Environment

UK and Australia team up to use space technology to protect Pacific from climate change and natural disasters

The UK Space Agency is looking for project ideas, to be delivered through UK aid, that use the data collected by satellites to improve decision-making for disaster risk reduction, ocean…

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Schools in New Delhi shut until November 5 due to severe air pollution

Schools in the Indian capital will be shut until Nov. 5, the city government said, as residents breathed the season’s worst air for a third straight day. As farm fires…

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Greek-flagged tanker believed to be source of Brazil oil spill

Brazilian officials suspect a Greek-flagged tanker was the source of an oil spill that has stained about 2,500km of Brazil's coastline. The spill was first detected on 2 September, and…

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Tesco vows to remove 1 billion pieces of plastic packaging by end-2020

Britain’s biggest retailer Tesco has pledged to remove one billion pieces of plastic packaging from products in its UK stores by the end of 2020, seeking to reduce its environmental…

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Decline of insects in Germany is ‘frightening’, scientists warn

The decline of insects in German forests and grassland is "frightening" particularly in the vicinity of intensively farmed land, scientists have warned. An international research team led by scientists from…

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Rising sea levels pose threat to homes of 300m people

More than three times more people are at risk from rising sea levels than previously believed, research suggests. Land that is currently home to 300 million people will flood…

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Greta Thunberg turns down green award, says climate movement does not need any more awards

Greta Thunberg has turned down an environmental award and £40,000 in prize money because "bragging" and "beautiful words" will not cut carbon emissions. The Swedish campaigner revealed in an Instagram…

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Nestlé, Pepsi and Coca Cola remain among top plastic polluters in the world

Nestlé, Pepsi and Coca Cola are the top 3 most identified companies in global brand audits for the second year in a row, according to a new report “BRANDED Volume…

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Conservationists in Greece and Cyprus tackle invasive species of highly venomous lionfish

A voracious, venomous species of fish that has invaded the Mediterranean from the Red Sea may be about to meet its match as conservationists urge people to start eating them.…

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John Lewis and Waitrose to stop putting plastic toys in Christmas crackers

John Lewis and Waitrose have said they will stop putting plastic toys inside Christmas crackers. The John Lewis Partnership, which operates both retailers, made the decision as part of plans…

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Clean-up on Brazilian beaches affected by mysterious oil spill

Thousands of people have taken part in a huge clean-up operation to remove oil and tar from beaches along Brazil's north-eastern coast. Volunteers, as well as government workers, used wheelbarrows,…

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Carlsberg makes progress on Green Fibre Bottle

During the C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Carlsberg Group presented an update on its journey to create the Green Fibre Bottle, the world’s first "paper bottle"…

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Europe air pollution caused 400,000 premature deaths

Poor air quality caused 412,000 premature deaths in Europe in 2016, the most recent year data is available, according to a report released this week by the European Environment Agency…

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Plant Health: prioritising the fight against 20 quarantine plant pests on the EU territory

The European Commission has just published a list of 20 regulated quarantine pests qualifying as priority pests, including Xylella fastidiosa, the Japanese beetle, the Asian long-horned beetle, Citrus greening and…

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Scotland becomes first part of UK to ban plastic cotton buds

Scotland has become the first part of the UK to ban the sale of plastic cotton buds. New regulations have come into force prohibiting the manufacture and sale of the…

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Ferrero to make all its packaging 100% reusable and recyclable

The Ferrero Group has announced plans to make all its packaging 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Ferrero said it is committing to eliminating unnecessary plastic packaging through redesign,…

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IV Regional Forum of the Union for the Mediterranean in Barcelona

Secretary-General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Nasser Kamel, delivers his speech during the IV Regional Forum of the Union for the Mediterranean in Barcelona, Spain, 10 October 2019. Kamel…

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Half of Antarctica’s emperor penguins could be wiped out due to melting ice

More than half of Antarctica's emperor penguins could be wiped out over the next 80 years due to melting ice, scientists have warned. Researchers from British Antarctic Survey said that…

