Each Friday we’ll bring you a round-up of the week’s green news from around the web. Please drop us a line if you know of a story we should include in the next round-up.
10-year-old Sellafield plant may be closed
From The Guardian
One of the great white elephants of Britain’s atomic industry looks set for closure, according to documents published by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The NDA is examining the closure of Sellafield’s troubled “mixed oxide” or Mox production plant, which has performed badly since it was opened 10 years ago. [full article]
Major oil spill from tanker heads towards British Isles
From The Guardian
Irish authorities are monitoring a huge oil spill – the largest in the waters around Ireland in a decade – that is drifting toward the Irish coast. The Irish Marine Department said the oil slick was discovered close to where a Russian aircraft carrier was refuelling in the Celtic Sea between western Britain and southern Ireland. [full article]
Environmentalists to sue for disclosure of chemicals in cleaning products
From LA Times
The makers of Tide, Ajax and other common household cleansers are being asked to come clean about their ingredients. Environmental and health activists announced plans for a lawsuit to make Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and two other major firms reveal the chemical ingredients of their cleaning products and their research on their effects. [full article]
Tropical forests are drying out because of global warming
From The Telegraph
Damp regions that had previously been considered immune to the type of blazes that blighted Australia this month could turn to tinderboxes as temperatures rise, it is claimed. Rainforests currently play a critical role in regulating climate by absorbing carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. But if they were to catch alight they would become carbon producers, accelerating climate change. [full article]
East meets West for Earth Hour in over 500 cities
From WWF
The global call to action on climate change has been answered from east to west as a record 538 cities and towns in 75 countries sign up to turn their lights off at 8.30pm on 28 March for Earth Hour 2009. Earth Hour Executive Director Andy Ridley said the global growth in support for Earth Hour has been phenomenal. [full article]
Pay recycling costs, stores told
From BBC News
UK supermarkets produce too much packaging, almost 40% of which is non-recyclable, local councils say. The Local Government Association argues supermarkets should pay towards the collection of their packaging as an incentive to cut back. In a survey of 29 common grocery items, it found Waitrose had the most wrapping while Tesco had the least. [full article]
Sun-powered device converts CO2 into fuel
From New Scientist
Powered only by natural sunlight, an array of nanotubes is able to convert a mixture of carbon dioxide and water vapour into natural gas at unprecedented rates. Such devices offer a new way to take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into fuel or other chemicals to cut the effect of fossil fuel emissions on global climate, says Craig Grimes, from Pennsylvania State University, whose team came up with the device. [full article]
Say ‘no’ to the tar sands
From OneWorld
An international network of environmental groups has announced that there has been overwhelming response to a cross-border campaign urging President Barack Obama to keep moving forward on his new energy economy agenda and say “no” to the tar sands, the dirtiest, most energy-intensive source of oil on the planet. [full article]
China says crisis won’t stop its climate action
From Reuters
The global financial crisis will not affect China’s resolve to tackle global warming, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, ahead of a visit to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Climate change is a theme of Clinton’s trip to Asia, which has also included stops in Japan, Indonesia and South Korea. China has exceeded the United States as the world’s leading emitters of greenhouse gases. [full article]
The environmental food crisis: a crisis of waste
Over half of the food produced globally is lost, wasted or discarded as a result of inefficiency in the human-managed food chain, finds a new study by the United Nations Environment Programme released today. This staggering amount of waste plus environmental degradation is putting an end to a 100-year trend of falling food prices, the study warns. [full article]
Don’t forget to drop us a line if you know of a story we should include in the next round-up of green news.
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