21 Aug 2025
Image description: Haweswater reservoir. Image by Dave Noonan from Pixabay United Utilities has announced a £3bn deal to refurbish the Haweswater aqueduct, which carries water from Cumbria to 2.5m customers across Greater Manchester and Lancashire. The 68-mile pipeline is almost 70 years old, and the refurbishment has been described as ‘one of the largest […]
21 Aug 2025
Image description: Long-range view over the Lake District. Image by Dave Noonan / Pixabay. According to a comprehensive analysis of water quality in England’s largest lake, bathing water quality is poor throughout the summer across most of Windermere, indicating high levels of sewage pollution. the Big Windermere Survey uncovered high levels of bacteria found […]
21 Aug 2025
Image description: Two firefighters walking holding firefighting foam, a common source of PFAS. Image by Maria Moczydlak from Pixabay. New research suggests exposure to some common PFAS or “forever chemical” compounds causes changes to gene activity, and those changes are linked to health problems including multiple cancers, neurological disorders and autoimmune disease. Researchers examined […]
21 Aug 2025
Image description: Fishermen from Qarmat Ali with the Nahr Bin Umar oilfield across the Shatt al-Arab River. They complain that due to pollution and the river’s increased salinity, they often pull in dead fish. Image by Daniela Sala / The Guardian. The Guardian recently reported on the decline of Iraq’s Hawizeh wetlands, part of […]
19 Aug 2025
Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen Global negotiations to forge the world’s first legally binding treaty to tackle plastic pollution have collapsed for the second time in eight months, as countries remain fundamentally divided over whether to limit plastic production or focus solely on waste management solutions. The sixth round of talks under the Intergovernmental […]
19 Aug 2025
Photo by Yomex Owo The Scottish Government’s new seabird conservation action plan has received a mixed reception from conservationists, with leading wildlife groups welcoming the strategy whilst warning that recent offshore wind farm approvals could undermine its effectiveness. The Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan, launched on 13 August at the Scottish Seabird Centre in […]
19 Aug 2025
Photo by Nick Fewings A significant gap has emerged in the UK’s fishing vessel monitoring system after a major supplier halted data transmission to authorities over an unresolved contract dispute, leaving an unknown number of under-12 metre vessels untracked. Succorfish stopped forwarding positional data to the UK VMS Hub on 11th August, citing the […]
19 Aug 2025
Photo by Link Bekka A comprehensive new study has developed a standardised method for assessing how highly protected marine areas (HPMAs) could displace commercial fishing activity, providing crucial insights as the UK Government considers expanding its marine protection network beyond the three pilot sites designated in 2023. The research, published in Frontiers in Marine […]
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