Coal is Europe's biggest source of mercury and sulphur pollution, writes Kyla Mandel, killing tens of thousands of people a year. So how come more than half the members appointed by EU governments to set air pollution standards for coal plants are industry representatives?
… Coal industry setting its own air pollution standards Kyla Mandel DeSmog UK | … 2015 News EU Regulation Fossil Fuels Coal Pollution Health weisweiler-coal-pollution-cut.jpg Coal is Europe's biggest …
With all diesel cars failing EU clean air standards in real world driving, and the worst 22 times over the limit, there's only one real solution, write Steffen Böhm & Ian Colbeck: adopt sustainable transport strategies to keep cars off our streets and break our dependence on them.
… Ian Colbeck | 25th September 2015 Comment Pollution Transport Corporations Regulation EU audi3-pollution-cut.jpg With all diesel cars failing … while car traffic and the resulting air pollution levels have been allowed to increase …
It was a remarkable spectacle, writes Damian Kahya: MPs trying to get straight answers out of VW's top man in the UK over the 'dieselgate' scandal. Of course our cars gave false test results. But who would ever believe those stupid tests anyway? How many people died from all the extra pollution? None! There was no pollution!
… No pollution? No deaths? Who does VW think it's … How many people died from all the extra pollution? None! There was no pollution! The Managing Director of Volkswagen …
Taxpayer-financed development banks have lent €500 million to Ukraine's biggest agribusiness company so it can undercut EU chicken producers, writes Fidanka Bacheva McGrath - while polluting the environment and grabbing land from local farmers.
… has led to increased road traffic, noise pollution, and road safety risks, as well as a … it their responsibility to prevent the pollution of their highly fertile soil. Land …
The discovery that Volkswagen has been 'gaming' vehicle emissions tests has taken the world by storm, writes Paul Nieuwenhuis. But it comes as no surprise to campaigners who have long been aware of the huge gap between 'official' emissions and real word pollution. Where were the regulators? And why did it take an NGO to uncover the scandal?
… Paul Nieuwenhuis | 23rd September 2015 News Pollution Health Regulation Air Quality USA EU … between 'official' emissions and real word pollution. Where were the regulators? And why … matter, VW has admitted to gaming the US air pollution tests . Nearly half a million cars …
Little publicised government plans to 'reform' court costs are intended to foreclose access to environmental justice for all but the wealthiest individuals and communities, writes Paul Mobbs. Meanwhile cuts to agencies and regulators will make it ever harder for them to do their jobs - making public participation in environmental protection all the more important.
… 2015 Comment Politics Law Natural World Pollution UK EU Regulation london-pollution-cut.jpg Little publicised government …
Amber Rudd's speech today exposes her total failure to assemble a coherent energy strategy, writes Oliver Tickell. It reveals the increasingly certain failure to meet EU renewable energy targets, proposes a new tax on wind and solar generation, and leaves the country facing the real prospect of lights going out in the next decade. The one hard policy? To maximise oil and gas recovery.
… that time anyway in order to comply with EU pollution regulations. The other headline news … same way generators should pay the cost of pollution, we also want intermittent … same way generators should pay the cost of pollution, we also want intermittent …
'Detox' campaigners scored a huge victory this week when EU countries voted unanimously to ban imports of clothes and textiles containing the toxic 'gender bender' chemical NPE.
Victory! Toxic chemical banned in EU textile imports Yixiu Wu The Ecologist | 26th July 2015 News Toxics EU China Fashion nike-shoelaces.jpg 'Detox' campaigners scored a huge victory this week when …
Modern economies depend on growth, writes Giorgos Kallis: the moment it stops, we all get poorer, government tax revenues decline and unemployment rises. So is it possible to have prosperity without growth? Yes it is - and here's how ...
Prosperity without growth: 10 policy proposals for the new left Giorgos Kallis Research Degrowth | 28th February 2015 Comment Green Economy Economics Politics EU without-money-all-rich-cut.jpg Modern …
New reports show the huge potential of renewables in Southern Europe to rekindle prosperity, writes Helle Abelvik-Lawson, using clean, low cost energy from wind, solar and geothermal sources backed up with pumped storage hydro, displacing dirty lignite and oil fired generation.
… jobs and free electricity Greece could tackle pollution and energy poverty by increasing …
A new Trade Secrets law to be voted on next week by the European Parliament threatens a massive clampdown on journalists and whistle-blowers, write Anne Friel & Anaïs Berthier, giving corporations the right to sue those who disclose private information even in the public interest to protect health, safety and environment.
