A diverse microbiome of bacteria and plastic-degrading fungi lives in salt marshes on the coast of Jiangsu, China. It was identified by an international team of scientists who counted 55 bacterial and 184 fungal strains that are able to break down a biodegradable polyester called polycaprolactone (PCL), often used in polyurethane production, a press release […]
In an effort to bolster Canada’s environmental standards, the country has banned cruise ships from dumping wastewater and sewage close to the shoreline. Measures governing discharge of the pollutants had previously been voluntary.
Smoke from Canada’s wildfires in Ontario and Québec has dipped south into the U.S. once again, causing air quality alerts to be issued for more than 80 million people in the Midwest and parts of the East Coast, reported CNN. In some areas, people have been advised to remain indoors and beaches have been closed. […]
A new study by researchers at Plymouth University has found that coastal cities can cause enough light pollution to trick coral reefs so that they spawn outside of times that are best for reproduction. The release of eggs is triggered by lunar cycles on particular nights of the year. These are called coral broadcast spawning […]
Multinational chemical company 3M has reached a $10.3 billion settlement with multiple public water systems in the U.S. over water pollution claims tied to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “forever chemicals.” According to the company, settlement funds will be distributed to affected cities and towns to test for contamination from PFAS and to treat their […]
The Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, is being held today and tomorrow in Paris to create a plan to assist low-income nations with their debt and make more funds available for climate financing. Hundreds of leaders representing about 80 countries, along with climate activists and bankers, will […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is being sued for unlawfully reapproving toxic herbicides used to grow food that contain 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), an active ingredient used in the chemical weapon Agent Orange. The Center for Food Safety (CFS), Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) and Alianza Nacional De Campesinas, Inc., are suing the EPA […]
Wildfires in Ontario, Canada continued to bring thick smoke to the midwestern U.S. Thursday, compromising air quality for residents of Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. The worst air quality in the U.S. was detected in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported. As of Thursday, at least 50 wildfires were burning in Ontario, with […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced stricter standards governing the response to offshore oil spills and releases of hazardous substances into the waters of the United States and its adjoining shorelines, a press release from the EPA said. The new standards under the National Contingency Plan (NCP) encourage the development of products like […]