Last February's explosion at the WIPP dump for long-lived intermediate-level nuclear waste from the US's nuclear weapons program remains unexplained, writes Jim Green. But with the site's history of ignored warnings, 'missing' safety culture, lack of supervision and dubious contractor appointments, it surely came as no surprise - and further accidents appear inevitable.
… New Mexico nuclear waste accident a 'horrific comedy of errors' … ional_laboratory_celebrates_1000th_transuranic_waste_shipment-cut.jpg Last February's … for long-lived intermediate-level nuclear waste from the US's nuclear weapons program …
The clean-up after the February 2014 explosion at the world's only deep underground repository for nuclear waste in New Mexico, USA, is massively over budget, writes Jim Green - and full operations won't resume until at least 2021. The fundamental cause of the problems: high level radioactive waste, poor regulation, rigid deadlines and corporate profit make a dangerous mix.
… WIPP nuclear waste accident will cost US taxpayers $2 … Jim Green | 20th September 2016 News Nuclear Waste Energy Pollution US Corporations … only deep underground repository for nuclear waste in New Mexico, USA, is massively over …
The European Commission has confirmed that it will drop its 'circular economy' package, writes James Crisp, in the face of protest by MEPs and environment ministers. The EC's insistence that a future version would be 'improved' - but in in unspecified ways - only raised suspicions of a deregulatory coup by Europe's dirtiest businesses.
… Europe's 'circular economy' waste laws binned despite MEPs' fury James Crisp EurActiv | 26th January 2015 News Waste EU Politics Corporations dump-cut.jpg … to ditch the Circular Economy package of waste, recycling and incineration laws, was …
A third of all food that's produced in the world is thrown away. What's going on? Diana Moreno finds some answers in her own experience working in a German supermarket. Leading the list is the mind-numbing 'culture of rush' that permeates high-volume, low margin retailing, and which subjects workers and customers alike to the soul-less logic of the production line.
… From shelf to skip: food waste and the culture of rush Diana Moreno | … January 2016 Comment Consumerism Corporations Waste Food skip-diving-cut.jpg A third of all … the morning, a random employee has to do the 'waste inventory'. This consists of scanning …
Two huge open pit mines in northern Norway are on the verge of approval, writes Tina Andersen Vågenes - even though they would dump hundreds of millions of tonnes of tailings in fjords where wild salmon spawn. Scientists are voicing serious concerns, and protests are growing, but government and mining companies appear determined to push the projects forward regardless.
… 'Acutely toxic' mine waste threatens the death of Norway's fjords … November 2014 News Mining Norway Corporations Waste Pollution Fishing Oceans … way in Norway, both using the controversial waste disposal method called submarine …
Our insatiable appetite for expensive coffee is causing a global trail of waste and destruction, writes Donnachadh McCarthy. Following the successful campaign for a 5p plastic bag levy, it's time to move on to a much larger 25p levy on disposable coffee cups - making those that profit from the waste carry the cost of its disposal.
… UK's 3 billion waste coffee cups a year: let those who profit … expensive coffee is causing a global trail of waste and destruction, writes Donnachadh … cups - making those that profit from the waste carry the cost of its disposal. I was …
An anti-environment plot by Junckers' Commission would abandon agreed 'green' laws for clean air, waste reduction and recycling. But the leak of key documents to EurActiv has stimulated fierce opposition by Green MEPs and environment groups, while eleven EU countries have called on Junckers to hold to the green laws and speed up their implementation.
… Leaked: EU Commission plot to ditch waste and air pollution laws EurActiv | 12th … December 2014 News EU Politics Corporations Waste Pollution Health … abandon agreed 'green' laws for clean air, waste reduction and recycling. But the leak of …
A Greenpeace investigation has exposed the massive efforts of global food and drink giant Coca Cola to defeat popular proposals to require deposits on single-use plastic bottles, writes Maeve McClenaghan. In fact, deposit schemes are working fine in many countries in which the company operates - it's a simple case of corporate profit before environment, oceans and wildlife.