… also endanger the public and result in more pollution and health scandals, as it blocks …
President Obama's plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions may look like a climate victory, writes Tim Kruger - but it's no such thing. It's feeble because the US can meet its targets by reducing emissions to 2030 more slowly than it has since 2000. And it's fragile as any future President can scrap it at will.
… it is dirty in other ways - resulting in pollution that is harmful to human health as …
The US government is being sued for $15 billion for its cancellation of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline last year in order to combat climate change. The legal challenge under NAFTA sends a warning to all countries contemplating similar 'free trade' agreements.
… than burn them and release more dangerous pollution into the sky." The legal case is …
The 'regulatory cooperation' clauses in TTIP threaten to strip away vital EU protections on food, health and environment, writes Alex Scrivener. Indeed it has already begun: the mere prospect of TTIP has persuaded the EU to back off on plans to ban lactic acid-treated beef and 31 toxic pesticides. We must reject the entire package!
… To most people, regulations such as air pollution limits and food safety standards are …
The UK dairy industry is in crisis, writes Megan Perry, with falling prices forcing many farmers out of business. Smaller, more sustainable farms have been the worst casualties, while the large, intensive producers survive. We must ditch market-driven 'survival of the fittest' attitudes - and recognise both the real costs of intensification, and the true value of traditional farming.
… of human health benefits including less air pollution and meat with higher nutritious …
Britain's dairy farmers have been having a hard time, writes Vicki Hird, largely thanks to their exposure to an unregulated, unstable, global food market. But if the EU's TTIP 'trade deal' with the US is ever signed, pitting UK dairy farmers against zero-welfare US mega-dairies run on hormones and antibiotics, they won't have a chance.
… but at a hidden high cost to public health, pollution of natural resources, rural decline …
Greece is Europe's sandbox for the neoliberal free-for-all to follow if the EU and the US sign off on the TTIP trade and investment treaty, writes Pavlos Georgiadis. The termination of public services, the cut-price sell-off of public assets, the dismantling of environmental protection, the democratic closedown, the rule of corporations and finance capital ... all coming your way soon.
Greece is the testing ground for the TTIP era of corporate rule Pavlos Georgiadis Sustainable Food Trust | 5th November 2015 News Trade Finance EU USA Greece Corporations greece-cut.jpg Greece is …
Following a disgraceful EU stitch-up, the European Parliament today passed a law permitting EU-wide GMO crop cultivation. With regulation and safeguards devolved to member states, and only limited 'opt-out' rights, it is a recipe for chaos that GM corporations will ruthlessly exploit.
… farmers or food businesses that suffer from pollution." UK - a regulatory void? As far as …
As Cameron appoints his cabinet, we had better get prepared for the 'green crap' that's about to be unleashed on us, writes Oliver Tickell - the return of fox-hunting, badger-culling, road building and nuclear power, the arrival of GM food and crops, more cuts to wind and solar power and the underfunding of home insulation.
… loosening regulation on GMOs, pesticides, and pollution. And of course, resisting efforts to …
The rainforest habitat of chimpanzees and other great apes is being destroyed by the expansion of palm oil projects in central Africa, according to new evidence from Greenpeace.
… be causing an increase in climate-changing pollution." Satellite images: Forest Cover …
The raft of 'free trade' agreements under negotiation represents a massive seizure of power by corporations, writes Joyce Nelson - effectively stripping democratic governments of their power to legislate for health, environment, labour or anything else that could reduce corporate profit. But the mainstream media are mysteriously silent.
… to water over-use and contamination, air pollution, adverse health effects, earthquake …
There is huge untapped potential in the green economy to create millions of decent jobs, writes Jean Lambert - but only if lessons are learned from the Government's flawed, now scrapped, Green Deal. Lesson one: we desperately need a well-funded, ambitious replacement.
Green jobs: the potential is there, but where's the political will? Jean Lambert MEP | 11th August 2015 Comment Green Economy Politics EU UK Energy Efficiency seeing-green-cut.jpg There is huge …
How can Green parties acquire real political power? A new book by Per Gahrton, founder of the Swedish Green Party, is much more than a useful reference text on the history of Green Parties around the world, write Bennet Francis and Rupert Read. It's also a valuable manual in realpolitik that resonates here and now in the UK.
Green Parties, Green Future: lessons from history for Green politics Rupert Read Bennet Francis | 8th December 2015 Reviews Politics EU UK Ecology green-parties-cut.jpg How can Green parties acquire …