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 …
Australia's nuclear industry has a shameful history of 'radioactive racism' that dates from the British bomb tests in the 1950s, writes Jim Green. The same attitudes persist today with plans to dump over half a million tonnes of high and intermediate level nuclear waste on Aboriginal land, and open new uranium mines. But now Aboriginal peoples and traditional land owners are fighting back!
… Radioactive waste and the nuclear war on Australia's … Jim Green | 1st July 2016 News Australia Waste Pollution Nuclear Politics WMD … tonnes of high and intermediate level nuclear waste on Aboriginal land, and open new uranium …
At least a third of the food the world grows each year goes to waste, writes John Mandyck, most of it in fields, transport and storage. The result is poor farmers, hungry people, and a massive 3.3 billion tonnes of needless CO2 emissions. It should be a key topic for action at COP21 in Paris - but so far it's not even on the agenda.
… For climate's sake, let's cut food waste! John Mandyck | 17th September 2015 Comment Waste Food Technology Climate Change … of the food the world grows each year goes to waste, writes John Mandyck, most of it in …
The world produces over a billion tonnes a year of dangerously caustic wastes, write Helena Gomes, Mike Rogerson & Will Mayes. They are currently being dumped, although they could be used to sequester a gigatonne of CO2 from the atmosphere - while also yielding minerals essential for key renewable energy technologies.
… Industrial wastes could capture 1Gt a year of CO2 … Will Mayes | 15th November 2015 Comment Waste Climate Change Mining Climate Change … billion tonnes a year of dangerously caustic wastes, write Helena Gomes, Mike Rogerson & …
A Parliamentary report reveals that £200 million has been wasted on failed 'public-private' PFI projects for waste management, writes David Hall. The obvious solution: to allow local authorities to build and operate their own, which is cheaper and more flexible. The only problem: under UK government rules, it's PFI or nothing.
… PFI waste incinerator contracts burn more money … | 22nd September 2014 News UK Finance Waste Politics incinerator-edmonton-cut.jpg A … report reveals that £200 million has been wasted on failed 'public-private' PFI projects …
In February 2009 the Environment Agency began its first prosecution against an individual for an e-waste crime, and claims to have prevented 33 shipments in the previous six months.
… The dangers of e-waste Dr Keith Baker | 4th June 2009 News E-waste Technology Computers Technology … Computers Pollution Science And Technology e-waste_MAIN.jpg In February 2009 the …
In the last act of the dying Parliament, MPs quietly voted to dump democratic planning processes to expedite a 'facility' for the high level nuclear waste in geologically fractured Cumbria, writes Marianne Birkby - so over-ruling strong and highly effective local opposition. Shame on them!
… To dump nuclear waste, first they must dump democracy! … Birkby | 2nd April 2015 Comment Nuclear Waste UK Politics Water boreholes being … a 'facility' for the high level nuclear waste in geologically fractured Cumbria, …
The 'environmentalist' peer Baroness Worthington argued last week in the House of Lords for local authorities to be stripped of their powers to refuse the dumping of radioactive waste in their areas. Geneticist Becky Martin takes her to task in this Open Letter.
… Dear Bryony - don't dump your nuclear waste on us! Dr Becky Martin | 12th March 2013 Comment Nuclear Waste Politics radwaste-cut.jpg The 'environmentalist' peer …
Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall has a done a great job exposing the scandal of Britain's billions of non-recyclable coffee cups, writes Rhodri Jenkins. But what about the coffee itself? The grounds can be used for everything from compost and biodiesel to boutique chemicals and supercapacitors - yet the vast majority of the world's 9m tonnes a year of waste coffee ends up in landfill.
… University of Bath | 2nd August 2016 Comment Waste Technology Media Drink Biofuels … majority of the world's 9m tonnes a year of waste coffee ends up in landfill. Many of us … world and, once we brew it, an awful lot of waste is created. The vast majority ends up in …
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 350-member Citizens' Jury convened to decide on whether a massive nuclear waste dump would benefit South Australia just gave the plans a big 'No!', writes Ian Lowe. SA Premier Weatherill must drop his attempt to reverse that decision with a referendum, and accept the jury's well informed, democratic verdict.
… | 16th November 2016 Comment Nuclear Waste Law Australia Indigenous Peoples Politics nuclear-waste-protest-cut.jpg A 350-member Citizens' … to decide on whether a massive nuclear waste dump would benefit South Australia just …
The National Trust for Ireland and Greenpeace have launched two independent legal challenges to UK Government plans for new nuclear power plants at Hinkley Point, Somerset, re-opening long-standing questions about nuclear safety.......