… big 'fight back' against tackling plastic waste Maeve McClenaghan Greenpeace Energydesk | 2nd February 2017 News Waste Pollution Corporations Politics UK EU … scheme in Scotland designed to reduce plastic waste, according to an Energydesk …
Nearly a year ago at the height of the UK floods, tragedy struck an ordinary family in Surrey as toxic gas from a nearby landfill site killed a 7-year old boy, Zane. Now the authorities appear determined to exculpate the source of the poison - an old landfill site - even as they prepare for a massive increase in hazardous waste from fracking.
… The Ecologist | 19th January 2015 Activism Waste Health Fracking Corporations Politics UK … prepare for a massive increase in hazardous waste from fracking. Zane, a beautiful bright … may need countless new landfills to dump its waste In a recent submission to the …
After 20 years of oil spills, deforestation, waste dumping and ill health, farmers and indigenous people in the the Ecuadorian Amazon have been fighting the Chevron-Texaco corporation. But despite its three times conviction and a $9.5 billion damages award to the victims, the oil giant looks no closer to making good its damage.
… Miriam Gartor | 17th July 2015 News Oil Waste Pollution Ecuador Indigenous Peoples … After 20 years of oil spills, deforestation, waste dumping and ill health, farmers and … the nearly one thousand pools Texaco dug for waste disposal from its oil extraction …
Interface's sustainability model shows how large industrial companies can slash their carbon emissions and other environmental impacts without compromising profitability, reports Sophie Morlin-Yron. The key is to aim high!
… May 2014 Comment Corporations Green Economy Waste Recycling Energy fishing-net-cut.jpg … manufacturing processes and has attained zero waste to landfill in its European facilities … gas created by anaerobic digestion of fish waste, which is filtered to natural gas and …
It's the fossil fuel industry's latest stroke of genius - a coal substitute that's cheaper, dirtier and more toxic than coal itself, writes Ben Whitford. The waste product of refining heavy oil from Canada's tar sands, petcoke is stored in open mountains around Chicago's 'Slag Valley', sending plumes of sticky black dust over poor neighborhoods every time the wind blows.
… | 9th December 2014 News Fossil Fuel Cities Waste Pollution USA Oil Corporations Politics … than coal itself, writes Ben Whitford. The waste product of refining heavy oil from … of petroleum coke, or petcoke - a powdery waste product left over from refining heavy …
Modern industrial capitalism is based on a simple premise, writes Derrick Jensen: our mother Earth is a great store of raw materials for us to pillage, and a vast trashcan for our endless volumes of waste, no matter how long-lived and deadly. How can this be changed? First we must regain our own sanity.
… it! Derrick Jensen | 4th March 2015 Comment Waste Pollution Corporations Society … a vast trashcan for our endless volumes of waste, no matter how long-lived and deadly. … should we do about this culture's industrial wastes, from greenhouse gases to pesticides to …
The NHS is buying drugs from pharmaceutical companies in India whose dirty production methods are fuelling the rise of superbugs, write Andrew Wasley & Madlen Davies. There are no checks or regulations in place to stop this happening - even though the rapid growth in antibiotic resistant bacteria in India is spreading across the world, including to the UK and NHS hospitals.
… inside the plants. This suggests industrial waste containing active antibiotic ingredients … us it currently has no regulations around waste, and neither does the European Medicines … manufacturing plants as well as rivers and wastewater treatment plants - and found 16 …
Last week the consortium holding a £22bn contract to clean up the Sellafield nuclear site was sacked, writes David Lowry. But this is just the end of a long and scandalous tale of corporate profit at taxpayers' expense, and the active collusion of ministers and senior officials in fighting off Parliamentary scrutiny.
… David Lowry | 19th January 2015 News Nuclear Waste Politics UK Corporations … director of Sellafield, the giant nuclear waste processing plant on the Cumbian coast in … following nuclear accident at the Low-level Waste Repository at Drigg, for the new …
Nuclear giant EDF could be heading towards bankruptcy, writes Paul Brown, as it faces a perfect storm of under-estimated costs for decommissioning, waste disposal and Hinkley C. Meanwhile income from power sales is lagging behind costs, and 17 of its reactors are off-line for safety tests. Yet French and UK governments are turning a blind eye to the looming financial crisis.
