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PARIS, France (AFP) — Mosquito larvae have been observed ingesting microplastics that can be passed up the food chain, researchers said Wednesday, potentially uncovering a new way that the polluting particles could damage the environment. Microplastics — tiny plastic shards broken down from man-made products such as synthetic clothing, car tyres and contact lenses — litter much of the world’s oceans. Hard to spot and harder to collect, they can seriously harm marine wildlife […]
by Régine LAMOTHE Agence France Presse ARCACHON, France (AFP) — French researchers hoping to get an early warning on pollution in the ocean have found an unlikely ally in a mollusk more often destined for the dinner table. Their findings reveal that much like canaries in a coal mine, oysters stationed near offshore oil platforms can detect minute amounts of hydrocarbons as each one constantly filters dozens of gallons of water every day. That could […]
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — A supply ship towing a long floating boom designed to corral ocean plastic has set sail from San Francisco for a test run ahead of a trip to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The ambitious project by The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch non-profit group, hopes to clean up half of the infamous garbage patch within five years when all systems are deployed. After five years of preparation and […]
by Zina DESMAZES Agence France Presse NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — In a room that is both home and studio, Evans Ngure works on a sculpture, a fantastical fish fabricated from found objects: wooden spoons, broken scissors and an old machete. Long before upcycling became a hipster mantra, Ngure turned his Nairobi apartment into a workshop, and junk into art, his choice of artistic expression echoing a necessary developing world culture of re-use. After trying his […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) – Powerful storms have forced a Frenchman attempting to become the first person to swim cross the Pacific Ocean to suspend his bid, nearly two months into the mammoth undertaking. Ben Lecomte set off on June 5 from Choshi in Japan, planning to swim across the ocean in six to eight months. But after nearly two months swimming eight hours a day, severe storms forced the 51-year-old to head back to port […]
by Etienne Balmer Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – French pharmaceuticals group Sanofi announced late Monday an immediate halt in production at a chemical factory in southwest France, in the wake of media reports that toxic waste emissions exceeded the norms. “Sanofi Chemical has decided from today to stop production at its Mourenx site and to carry out the announced technical improvements needed to return to normal,” the group said in a brief statement. It […]
by Ivan Couronne © Agence France-Presse Seattle has become the first major US city to ban plastic straws and utensils in its eateries, a victory for environmentalists that will be tough to replicate elsewhere in the United States. After targeting plastic bags, environmentalists have set their sights on plastic drinking straws as a public enemy, highlighting the gap between their brief moment of utility and the enduring impact they have on marine creatures, which often […]
PARIS, France (AFP)–Air pollution caused one in seven new cases of diabetes in 2016, according to a US study, which found even low levels raised the chances of developing the chronic disease. Diabetes has primarily been associated with lifestyle factors like diet and a sedentary lifestyle, but research by the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis said pollution also plays a major role. The study estimated that pollution contributed to 3.2 million new […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A bill intended to reduce the volume of microplastics dumped into the ocean was approved by Japan’s parliament on Friday, but it included no sanctions for failure to comply. The measure, which received unanimous approval in the upper house, seeks to encourage businesses to reduce their use of microplastics, including microbeads — tiny plastic particles used in exfoliating creams and other cosmetic products. But the law contains no details of punishment […]
by Bhuvan Bagga © Agence France-Presse KANPUR, India (AFP) — Soot turned the white handkerchief around Abhash Kumar Sharma’s face to black as the police officer tried to direct gridlocked traffic in the Indian city with the world’s dirtiest air. It was all he had to ward off the pollution blamed for filling Kanpur’s hospital beds with growing numbers of chronic lung and cancer cases. “It is the same story for everyone who spends such […]
by Mariëtte Le Roux Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Researchers warned Tuesday of a “troubling” accumulation of microplastics in sea ice floating in the Arctic ocean, a major potential source of water pollution as global warming melts the sheets of frozen water. A team from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) found 17 different plastic types in ice samples gathered during three Arctic expeditions on board the research icebreaker Polarstern […]
MANILA, Philippines (Eagle News) — Plano ng Pilipinas na magkaroon ng Green ‘Smart City’ bilang panlunas sa nararanasang matinding trapiko sa Metro Manila at polusyon sa hangin. Tatawagin itong “New Clark City” na planong gawin sa Central Luzon. Sa nasabing Green “Smart City” ay magkakaroon ng drones, self-driving vehicles at environmentally friendly design at teknolohiya. Inaasahang nasa P2 milyong tao ang maninirahan sa nasabing lungsod at kayang makapag-ambag sa ekonomiya ng 30 billion dollars taon-taon. […]
