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☆ African leaders say elephants need to die for food. Critics says it’s cruel and won’t work
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-12 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Drought is now so bad in parts of southern Africa that governments say they must kill hundreds of their most captivating, majestic wild animals to feed desperately hungry people. In August, Namibia announced it had embarked on a cull of 723 animals, including 83 elephants, 30 hippos and 300 zebras. Crops have failed, livestock has died and nearly 70 million people are desperately in need of food. They say it’s the opposite: reducing numbers will help protect remaining animals as the drought shrinks food and water resources. Both Namibia and Zimbabwe say professional hunters will ensure entire groups are killed to prevent this.

Persons: —, Badru Katumba, El Niño, ”, Elizabeth Mrema, Mrema, Chris Brown, ” Brown, It’s, Romeo Muyunda, ” Muyunda, Brown, Izak Smit, Zinyange Auntony, Farai Maguwu, ” Maguwu, Elisabeth Valerio, Maguwu, Megan Carr, Keith Lindsay, Muyunda, “ Organizations: CNN, Getty, United Nations Environment, “, Namibian Chamber, Environment, Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry, Tourism, Desert Lions Human Relations, for Natural Resource, cullings, EMS Foundation, Martin Locations: Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Europe, Murchison, Uganda, AFP, Damaraland, Kaokoland, slaughterhouses, Namibian, Dete, Hwange, Hwange Park, African, Halali, Etosha

☆ World’s biggest waste-to-energy facility will power more than 100,000 homes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Ana De Oliva | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Much of it ends up at a plant operated by the Warsan Waste Management Company. “Around 45% percent of Dubai’s total waste comes to this facility,” says Tim Clarke, the company’s CEO. Operational since March of this year, the Warsan plant will use 2 million metric tons of trash annually to produce electricity, enough to power approximately 135,000 homes, according to the company. However, since the plant produces power, replacing the burning of fossil fuels, Warsan Waste Management believes the overall result is positive. But some environmental groups, such as Zero Waste Europe, argue that burning waste to generate electricity discourages efforts to cut waste and initiatives to increase recycling.

Persons: ”, Tim Clarke, Clarke, “, Bryan Staley, Staley Organizations: Dubai CNN, CNN, Warsan Waste Management Company, “, United Nations Environment, Waste Management, Energy, Research, Education Foundation Locations: Dubai, Europe, Japan, China, UAE

☆ Shein made $2 billion in profits last year. That's a lot of fast fashion.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

That beats the fiscal year of rival fast fashion company H&M. AdvertisementIt appears we consumed quite a bit of fast fashion last year. AdvertisementFor a generation of shoppers who say they like to be environmentally conscious, that's a lot of fast fashion — an industry that relies on cheap labor but comes with a heavy environmental cost. Still, it was a recognition from the fast fashion giant that it knows who its audience is and what they care about. But for now, it's onward and upward for fast fashion.

Persons: Zers, millennials, —, Barron's, It's, Shein, Janus, Jadrian Wooten Organizations: Service, Financial Times, United Nations Environment, New, Virginia Tech, Sheffield Hallam University, & $ Locations: Zara, England, Guangzhou, China

☆ 16,000 plastic chemicals exist, many of them hazardous and unregulated, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And with new plastic chemicals entering the market all the time, it’s been difficult for regulators and policy makers to determine the scope of the problem. Now, for the first time, researchers have pulled together scientific and regulatory data to develop a database of all known chemicals used in plastic production. It’s a staggering number: 16,000 plastic chemicals, with at least 4,200 of those considered to be “highly hazardous” to human health and the environment, according to the authors. Although grouping would capture about 1,000 of the most toxic chemicals in plastics, Wagner said, that still leaves about 2,600 chemicals that still need to be regulated. Missing hazard dataIn addition to the massive number of toxic chemicals, the report found that detailed hazard information is missing for more than 10,000 of the 16,000 chemicals.