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Extinction Rebellion day of protest kicks off

Protesters led by around the world led by Extinction Rebellion are calling on governments and businesses to do more to avoid climate catastrophe. Protests began in Wellington's central business district…

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British Green party wants to scrap plans for new roads and use cash to fund free bus travel instead

The Green party wants to scrap the Conservatives’ £6.5bn plans for new roads and will instead use the cash to fund free bus travel for all. The proposals, which will…

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Expert fears carcinogenic molecules created in Rouen factory blaze

An air quality expert has told Euronews that reactions between chemicals in the Rouen factory fire could have created carcinogenic particles. More than 5,000 tonnes of 400 different substances were…

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World’s largest banks lagging in sustainable finance

Despite pressure from activists, investors and governments, the majority of world’s 50 largest banks have not made sustainable finance commitments to respond to the risks of climate change and continue…

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Over 5,000 cubic metre of ice collapse from Mont Blanc glacier

A tourist takes a picture of the Planpinceux glacier on the Mont Blanc, threatening the village of Planpinceux, which was evacuated as a precaution for fears of an imminent landslide…

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Greenpeace activists protest in Berlin against Brazil government

The Greenpeace boat Beluga III is docked, as the organization's activists demonstrate against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Berlin. The protest took place outside the Haus der Deutschen Wirtschaft,…

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Vast oil spill hits dozens of beaches in Brazil

Brazilian officials are investigating the source of a vast oil spill that has hit dozens of beaches along the country's north-eastern coast. Analysis showed the oil found was of a…

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Greenland’s Humboldt Glacier exposes layers of ice from ancient climate periods

A handout photo made available by NASA shows an aerial view of a lake bounded to the left by Washington Land, a deglaciated peninsula that juts into the Kane Basin,…

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Nearly 60% of Europe’s native trees risk extinction

Fifty-eight percent of the 265 tree species native only to Europe face a high to extreme risk of dying out, according to a study published Friday by the International Union…

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Tea bags release millions of microscopic plastic particles into your drink, study finds

Cups of tea could be contaminated with millions of microscopic plastic particles, new research suggests. As the war on plastic continues, the spotlight is being shone on some of our…

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Don’t buy coastal properties’: UN scientists issue stark warning on climate

No part of the planet will be spared a climate crisis as oceans warm, and glaciers and ice sheets melt, according to a pivotal report by United Nations scientists. The…

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Forest fire continues to rage in Indonesia

A resident runs away as fire gets closer to his house in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Firefighters, military personnel and water-dropping helicopters are deployed to douse the land fires in…

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Bird populations are collapsing in the US and Asia

Bird populations in Asia and the US are "in crisis", according to two major studies. The first concludes there are three billion fewer birds in the US and Canada today…

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Widespread fires in South America continue to burn

A handout photo made available by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of a satellite image showing smoke plumes across Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, 09 September 2019 (issued 19…

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Photo Story: Algae bloom in Hungary

Freshwater algae proliferate in the southern tip of Lake Balaton at the mouth of the Zala river near Fenekpuszta, southwestern Hungary. Researchers suspect that phosphorus escaped from the lakebed sediment…

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H&M stops buying Brazilian leather over Amazon rainforest fires

Fashion retailer H&M said Friday it is suspending leather purchases from Brazil to make sure it is not supporting cattle farming that may be contributing to the fires in the…

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Head of UN body combating desertification appeals to restore land to save the planet, boost the economy

Investing in land restoration could not only help keep our planet healthy, but also be the starting point for resolving some of the biggest issues of our time, the head of the…

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Photo Story: Fires still burning in the Amazon forest in Brazil

A firefighter, who is part of an Ibama forest brigade formed by indigenous people of the Tenhari ethnic group, participates in firefighting efforts fire in an indigenous reserve located in…

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Swiss artist installs 300 trees in football stadium

Basel-based artist Klaus Littmann has transformed a 30,000-capacity stadium in southern Austria into a forest as part of an exhibit paying tribute to nature. It is Austria’s largest public art…