… hasn't found a site to store the new nuclear waste, following Cumbria's resounding rejection of a national nuclear waste site in the area. National Trust for … arrangements" for dealing with the nuclear waste that would be generated. In other words, …
As Cameron 'cuts the green crap' Paul Mobbs remembers how the decisions of a Conservative government 20 years ago to go easy on the owners of contaminated land and old waste dumps have led to present day blight, ill-health and death. Now brow-beaten regulators and politicians in hock to party funders are doing it all over again.
… Paul Mobbs | 22nd December 2014 News Waste Toxics Politics Regulation UK … on the owners of contaminated land and old waste dumps have led to present day blight, … all sorts of 'nastiness' - from the dodgy waste reclamation plants of the Black Country, …
First we heat up cold water for baths, showers and washing, write Jan Hofman & Laura Piccinini. Then we chuck all that precious heat down the plughole. So how about recycling our waste heat to warm up water on its way to the boiler or hot water tank, cutting bills and emissions? Or on a larger scale, use the sewage from entire communities as a free energy source for heat pumps?
… down the plughole. So how about recycling our waste heat to warm up water on its way to the … sewage treatment works. Those drainage and waste water treatments again use energy. Water … We're already able to produce biogas from our waste, for instance, and use it to power the …
The cash-strapped Cumbrian Museum is rebranded to tell 'The Sellafield Story'. The UK's favourite scientist Brian Cox and Government Minister Baroness Verma provide razzmatazz along with the Happy Robot. Lollypops anyone?
… public meetings such as Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely. The ironically titled Managing Radioactive Wastes Safely Partnership was dissolved … cunning plan to dump heat generating nuclear waste under Cumbria.'s complex geology. But …
The apparent conspiracy by the UK government and its agencies to conceal the real cause of death of 7-year old Zane Gbangbola may go right up to Prime Minister David Cameron, writes Paul Mobbs. He was chair of the COBRA emergency committee at the time when it appears to have held back the truth that he was killed by cyanide from the toxic landfill site his home was built over.
… Paul Mobbs | 14th December 2015 News Toxics Waste Pollution Cities Politics Law UK … not be able to sell or develop it; or the waste lobby generally, who want to prevent tighter regulation on waste disposal operations - there are a lot of …
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 …
Clear and well written, Julie Hill's opus sheds light on the issues of waste and consumption but provides solutions that are too simplistic to be of real use, argues Ruth Styles
… Stuff Ruth Styles | 20th January 2011 Reviews Waste Recycling Consumption Reviews Green … Hill's opus sheds light on the issues of waste and consumption but provides solutions … easily digestible way. In this case, it’s waste and the amount of ‘stuff’ we consume …
The nuclear industry is forever reinventing itself with one brilliant 'new' idea after another, Amory Lovins wrote in this classic 2009 essay. But whether it's touting the wonders of future SMRs, IFRs or LFTRs, the reality never changes: the reactors they are building right now are over time, over budget and beset by serious, entirely unforeseen technical problems.
… problems of economics, proliferation, and waste [2]. Even climate-protection pioneer Jim … as a solution to proliferation and nuclear waste. It's neither. Fast reactors were first … elements) in long-lived radioactive waste. Two or three redesigned IFRs could in …
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 …
In its haste to get fracking, the UK Government is neglecting safe, clean alternatives that could be providing low-carbon gas and heat energy, writes Keith Barnham. The technologies are already well established in other European countries and are picking up fast here too - so why the insistence that only fossil fuels can deliver the UK's energy needs?
… freezer cabinets running efficiently. The waste heat, from the air-conditioning in … be used in any building where recycling of waste heat is possible, for example from air … computers or manufacturing. Biomethane from waste The third alternative is biogas, also …
A Spending Bill now under debate in Congress would cut over $100 million from renewable energy, grant extra funds for dumping nuclear waste and fossil fuel research, exempt 'mountain top removal' coal from regulation, and limit the EPA's power to enforce clean water laws.
… energy, grant extra funds for dumping nuclear waste and fossil fuel research, exempt … designate money to everything from nuclear waste cleanup to renewable energy investments, … bill provides $150 million for nuclear waste disposal at the proposed Yucca Mountain …
The shocking death of Zane Gbangbola, killed by toxic gas from a 'forgotten' landfill under his home, exposes the UK's dangerous legacy of contaminated land, writes Paul Mobbs. Without action, these polluted sites will damage health and even kill for centuries to come. But governments, local authorities, landowners and developers are united in a shameful policy of silence and denial.
… must end Paul Mobbs | 6th September 2016 News Waste Pollution Politics England UK Health … tip' landfill. As the gravel was extracted, waste was tipped at the lakeside and pushed … home a the end of the 1960s. At this time waste tipping wasn't tightly regulated and …