Persons: it’s, It’s, “, ”, Martin Wagner, Wagner, Philip Landrigan, Landrigan, Matt Seaholm, ” Kimberly Wise White, ” Wagner, ” Landrigan, Tasha Stoiber, Stoiber, Jane Houlihan Organizations: CNN, Norwegian University of Science, Technology, Program, Global Public Health, Global, Planetary Health, Boston College, – Monaco, Plastics, Human, Plastics Industry Association, American Chemistry Council, International, United Nations Environment, Global Plastics, Environmental, Healthy Locations: Trondheim, United States

☆ Migratory species are in a shocking state of decline, landmark UN report shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Angela Dewan | Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Migratory species include some of the most iconic animals on the planet, like elephants. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty ImagesBaby Leatherback sea turtles head to the sea at sunset on Indonesia's Lhoknga Beach in February 2023. Those activities also fragment migratory species’ pathways, sometimes making it impossible for them to complete their journeys. Around 58% of the monitored locations recognized as important for migratory species are facing what the CMS says are unsustainable levels of pressure from humans. “Migratory species have a special role in nature as they don’t recognize political boundaries,” said Anurag Agrawal, professor of environmental studies at Cornell University.

Persons: They’ve, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Chaideer Mahyuddin, Didier Brandelet, Kristin Laidre, Amy Fraenkel, Scott Gibbons, Zheng Yuanjian, Carl de Souza, Sergio Pitamitz, Wolfgang Kaehler, ” Inger Andersen, ”, Anurag Agrawal Organizations: CNN, UN, Convention, Animals, Getty, McCormick, United Nations Environment, Cornell University Locations: Asia, Alaska, Kimana, Kenya, AFP, Beach, Greenland, Elsehul, South Georgia, longline, Chicago, Lake Michigan, Xinhua, Mongolia, UN, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

☆ ’50 shades of green’: UN’s Usher highlights financing challenge for companies still in green transition
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Vicky Mckeever | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

But the real challenge is everything in between — some would say the '50 shades of green'," Usher said during a "IOT: Powering the Digital Economy" panel moderated by CNBC's Steve Sedgwick at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This refers to companies still working toward making their businesses more sustainable, making them more difficult to label as truly green investments, according to Usher. watch now"If you're going to work in helping deal with heavy emitting sectors and you're going to put more capital in to help them reduce [emissions], that's going to increase your emissions profile," he explained. "So there's a lot of definitional stuff that's needed before the capital is going to flow really at scale," Usher added. More and more businesses strived to make their businesses more sustainable amid severe weather events across the globe.

Persons: Mark Kerrison, Eric Usher, Usher, Steve Sedgwick, hasn't Organizations: United Nations Environment, Finance Initiative, Economic, UNEP FI Locations: London, United Kingdom, —, Davos, Switzerland, U.S, Europe

☆ UN's Usher highlights financing challenge for companies in green transition
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUN's Usher highlights financing challenge for companies in green transition"The money is starting to move away from the really non-green stuff but the real challenge is everything in between – some would say the '50 shades of green'," the head of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, Eric Usher, told CNBC at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Persons: Eric Usher Organizations: United Nations Environment, Finance, CNBC, Economic Locations: –, Davos, Switzerland

☆ 4 scientists said they're cutting back on bottled water after measuring the number of microplastics inside
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

About 10 to 100 times more nanoplastics than microplastics were discovered in bottled water, the study found. AdvertisementScientists said they're cutting back on bottled waterThe inside of an optical box reveals the components that organize the light from laser beams to identify nanoplastics, microscopic plastic pieces. Related storiesAll four co-authors interviewed said they were cutting back on their bottled water use after they conduced the study. Wei Min, the Columbia physical chemist who pioneered the dual laser microscope technology, said he has reduced his bottled water use by half. Previous studies looking for microplastics and some early tests indicate there may be less nanoplastic in tap water than bottled.

Persons: Naixin Qian, Mary Conlon, —, Qian, Phoebe Stapleton, microplastics, Wei Min, Stapleton, Beizhan Yan, there's, Jason Somarelli, Somarelli, Zoie Diana, Diana, Min, Yan, Kara Lavender, Denise Hardesty, Louis Organizations: Service, Business, Columbia, Rutgers, National Academy of Sciences, micron, WalMart, Water Association, American Chemistry Council, United Nations Environment, Duke University, University of Toronto, Kara Lavender Law, Sea Education Association Locations: Columbia, New Jersey, Australian, Boston, St, Los Angeles

A man talks on the phone during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 4, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfliky Acquire Licensing RightsDec 5 (Reuters) - Six of the world's largest dairy companies will soon begin disclosing their methane emissions as part of a new global alliance launched at the United Nations climate summit in Dubai on Tuesday. Livestock is responsible for about 30% of global anthropogenic methane emissions, from sources like manure and cow burps, according to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization. The five members of the Dairy Methane Action Alliance - Danone (DANO.PA), Bel Group, General Mills (GIS.N), Lactalis USA, Kraft Heinz (KHC.O) and Nestle (NESN.S) - will begin reporting their methane emissions by mid-2024 and will write methane action plans by the end of that year. Danone this year pledged to cut methane emissions from its fresh milk supply chain by 30% by 2030.

