives, Flore Berlingen of the association Zero Waste France told AFP, “We’re hoping that companies play along so that clients aren’t the ones penalized.”

“Recycling is necessary but not sufficient. We absolutely must cut off the flow and have more stringent measures against over-packaging and disposable objects,” Berlingen added.

Source: Eco Watch

1...209210211...407 Page 210 of 407

Newsletter

Calendar of events

2025 June

Events for 30 June

Events for 1 July

Events for 2 July

Events for 3 July

Events for 4 July

Events for 5 July

Events for 6 July

Events for 7 July

Events for 8 July

Events for 9 July

Events for 10 July

Events for 11 July

Events for 12 July

Events for 13 July

Events for 14 July

Events for 15 July

Events for 16 July

Events for 17 July

Events for 18 July

Events for 19 July

Events for 20 July

Events for 21 July

Events for 22 July

Events for 23 July

Events for 24 July

Events for 25 July

Events for 26 July

Events for 27 July

Events for 28 July

Events for 29 July

Events for 30 July

WRITE US