Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash The EC says that the “majority” of bathing water sites in Europe met the European Union’s most stringent ‘excellent’ water quality standards in 2022, according to the latest annual Bathing Water report published last week. The assessment, put together by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in cooperation with the Commission, highlights where swimmers can find the…
Environment
Hello Sunshine
Photo by Vivint Solar on Unsplash It is good news that the UK should have plenty of sunshine this summer – potentially more than much of southern Europe. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts suggests that June, July and August should each be hotter than average. This should be a great opportunity to harness more solar power:…
Greens Attack Populists and Extremists
Photo by Chris LeBoutillier on Unsplash The Greens have launched an attack on other groups following a vote in parliament.It accused a majority of EPP, Renew, right-wing “populists and extremists” in the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee of rejecting the European Commission’s proposal for a Directive on Nature Restoration. Previously, the same political alliance had rejected the proposal in…
Factory Farms Must Clean Up Their Mess
Photo by Jack Sloop on Unsplash MEPs responsible for environment policy have voted against proposals to give what campaigners call “industrial-scale cattle farms a free pass to avoid their responsibility in wrecking the climate.” Last month, MEPs in the Agriculture Committee voted to exempt industrial-scale cattle farming exempt from EU rules limiting industrial pollution. Campaigners said they agreed to this…
Support for Environmental Causes Growing
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash Despite the recession, philanthropic support for environmental causes is increasing, says a new report. This is one of the key messages to emerge from the 6th edition of an annual assessment. Called “Environmental Funding by European Foundations” it is claimed to be the most comprehensive report that has ever been published on environmental philanthropy across…
Curbing Aviation Carbon Emissions
Photo by Jerry Zhang on Unsplash The aviation industry is taking a “broad set of actions” to curtail carbon emissions, says the Aerospace Industries Association. Such action is urgently needed as aviation is one of the fastest-growing sources of the greenhouse gas emissions driving global climate change. Flying is a highly controversial topic in climate debates and accounts…
My Octopus Teacher
Photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash The EU has been urged to help put an end to the world’s first commercial octopus farm. It is claimed that around one million octopuses will be reared at the proposed farm in the Port of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, Spain. The plans have sparked claims that this will cause animal…
Does the Fate of the Aral Sea Await the Caspian Sea?
Photo by Patrick Schneider on Unsplash Experts warn of the possibility of a new environmental disaster in the Caspian Sea in recent years, similar to the drying up of the Aral Sea, writes Professor Dr. Abdulvahap Kara. One of the important reasons for this is that the water in the Ural River is decreasing from year to year….
EU Green Bonds Standard
Photo by Tech Daily on Unsplash EU negotiators have struck a deal creating the first “best in class” standard for the issuing of green bonds. The “European Green Bonds Standard” (EUGBS), which companies issuing a bond can choose to comply with, will primarily enable investors to orient their investments more confidently towards more sustainable technologies and businesses. It…
Clearing The Air
Photo by Kenrick Mills on Unsplash It is exactly ten years since the death of nine-year old Ella Kissi-Debrah. She was the first person in the world to have the cause of death defined as air pollution. It happened in London, writes Philip Bushill-Matthews. The European Environment Agency in its 2021 report claimed that overall in 2018 air…