Persons: Amr Alfliky, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Chris Adamo, There’s, Katie Anderson, Anderson, Leah Douglas, Josie Kao Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, United, Livestock, Agriculture Organization, Danone, Bel Group, General, Lactalis, Nestle, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Air Coalition, United Nations Environment Programme . Companies, Environmental Defense, EDF, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, United Nations, Lactalis USA

The Global Cooling Pledge would mark the world's first collective focus on energy emissions from the cooling sector. That would equal one-tenth of expected global emissions, the report said, and would strain electric grids. Organizers hope to see at least 80 countries supporting the cooling pledge, given the urgent need to slash climate-warming emissions and keep people safe from dangerous heatwaves. Nearly three-quarters of the potential for reducing cooling emissions by mid-century can be found in G20 countries, the UNEP report said. UNEP estimates that global efforts to tackle cooling emissions could avoid the release of up to 78 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Brian Dean, Gloria Dickie, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Katy Daigle Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . State Department, United Nations Environment Programme, Reuters, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, Sustainable Energy, UNEP, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, United States, U.S, Kenya, India

But industry experts say governments need to offer incentives for companies to bring sustainable AC technologies to market and scale up. Removing humidity requires cooling air to the point at which water vapour becomes a liquid to be drained. This inability to get rid of humidity without first cooling the air makes conventional ACs less efficient. The company's AC prototype uses these materials to dry out air, aiming to produce fewer emissions than traditional ACs. More than 1 billion people living in warm climates still lack access to cooling, according to nonprofit Sustainable Energy for All.

Persons: Pedro Rodriguez, Susana Vera, We've, Lily Riahi, Riahi, Sorin Grama, Grama, Gree, Daikin, Miki Yamanaka, Larissa Gross, UNEP's Riahi, Baolong Wang, Wang, Xavier Moya, Gloria Dickie, Katy Daigle, Simon Jessop, Josie Kao Organizations: Puerta del, REUTERS, Rights, International Energy Agency, United Nations Environment Programme's, Cool Coalition, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Daikin's Global Environment Center, Sustainable Energy, Tsinghua University, University of Cambridge, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Puerta del Sol, Madrid, Spain, Seville, Europe, Spanish, Beijing, Indonesia, Britain, U.S

If China and India were excluded from the count, world carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and cement manufacturing would have dropped, Friedlingstein said. The world in 2023 increased its annual emissions by 398 million metric tons, but it was in three places: China, India and the skies. China’s fossil fuel emissions went up 458 million metric tons from last year, India’s went up 233 million metric tons and aviation emissions increased 145 million metric tons. Outside of India and China, the rest of the world’s fossil fuel emissions went down by 419 million metric tons, led by Europe’s 205 million metric ton drop and a decrease of 154 million metric tons in the United States. Last year the world's carbon emissions increased but dropped in China, which was still affected by a second wave of pandemic restrictions.

Persons: Pierre Friedlingstein, Jim Skea, ” Friedlingstein, Friedlingstein, India’s, Inger Andersen, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Carbon Project, University of Exeter, United Nations Environment, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, China, India, Paris, COP28, United States, U.S

☆ ‘Backtracking:’ A year of climate failures ahead of a crucial summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

And yet, even as the climate crisis inserts itself viscerally into people’s lives, experts say the year has seen alarming backsliding on climate action. Green policies have been watered down, huge new oil and gas projects have been greenlit and coal has had something of a resurgence. As countries gather in Dubai for the UN’s COP28 climate summit, there are “high expectations,” said Harjeet Singh, the head of global political strategy at nonprofit Climate Action Network International. It sent worrying signals about climate backtracking, said Elisa Giannelli, a senior policy advisor at climate think tank E3G. Around 50% of its total capital spending needs to go toward clean energy projects by 2030, according to the report.

