By Dana Drugmand An unprecedented climate lawsuit brought by six Portuguese youths is to be fast-tracked at Europe’s highest court, it was announced today. The European Court of Human Rights said the case, which accuses 33 European nations of violating the applicants’ right to life by disregarding the climate emergency, would be granted priority status […]
By Katell Ané The European Commission launched a new Farm to Fork strategy in an effort to reduce the social and environmental impact of the European food system. It is the newest strategy under the European Green Deal, setting sustainability targets for farmers, consumers, and policymakers. “Farmers are under extreme pressure,” Stefan de Keersmaeker, European […]
By Chris Arsenault A first ever study has provided detailed estimates of greenhouse gas emissions across the entire soy producing agribusiness sector in Brazil. The study, published in the journal Global Environmental Change, found that countries and companies in the European Union and China importing soy from Brazil have driven deforestation there, causing a marked […]
By Jeannette Cwienk When it comes to recycling and recyclability, very little, it seems is straightforward — even something as seemingly simple as orange juice can present a conundrum. In Germany, many smaller shops sell drinks in cartons or plastic bottles, both of which will end up in the yellow recycling bin. But how do […]
A new study has shown that drops in nitrogen dioxide in the air and fine particulate matter as coal and oil consumption have plummeted over the last month have saved an estimated 11,000 lives across Europe. The range may be as low as 7,000, but as high as 21,000 deaths avoided. The study found that […]
By Roman Goncharenko Unseasonably warm temperatures, blue skies and gardens in full bloom — most of Europe is currently enjoying dreamy spring weather. But that’s not how farmers see it. They are hoping for rain, and fear that without it their crops will suffer greatly. And experts say there is a very real prospect that […]
The entire country of Italy has gone into lockdown to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19. The measures, announced by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte Monday night, will ban public gatherings for Italy’s more than 60 million people and prevent them from traveling between towns and cities except for emergencies. “There […]
The executive branch of the European Union announced a “climate law” Wednesday that would make it legally binding for the 27-nation group to achieve zero emissions by 2050, but activists including Greta Thunberg say it does not go far enough. “‘Net zero emissions by 2050’ for the EU equals surrender. It means giving up,” Thunberg […]
Vondelpark, Amsterdam’s public urban park in the southwest of the city, is anything but a remote place. Even on a weekday, it’s full of people taking a stroll, playing soccer or chatting with friends on the neatly mowed grass. There are also countless people bicycling on the wide, paved roads — after all, this is […]