public health

Thousands Evacuated as Australia Bushfire Burns Out of Control

Thousands Evacuated as Australia Bushfire Burns Out of Control

More than 2,000 residents of Australia’s Victoria state were under evacuation orders on Thursday due to an out of control bushfire. Residents of Beaufort, Raglan and surrounding areas were encouraged by the state emergency service to leave and head east toward Melbourne while it was safe to do so, reported Reuters. “Leaving immediately is the […]

Join our newsletter

The best of EcoWatch, right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    Bangkok City Workers Ordered to Work From Home to Avoid Toxic Smog

    Bangkok City Workers Ordered to Work From Home to Avoid Toxic Smog

    Government employees in Bangkok have been ordered to work from home for the next two days in order to avoid a thick layer of noxious smog covering the city. On Thursday, authorities warned that air pollution levels in Thailand’s capital and neighboring provinces had reached unhealthy levels, reported Reuters. Non-government employees have been urged to […]

    Environmental Groups, Oil Industry File Separate Legal Challenges to Biden’s Offshore Drilling Plan

    Environmental Groups, Oil Industry File Separate Legal Challenges to Biden’s Offshore Drilling Plan

    Legal petitions have been filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by environmental groups and oil and gas interests challenging the Biden administration’s plan to offer additional Gulf of Mexico drilling leases. The congressionally mandated five-year plan includes three sales — the least number being offered since 1980, reported […]

    In ‘Vital Victory for Farmers and the Environment,’ Arizona Court Cancels EPA’s Approval of Dicamba Pesticide

    In ‘Vital Victory for Farmers and the Environment,’ Arizona Court Cancels EPA’s Approval of Dicamba Pesticide

    In a win for farmers and endangered plants and wildlife, an Arizona district court has revoked the approval of the destructive pesticide dicamba, saying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) broke the law when it allowed it to be on the market. Dicamba-based weedkillers have been widely used on soybean and cotton crops genetically engineered […]

    Extreme Wildfires Kill at Least 122 in Chile, Hundreds Missing

    Extreme Wildfires Kill at Least 122 in Chile, Hundreds Missing

    Firefighters in Chile are battling intense forest fires while the country mourns the 122 people who have been killed in the blazes, reported The Associated Press. The wildfires have destroyed entire neighborhoods and hundreds of residents are still missing, authorities said, as Reuters reported. “The wind was terrible, the heat scorching. There was no respite,” […]

    New Zealand to Ban PFAS in Cosmetics by 2027

    New Zealand to Ban PFAS in Cosmetics by 2027

    New Zealand is set to become one of the first countries in the world to ban per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in cosmetics products, with a plan to prohibit these “forever chemicals” starting at the end of 2026. PFAS can be found in cosmetics such as mascara, nail polish and shaving cream, where they are […]