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Photo Story: Aftermath of the Amazon fires

A view of burnt tree trunks as a consequence of a forest fire in the municipality Apui, in the south of the Amazonas, Brazil, 04 September 2018 (issued on 05…

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US lifts ban on old-style light bulbs

The US is scrapping a ban on energy-inefficient light bulbs which was due to come in at the beginning of 2020. The rule would have prohibited the sale of bulbs…

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Photo Story: Satellite image of wildfires around the world

A handout released via the NASA Worldview application on 28 August 2018 shows a satellite image with the red dots indicating fires around the globe on 27 August 2019. The…

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Greta Thunberg nears the end of her Atlantic crossing

Greta Thunberg is likely to arrive in New York soon after crossing the Atlantic in a zero-carbon yacht. “Land!! The lights of Long Island and New York City ahead,” the 16-year-old…

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Brazil makes U-turn on international aid offer for Amazon

Brazil appears to have backtracked on its rejection of G7 funds to fight the Amazon forest fires, saying it will accept as long as it has control over how the…

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Fires continue to burn in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil

A handout satellite image made available by Maxar Technologies shows a fire burning in the upper Amazon River basin near Porto Velho, state of Rondonia, in Brazil. Seven Brazilian states…

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G7 to release funds to fight fires in the Amazon

International leaders at the G7 summit have agreed to provide logistical and financial support to help fight fires in the Amazon rainforest. French President Emmanuel Macron said G7 countries would…

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Sharks to be given new international protection

Countries have agreed to strengthen protections for 18 threatened species of sharks and rays, including those hunted for their meat and fins. The proposal was passed at the Convention on…

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Bolivia also under threat from rapidly spreading fires

While the world's attention has been focused on the destruction to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, neighbouring Bolivia is struggling with fires raging through the Robore region. The fires have…

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The fires in the Amazon rainforest from space

Thousands of fires are ravaging the Amazon rainforest in Brazil - the most intense blazes for almost a decade. The northern states of Roraima, Acre, Rondônia and Amazonas have been…

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Ireland to try block Mercosur trade deal because of concerns over Amazon fires

As wildfires rage through the Brazilian Amazon, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has said Dublin will vote against a trade deal between the European Union and South American trade bloc…

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Leading fashion companies to make G7 pledge to help environment

Major fashion companies from around the world said on Friday they had signed a pact which they would present at this week’s G7 summit in Biarritz, France, to help protect…

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Photo Story: Residents in Marbella evacuated due to forest fire

View of a forest fire in the area Altos de Marbella, near of AP-7 highway in the town of Marbella, Costa del Sol, southern Spain, 22 August 2019 (issued 23…

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Growing international dismay as large parts of the Amazon go up in flames

Fires are raging at a record rate in Brazil's Amazon rainforest and scientists warn it could strike a devastating blow to the fight against climate change. An area of Amazon…

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Iceland unveils memorial plaque for lost glacier

Iceland has been commemorating the country's first glacier lost to climate change, with a memorial plaque warning of the effects of global warming being installed at the site. Icelandic officials, activists…

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Around 8,000 people evacuated from the Canary Islands fires

Around 8,000 people have been evacuated as wildfires rip through Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. The fires, which started on Saturday near the town of Tejeda, are advancing on…

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Monaco: One of Europe’s smallest nations is going green

The Principality of Monaco is one of Europe's smallest nations, and indeed 20% of the country has been reclaimed from the sea. A new reclamation project is under way at…

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Banana under threat from dangerous fungus

An ominous scenario for the most popular type of banana, Cavendish banana, may be unfolding in Latin America. A strong and incredibly hard to stop fungus has been spotted in…

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Towards environmental protection as a human right through new UN agreement

The UN environment agency and human rights office (OHCHR) signed a landmark new agreement on Friday aimed at better protecting vulnerable human and environmental rights defenders and their families, while…

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Sydney running out of water due to drought

Australia’s biggest city Sydney is running down its water supply at the fastest rate on record with dams expected to fall below half maximum capacity due to the worst drought…

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