… of under-estimated costs for decommissioning, waste disposal and Hinkley C. Meanwhile income … thorny problem of disposing of the nuclear waste and spent fuel rods, which are building … should be added to cost of handling nuclear waste, the report says. Juan Camilo Rodriguez, …
London-listed copper giant Antofagasta has been entangled in scandals in Chile involving water depletion, dangers to local communities, corruption of national politics and environmental contamination, write Ali Maeve & Liam Barrington-Bush. Yet the London Stock Exchange remains silent. Following the company's AGM last week, a new London Mining Network report puts their actions and operations into the spotlight.
… into the spotlight. The biggest mining waste tailings dam in Latin America is … a capacity of 1.7 billion tonnes of mine waste , making it the largest tailings dam in … mining operations. Cheap disposal of mining waste has been an important way the group have …
At first it looked like a journalistic coup, writes Neil Crumpton - the BBC's 'scoop' that FOE was no longer opposed to nuclear power. Except that FOE remains firmly anti-nuclear as it has been for decades. The spotlight must now be turned on the BBC itself, and its little-known but shocking links to the nuclear industry
… reasons against nuclear power (ie radioactive waste management, cost, proliferation, … And that's highly improbable, given the wasted billions invested in the technology, … renewables. Neither is the decaying waste a diminishing issue. A site for a …
After eleven years of campaigning by local people suffering from water shortages, state authorities have closed Coca-Cola's bottling plant at Mehdiganj, Uttar Pradesh - inspiring campaigners at another three Coca Cola sites in India.
… Board about the actual amount of industrial waste discharge. According to Coca-Cola waste discharges had remained constant, over a … 80%. The Board also cast doubt on Coca-Cola's waste treatment plant, noting that the …
When Shell decided to quit its Arctic oil exploration it cited 'insufficient quantities' of oil and gas, writes Louise Rouse. But that was not the whole story: what tipped the balance was a combination of investor discontent, reputational damage and public opposition on an unprecedented scale.
… concerned about the project came laden with wasted capital; uncertain return; growing … - reverse. So, after four years, 7 billion wasted dollars and a shredding of its … its fate - there is no more time for wasteful detours. The arc of inevitability has …
It was all going so well for Chevron - a New York court had ruled that a $9.5 billion judgment against it set by Ecuador's supreme court for massive pollution deep in the Amazon was corrupt and fraudulent. But then its star witness broke ranks and admitted, in another court, that he had lied, and the only bribes were coming from Chevron. Will Ecuador's pollution victims finally get justice?
… Law Ecuador USA Corporations Oil Pollution Waste Forests lago-agrio-2-cut.jpg It was all … Amazon with oil spills and oil production wastes, Chevron began fabricating an elaborate …
The French and the Chinese may be celebrating the UK's decision to press ahead with the Hinkley C 'nuclear white elephant', writes Oliver Tickell. But the deal is a disaster for the UK, committing us to overpriced power for decades to come, and to a dirty, dangerous, insecure dead end technology. Just one silver lining: major economic, legal and technical hurdles mean it still may never be built.
… absence of any solution to the nuclear waste problem. Pre-announcement spin indicated … costs for decades, and radioactive waste for millenia. "Renewables, smart grids … costs for decades, and radioactive waste for millenia. Renewables, smart grids …
Thinking people of all stripes are agreed in their opposition to cruel, exploitative animal farming, writes Ronnie Cummins. So it's time for them to move beyond sterile 'meat-eater versus vegetarian' debates, and unite in their opposition to the daily atrocities of industrial agriculture.
… steroids, blood, manure and slaughterhouse waste, contributing to a deadly public health … grains, mixed with slaughterhouse waste. No one supports dosing factory farmed … grains, mixed with slaughterhouse waste. …
Emails released by the Science Museum show that Shell pressed its case to Museum staff to deny NGOs the opportunity to open up a debate on the company's operations in connection with an exhibition it had sponsored on waste and climate change, writes Terry Macalister.
… with an exhibition it had sponsored on waste and climate change, writes Terry … project [an interactive exhibition examining waste in the context of climate change], …