Persons: ”, Harjeet Singh, Kaveh Guilanpour, Singh, Biden, “, Erik Grafe, Joe Biden, Countess, Norway —, Elisa Giannelli, “ It’s, Rishi Sunak, Joeri Rogelj, Flora Champenois, It’s, Bernd Lauter, ” Rogelj, Darren Woods, Bernard Looney, Fatih Birol, Guilanpour, Claire Fyson, ” Fyson, “ we’re, ” CNN’s Ella Nilsen, Ivana Kottasová, Gan Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Action, “, Climate, Energy Solutions, US Department of Interior, Imperial College London, Global Energy Monitor, GEM, Getty, BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Exxon, IEA, Climate Analytics Locations: Canada, Libyan, Dubai, Alaska, Washington ,, Australia, Norway, Europe, Germany, China, Asia, Ukraine, Eschweiler, COP28

Darren Woods, CEO of ExxonMobil, speaks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHOUSTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) Chief Executive Darren Woods is making plans to attend the COP28 climate summit in Dubai next week, two people familiar with the matter said, in what would mark a first for an Exxon CEO, if confirmed. Woods is expected to advocate that reducing carbon emissions should be a priority in addressing climate change, rather than reducing oil production. "We commit to solving the world’s energy and emissions challenges simultaneously," Darren Woods said at the APEC CEO summit earlier this month. Exxon says technology advancements allowed it to join the initiative and that the decision guards no relation with Pioneer's acquisition.

Persons: Darren Woods, Carlos Barria, Woods, Sultan al, Jaber, Exxon's, Matt Kolesar, Sabrina Valle, Sarah McFarlane, Josie Kao, Aurora Ellis Organizations: ExxonMobil, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, Exxon Mobil Corp, Exxon, APEC, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, United, Natural Resources, Gas Methane Partnership, Reuters, United Nations Environment Programme, Shell, BP, Conoco, Chevron, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, United Nations, OGMP, Occidental

The world is heading for considerably less warming than projected a decade ago, but that good news is overwhelmed by much more pain from current climate change than scientists anticipated, experts said. Even though emissions of heat-trapping gases are still rising every year, they’re rising more slowly than projected from 2000 to 2015. “It requires the tearing out the poisoned root of the climate crisis: fossil fuels,” said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Guterres, numerous climate scientists and environmental activists all say what’s needed is a phase-out — or at the very least a phase-down — of coal, oil and gas. “This is throwing the global energy transition and humanity’s future into question.”___Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment.

Persons: That’s, It’s, ”, Niklas Hohne, Bill Hare, Rob Jackson, Ani Dasgupta, ” Dasgupta, Hare, Anne Olhoff, “, ” Jackson, Melanie Robinson, that’s, Johan Rockstrom, Antonio Guterres, Sultan al, Jaber, Greta Thunberg, Adnan Amir, ’ ’, Majid Al Suwaidi, we’ve, Institute’s Hohne, Al Jaber, ” Hohne, Dasgupta, can’t, Inger Andersen, ” ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United Nations, United Nations Environment, NewClimate, Stanford University, Project, Resources, UNEP, World Resources Institute, Potsdam Institute, Climate Research, Center for Biological Diversity, Biden Administration, Twitter, AP Locations: Dubai, Paris, Europe, Pakistan, Libya, Arab Emirates, ”, al, greenwashing, Russia, Ukraine

☆ What is fast fashion, and why is it so controversial?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Amaya Mcdonald | Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But while cheap chic may seem like the way to go, the fast fashion industry sees clothing pushed out on a scale that is even too large for most consumers to keep up with. Why is fast fashion so popular? Fast fashion accounts for “quick designs, quick manufacturing, quick marketing, quick retailing — it doesn’t leave the time to consider these bigger needs, like ethical considerations or rights of workers,” Osnes said. “The planet is on fire, and the truth is the fashion industry aids in a percentage of that.”Is ‘sustainable fashion,’ a viable alternative? But shop responsibly… try to use your budget to buy one good quality item,” Arya said, instead of a glut of fast fashion basics.

Persons: CNN —, Preeti Arya, Vox, Shein, Jade Gao, Beth Osnes, ” Osnes, “ It’s, ”, Aja Barber, Technology’s Preeti Arya, Richard Levine, Arya, ” Arya Organizations: CNN, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York Times, Times, Shein, Getty, United Nations Environment Programme, Greenpeace, George Washington University . Apparel, University of Colorado, Fashion Institute, Technology’s, Thrift Locations: New York, United States, Paris, Zara, Singapore, China, Guangzhou, AFP, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan

☆ Russia's sanctioned Sovcombank requests US licence to make UN climate payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Elena Fabrichnaya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a board with the logo of Sovcombank at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 17, 2022. "We have funds in foreign currency for these payments, but we have not received any response from them yet, unfortunately." Avtukhov said Sovcombank was in dialogue with the UN on the matter. "We have not suspended our membership in international organisations," Avtukhov, who also sits on Sovcombank's board, said. There are certain difficulties with making payments in general for Russian participants of this programme," Avtukhov said.

