The PFM Environment thread

[Sonority]

After watching 'The Big Stink' when the Thames in London became an open sewer in London due to the invention of 'the Water Closet' and all of the waste was channeled to the rain water drains and then directly to the river - this pops up this morning.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/feb/17/nhs-unsafe-sewage-leaks

 

[tuga]

A case of (selfish) misplaced priorities?

Skiiers urge sport’s governing body to act over climate crisis and lack of snow
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...y-to-act-over-climate-crisis-and-lack-of-snow

 

[gavreid]

An overwhelming majority of people in London support the banning of wood burners, which are the single biggest source of tiny air pollution particles in Britain.

An exclusive poll for the Guardian indicates that 67% of Londoners backed a ban, with 17% opposed and 16% saying they did not know. Across Britain, 44% supported a wood burner ban, with 36% opposed.

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...ers-urban-air-pollution-londoners-support-ban

 

[Hook]

Given their extreme vulnerability to rising sea levels, you would think that the world’s largest carbon emitter would be doing more to fight climate change.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/20/worl...eme-weather-china-florida-xdi-intl/index.html

 

[boneman]

So unless you can process your own water you're pretty much screwed...
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...rever-chemical-pollution-across-uk-and-europe

I wonder what the inventor would think today if he saw his chemical he once said was of "great personal benefit to people" has now blanketed the planet, is nearly impossible to remove, and likely responsible for untold amounts of cancer.

 

[gavreid]

So unless you can process your own water you're pretty much screwed...
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...rever-chemical-pollution-across-uk-and-europe

I wonder what the inventor would think today if he saw his chemical he once said was of "great personal benefit to people" has now blanketed the planet, is nearly impossible to remove, and likely responsible for untold amounts of cancer.

The thing is, it's obvious to a chemist (speaking as one) - the companies that profited from these didn't just consider the enviromental impact.

 

[boneman]

The thing is, it's obvious to a chemist (speaking as one) - the companies that profited from these didn't just consider the enviromental impact.

Oddly this wiki article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_events_related_to_per-_and_polyfluoroalkyl_substances - about the beginnings of these chemicals details duPont's initiative to set up a lab to ensure safety to consumers. Alos horrifying and fascinating in eqaul measure is how permanent these chemicals are in this article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per-_and_polyfluoroalkyl_substances. I was particulary struck by how it gets in the oceans and then when waves break on land disperses back into the air. If humanity manages to survive I would give anything to read what will be written about this time in history say 200 or 300 years from now.

 

[gavreid]

details duPont's initiative to set up a lab to ensure safety to consumers

exactly, the chemists knew! The carbon-fluorine bonds are among the strongest of chemical bonds. The search is on for catalysts that can break these up but they're likely to be the same sort of materials that you'd find in a car's exhaust.

 

[boneman]

they're likely to be the same sort of materials that you'd find in a car's exhaust.

 

[laughingboy]

Oddly this wiki article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_events_related_to_per-_and_polyfluoroalkyl_substances - about the beginnings of these chemicals details duPont's initiative to set up a lab to ensure safety to consumers.

The wiki timeline mentions the 1998 court case and subsequent 20-year battle by lawyer Robert Bilott to bring DuPont to justice.

The story was dramatised in a Todd Haynes film, Dark Waters (2019). Well worth a watch.

 

[boneman]

The wiki timeline mentions the 1998 court case and subsequent 20-year battle by lawyer Robert Bilott to bring DuPont to justice.

The story was dramatised in a Todd Haynes film, Dark Waters (2019). Well worth a watch.

Thanks for the tip. Saw this a few years ago when it came out and thought it was really good! Very scary to think that nowhere is untouched by this and that we have no choice but to live with the consequences. It just boggles my mind that it's in our drinking water and there are allowable amounts. I can understand that with subtances that leave the bloodstream but this does not as far as I've read.

