Funding problems hit plan to clean Rio’s polluted waterways ahead of Olympics
With the Olympic Games just months away, Rio de Janeiro has a problem with rubbish. Hundreds of tonnes of unprocessed waste flow into the Guanabara Bay every year. Previous promises from Rio officials to regenerate Rio’s waterways through investment in sanitation have not delivered results.
Federal government agrees to stop approving oil fracking off the California coast until environment review
The federal government has agreed to stop approving oil fracking off the California coast until it studies whether the practice is safe for the environment, according to legal settlements filed Friday.
Study Finds Toxic Pollutants in Fish Across the World’s Oceans
A new global analysis of seafood found that fish populations throughout the world’s oceans are contaminated with industrial and agricultural pollutants, collectively known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The study also uncovered some good news¾concentrations of these pollutants have been consistently dropping over the last 30 years.
Red mud pollution: outrage in Marseille
Thousands of people marched in Marseille’s street today to protest against “the red mud scandal”, where Altéo industry, specialized in the industrial production of aluminum, has been granted the right to continue rejecting its hazardous waste product into the marine environment of the Calanques National Park.
Spain court finds captain, British insurer liable for Prestige oil spill
Spain’s Supreme Court said Tuesday it had found the captain, British insurer and owner of an oil tanker that broke up off northwestern Spain in 2002 liable for one of Europe’s worst environmental disasters.
Bill Introduced to Cap Old Oil Wells
State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson has just introduced a bill to monitor and cap California’s old, abandoned and leaking oil wells. It is estimated that there are more than 200 of these so-called ‘legacy’ wells in California, the majority located along the Summerland and Ellwood beaches in Santa Barbara County and along the Central Coast.
Plastic now pollutes every corner of Earth
Humans have made enough plastic since the second world war to coat the Earth entirely in clingfilm, an international study has revealed.
Obama’s offshore drilling plan meets heavy resistance along Atlantic coast
Irate residents in small coastal towns say Obama’s plan to open a new fossil fuel frontier would harm endangered marine life – as politicians warn of ‘tragedy’.
From oil use to ocean pollution: five facts about the plastics industry
The world of plastics is in drastic need of reform. A new report released at Davos highlights some startling facts about the huge environmental and resource impacts of a fast growing plastics industry.