Persons: Maxim, Sovcombank, Mikhail Avtukhov, Avtukhov, Elena Fabrichnaya, Alexander Marrow, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: St ., Economic, REUTERS, U.S . Treasury, United, Reuters, European Union, Foreign Assets, United Nations Environment, Finance Initiative, U.S, Treasury, UN, Thomson Locations: St, St . Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, Russian, United Nations, Sovcombank, Ukraine, Washington, Moscow

Kenya's President William Ruto called the treaty “the first domino” in a shift away from plastic pollution. The U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution is charged with developing the first international, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution on land and at sea. Kenya is a global leader in fighting plastic pollution, and in 2017, the country banned the manufacture, sale and use of single-use plastic bags. Nonetheless, he said, it is evident that negotiations have moved beyond plastic waste and into addressing plastic production and toxic chemicals used to make plastic. “The focus is on ending plastic pollution, not plastic production," he said.

Persons: Gustavo Adolfo Meza, Cuadra Velasquez, William Ruto, ” Graham Forbes, ” Eirik Lindebjerg, Björn Beeler, haven't, IPEN, Chris Jahn, Karen McKee, Jahn, ___ McDermott Organizations: United Nations Environment, Global, reconvening, Intergovernmental, UNEP, Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, Plastics, Industry, International Council of Chemical Associations, ExxonMobil, Solutions Company, AP Locations: NAIROBI, Kenya, Kenya's, Nairobi, Paris, Punta del Este, Uruguay, Norway, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, Russia, United States, Baytown , Texas, Baytown, Providence , Rhode Island

☆ The world is planning to blow the fossil fuels production limit that would keep a lid on global heating, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Global fossil fuel production in 2030 is set to be more than double the levels that are deemed consistent with meeting climate goals set under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, the United Nations and researchers said on Wednesday. The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) report, assessing the gap in fossil fuel production cuts and what’s needed to meet climate goals, comes ahead of the global COP 28 climate meeting, which starts on November 30 in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates. “We need countries to commit to a phase out of all fossil fuels to keep the 1.5C goal alive,” she said. It said 17 of the countries have pledged to reach net zero emissions but most continue to promote, subsidise, support and plan the expansion of fossil fuel production. The 20 countries analysed account for 82% of global fossil fuel production and 73% of consumption, the report said and include Australia, China, Norway, Qatar, Britain, the UAE and the United States.

Persons: Achakulwisut, ” Organizations: CNN, Global, United Nations, United Nations Environment Programme’s, United, United Arab Emirates, Stockholm Environment Institute, SEI, UNEP, International Institute for Sustainable Development Locations: Paris, United Arab, Stockholm, Australia, China, Norway, Qatar, Britain, UAE, United States

☆ UN warns of enormous gap in financing for climate adaptation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

That’s a more than 50% larger gap than UNEP had estimated in its 2022 report. Esam Omran Al-Fetori/ReutersThe issue — as well as who should pay for the loss and damage created by the climate crisis — is expected to be a key sticking point in climate negotiations at the COP28 talks in Dubai this December. A recent study showed that 55 of the world’s most vulnerable economies have already experienced losses and damages of more than $500 billion in the last two decades from the climate crisis. “If we don’t fund adaptation, we then get ourselves into a situation where we can no longer adapt,” Hinwood said. And for every $16 billion invested in agriculture each year, 78 million people could be alleviated from climate crisis related starvation or chronic hunger.

Persons: Andrea Hinwood, “, Esam Omran, ” Hinwood Organizations: CNN, UN, United Nations Environment, UNEP, “ Locations: Paris, Derna, Libya, Dubai

Depleted uranium is a dense by-product left over when uranium is enriched for use in nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons. The depleted uranium is still radioactive, but has a much lower level of the isotopes U-235 and U-234 - way less than the levels in natural uranium ore - reducing its radioactivity. The United States, Britain, Russia, China, France and Pakistan produce depleted uranium weapons, which are not classified as nuclear weapons, according to the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons. Ingesting or inhaling quantities of uranium - even depleted uranium - is dangerous: it can depress renal function and raises the risk of developing a range of cancers. A United Nations Environment Programme report on the impact of depleted uranium on Serbia and Montenegro found "no significant, widespread contamination".

