More deadly than hard plastic: California city bans balloons to protect birds and the ocean 24/2/2023

Laguna Beach – the California city known for surfers, waves, rolling hills – grabbed headlines this week for enacting a strict ban on the sale and use of balloons. ...more

Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi issues policy for managing and protecting groundwater in the emirate 23/2/2023

As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure the sustainability of Abu Dhabi’s groundwater reserves and to secure future water supplies and enhance sustainable water use measures, the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi (EAD) has issued a general policy for managing, organising and protecting groundwater in the emirate. ...more

The toxic legacy of the Ukraine war 23/2/2023

It has been one year since the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and caused widespread environmental damage. A preliminary monitoring of the conflict in Ukraine undertaken last year by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners points to a toxic legacy for generations to come. ...more

Alarming toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found in animals’ blood – study 23/2/2023

Hundreds of animal species across the globe from ticks to whales have blood contaminated with toxic PFAS, a new analysis of previous peer-reviewed research shows. ...more

France eyes 'unprecedented' water curbs after driest winter since 1959 23/2/2023

France is preparing to introduce restrictions on water use in parts of the country from March, in an unprecedented move for the time of year following the driest winter in 64 years, environment minister Christophe Bechu said on Wednesday. ...more

World Cup expansion bad news for climate? 23/2/2023

FIFA has announced plans to increase the World Cup from 32 teams to 48, with it set to be staged across the North American continent in 2026. ...more

Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi Launches All-New ‘SAHIM’ App 22/2/2023

The Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi (EAD) in collaboration with Emirates Nature - WWF yesterday announced the launch of its new SAHIM app, the first-of-its-kind created to encourage citizen science. ...more

'No excuse': IEA tells energy firms as methane emissions rise 22/2/2023

The fossil fuel industry is failing to tackle methane emissions despite its pledges to uncover and fix leaking infrastructure, according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) published on Tuesday. ...more

EU climate diplomacy deal on hold as nuclear dispute deepens 22/2/2023

European Union countries failed to adopt conclusions on climate diplomacy that had been planned for Monday, owing to a deepening spat over the role of nuclear energy in the green transition, EU officials said. ...more

Stronger El Niño events may speed up irreversible melting of Antarctic ice, research finds 22/2/2023

Stronger El Niño events due to global heating may accelerate irreversible melting of the Antarctic ice sheet and ice shelves and the rise in sea levels, according to research from Australia’s premier government science agency. ...more