 

[gavreid]

Thanks for the tip. Saw this a few years ago when it came out and thought it was really good! Very scary to think that nowhere is untouched by this and that we have no choice but to live with the consequences. It just boggles my mind that it's in our drinking water and there are allowable amounts. I can understand that with subtances that leave the bloodstream but this does not as far as I've read.

Same with the radioactive elements, Plutonium for example. There's a tiny amount in nature but most is man-made.

 

[boneman]

Same with the radioactive elements, Plutonium for example. There's a tiny amount in nature but most is man-made.

I'm taping my stomach and sharpening my sword.......

 

[boneman]

Given all of my doomsday posts I thought I would present some hope. It does appear that taking apart 'forever' chemicals is possible. Hopefully a process to make this commercially viable will be happening sooner rather than later!
https://www.livescience.com/pfas-forever-chemicals-broken-down

 

[ks.234]

“Fifty years ago four friends organised a public meeting in Coventry.

They believed the world was on an unsustainable path and wanted to set up a new political party to challenge the status quo and bring an ecological perspective to politics.

They didn’t know it at the time but they were about to make history.

The party they set up developed into the first Green Party in Europe.

Help us keep making history by supporting our 50 For 50 Campaign to get more Green MPs elected.

We urgently need more Green MPs challenging the other parties to tackle the Climate Emergency at the speed and scale that the science demands.

We know it won't be easy but we can do it with your help.

DONATE NOW
Thank you.

 

[tuga]

 

[PsB]

An overwhelming majority of people in London support the banning of wood burners, which are the single biggest source of tiny air pollution particles in Britain.

An exclusive poll for the Guardian indicates that 67% of Londoners backed a ban, with 17% opposed and 16% saying they did not know. Across Britain, 44% supported a wood burner ban, with 36% opposed.

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...ers-urban-air-pollution-londoners-support-ban

I seem to remember reading somewhere a single wood burner puts out as much bad stuff (particulates, oxides etc.) as 50 heavy trucks.

 

[ks.234]

“Today, water company United Utilities is being challenged in the Supreme Court over its attempt to escape legal accountability for sewage dumping. The Environmental Law Foundation, supported by us, is intervening with the permission of the Supreme Court.

Back in 2018, United Utilities sought legal clarification on whether it could be sued for the sewage it has discharged into the Manchester Ship Canal. The High Court ruled that United Utilities could not be subject to private legal action for the discharges. This decision closed off legal challenges by private individuals and businesses affected by sewage dumping.

It leaves regulators with the job of holding United Utilities to account. But, as we have seen, the Environment Agency and Ofwat are toothless following years of Government underfunding and inaction.

Last year, we were given permission to intervene in an appeal by the Manchester Ship Canal Company to try and overturn the High Court decision. But the Court of Appeal, too, sided with United Utilities.

Now the Supreme Court, sitting in Manchester, will hear this appeal over the next two days.

This is one of three cases we’re involved in which aim to tackle the devastating impact of sewage dumping and agricultural pollution on our rivers, waterways and seas. If you’d like to support our work, you can make a donation here:

Donate here
Thank you for all your support,

Good Law Project Team“

 

[calorgas]

There's an upcoming vote to ban the importing of animals shot by British 'trophy hunters' (or choose your own alternative label here) back into the UK. It seems that a couple of MP's are hoping to nobble the bill with an amendment and whether that happens all hinges on whether enough MP's bother to turn up and vote against the amendment. This site is trying to get people to ask their MP's to attend and ensure that the amendment is rejected and the original bill is passed and actually become effective.

See here for more info and suggested text to email your MP with: https://bantrophyhunting.org/action...6OkkKrDIwv4wl4NAMNXEuFmVWd1sOUspa0EE010mwtggs

 

[Sonority]

I cant see this even being on their radar, such is the smoke screen they are currently running, trying to block out all the other issues they face...
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...on-renewable-energy-or-risk-being-left-behind