Persons: Sergei Ryabkov, Ryabkov, Guy Faulconbridge, Frank Jack Daniel, Tomasz Janowski, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Pentagon, International Atomic Energy Agency, Associated Universities, of, DU, WHO, International Coalition, Uranium, NATO, Royal Society, IAEA, United Nations Environment, TASS, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Tennessee, United States, Britain, Russia, China, France, Pakistan, Yugoslavia, Balkans, London, Serbia, Montenegro, RUSSIA, Washington

☆ Sand dredging is 'sterilising' ocean floor, UN warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGENEVA, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Around 6 billion tons of marine sand is being dug up each year in a growing practice that a U.N. agency said is unsustainable and can wipe out local marine life irreversibly. The findings from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) coincide with the launch of a new platform 'Marine Sand Watch' backed by funding from the Swiss government that monitors dredging activities using marine tracking and artificial intelligence. "The amount of sand we are withdrawing from the environment is considerable and has a large impact," UNEP's Pascal Peduzzi told a Geneva press briefing. In some cases, companies remove all the sand to the bedrock, meaning that "life may never recover", Peduzzi added. China, the Netherlands, the United States and Belgium are among the countries most active in the sector, he said.

Persons: Ann Wang, Pascal Peduzzi, Peduzzi, Arnaud Vander Velpen, Emma Farge, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, University of Geneva, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, Swiss, Geneva, China, United States, Netherlands, Belgium

☆ Shein sent American influencers to China. Social media users are furious
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —A group of American fashion influencers and creators has received online backlash after they visited a model factory in China as part of a tour sponsored by Shein, an internet shopping giant, and posted glowing reviews. Kenya Freeman, a designer who has sold clothing on Shein, traveled to China and Singapore, where Shein is now based, as part of the junket and shared videos on her Instagram account. In a statement, Shein said the social media videos posted by the influencers were authentic. But its meteoric rise has come with scrutiny, especially as relations between the United States and China have deteriorated. In April, a US congressional commission said Shein, online superstore Temu and others in China were potentially linked to the use of forced labor, exploitation of trade loopholes, product safety hazards or intellectual property theft.

Persons: Kenya Freeman, ” Freeman, ”, Freeman, Shein, Gen, Dani Carbonari, “, Destene Sudduth, Instagram, Kelly Kellen, Z, ‘ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Shein, CNN, Securities and Exchange Commission, Bloomberg, United, United Nations Environment Programme, Aurora University Locations: New York, China, Guangzhou, Kenya, Singapore, Atlanta, United States, Xinjiang

☆ Global tax would spoil investors’ plastic party
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

This may change if supporters of taxes and other restrictive measures prevail at ongoing talks for a global treaty to end plastic pollution by 2040. And the world lacks sufficient infrastructure to sort discarded resins: only 9% of global plastic is recycled each year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reckons. Some 90% of people support measures to combat plastic pollution, a global Ipsos survey from 2021 shows. Countries including Britain have already started applying levies on virgin plastic packaging. CONTEXT NEWSRepresentatives of 175 countries in March endorsed a landmark resolution to develop international, legally binding rules to end plastic pollution by 2040.

Persons: Inger Andersen, Barr, Aimee Donnellan, Pranav Kiran Organizations: MILAN, Reuters, Big Oil, ExxonMobil, Dow, Indorama Ventures, Saudi Aramco, Minderoo, Organisation for Economic Co, ” United Nations, Reuters Breakingviews, Barclays, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Sinopec, Britain, Paris

Ships in the Autonomous Port of Cotonou in Benin, West Africa. Prosper Dagnitche/AFP/Getty ImagesThe stream of used cars heading to West African ports is only expected to increase with the West’s shift to electric vehicles. “It’s not like people want to drive used cars; it’s an affordability issue.”Experts say demand for used cars could explode further as the take up of electric cars in the West increases the supply of used cars to African countries. Those states also have robust port operations, making them an ideal place to ship used cars to Africa. “In terms of where Africa goes, the transition shouldn’t necessarily be from used cars to brand new combustion engines, it should be from used cars to EVs,” Ipke said.

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