Environmental issues
Concerns and policies regarding the biophysical environment
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| 2025 |
Drinking water quality in the United States
EPA plans to issue proposed rules for perchlorate, as mandated by a court order.
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| 2025 | Estimated 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world population could be under water stress conditions. |
| 2025 | Projected water withdrawals expected to rise by 50 percent in developing countries and 18 percent in developed countries. |
| 2025 |
Waste management in Thailand
PCD reports significant water quality deterioration in major rivers flowing into the upper Gulf of Thailand, with the Chao Phraya River at Bangkok's Bang Khun Thian District classified as 'very poor' and the Tha Chin River in Samut Sakhon rated as 'poor'.
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| 2025 |
Waste management in Thailand
Thailand continues to produce approximately 50,000 tonnes of solid waste annually that enters the sea, causing significant environmental damage to coastal ecosystems, particularly in the upper Gulf of Thailand.
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| 2025 |
Waste management in Bangladesh
Projected waste generation is expected to increase to 47,064 tonnes per day, with per capita waste generation anticipated to reach 220 kg per year.
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| 2024 |
Climate policy of China
China reduced its carbon intensity by 3.4% through a significant increase in renewable energy capacity, though this fell short of the annual target of 3.9% reduction.
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| 2024 |
Woodchipping in Australia
Commercial forestry within native forests, including woodchipping, was ended in Western Australia and eastern Victoria after decades of environmental campaigning.
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| 2024 |
Woody plant encroachment
UNCCD highlighted the 'silent demise' of vast rangelands, emphasizing how woody plant encroachment threatens climate stability, food security, and the wellbeing of billions of people globally.
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| 2024 |
Waste management in Egypt
PLASTEX 2024 introduced a new Plastics Recycling Zone to support sustainable companies and address e-waste recycling challenges.
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| October 8 2024 |
Drinking water quality in the United States
EPA issued the final 'Lead and Copper Rule Improvements' regulation, requiring the removal of all lead pipes within ten years and lowering the lead contamination action level to 10ppb.
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| August 2024 |
Sewage discharge in the United Kingdom
Ofwat proposed a £168m fine for Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, and Northumbrian Water for releasing sewage too early ahead of heavy rainfall.
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| April 2024 |
Drinking water quality in the United States
EPA published final drinking water standards for six PFAS compounds: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and PFBS.
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| April 21 2024 |
Ghazipur landfill
A major fire broke out at the landfill site, rapidly spreading and engulfing several areas. The fire produced toxic smoke causing significant health and breathing problems. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) requested a reply from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) within five weeks.
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| March 2024 |
Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
The discharge of treated radioactive water was temporarily suspended following a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in the Fukushima coastal region. No abnormalities were detected with the wastewater treatment during this interruption.
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| March 2024 |
Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Fourth round of water discharge completed, with no abnormal tritium levels detected in nearby waters.
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| March 11 2024 |
Climate change adaptation in the Philippines
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the European Union launched the €60 million 'Green Economy Programme for the Philippines', a grant aimed at mitigating environmental degradation and combating climate change. The program is designed to foster economic growth and social inclusivity, running from 2023 to 2028.
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| February 2024 |
Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
A leak was detected by a contractor at the power plant, with 5.5 tonnes of potentially radioactive water escaping due to 10 out of 16 valves being left open, seeping into the surrounding soil within the plant compound.
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| February 2024 |
REDcycle
The Soft Plastic Taskforce, chaired by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water, announced a new soft plastic recycling solution with 12 drop-off locations in Melbourne for scrunchable food soft plastic.
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| February 2024 |
Recycling in Australia
Aldi, Coles, and Woolworths announced a new soft plastic recycling initiative through the Soft Plastic Taskforce, with 12 drop-off locations in Melbourne to recycle scrunchable food soft plastics into shopping trolleys, baskets, concrete aggregate, and asphalt road additives.
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| February 13 2024 |
Waste management in Australia
A severe weather event in Victoria caused a massive power outage, affecting over 620,000 homes and businesses, with approximately 12,000 km of power lines impacted by high temperatures, strong winds, and lightning strikes.
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| February 13 2024 |
Waste management in Australia
Victorian government implemented a waste levy waiver for disaster waste resulting from the power outage and storm, allowing free disposal for affected residents until April 30, 2024.
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| 2023 |
Biodiversity loss
Scientific analysis in Science Advances concluded that at least 30% of land must be actively protected and ecologically restored by 2030 to meet global biodiversity goals.
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| 2023 |
Biodiversity loss
Research on 70,000 species found that approximately 48% are experiencing population declines due to human activities, while only 3% are seeing population increases.
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| 2023 |
Climate policy of China
Ding Xuexiang represented China at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, potentially influencing future climate policy negotiations.
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| 2023 |
Climate policy of China
The U.S. and China made an agreement to work toward achievements to lessen the impact of the climate crisis, including improved renewable energy output, protecting forests, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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| 2023 |
Deforestation and climate change
A scientific study published revealing that tropical deforestation has caused a significant decrease in observed precipitation levels.
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| 2023 |
Climate Change Isn't Everything: Liberating Climate Politics from Alarmism
Mike Hulme published the book 'Climate Change Isn't Everything: Liberating Climate Politics from Alarmism' through Polity Press, offering a critical perspective on climate change discourse and politics.
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| 2023 |
Sewage discharge in the United Kingdom
Water UK issued an apology for sewage discharge and announced a £10bn plan to modernize the Victorian-era sewage system. Thames Water was simultaneously fined £3.4m, and the Environment Agency launched a criminal investigation into all water companies.
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| 2023 |
Sewage discharge in the United Kingdom
Thames Water was fined £3.4m for illegal sewage dumping, continuing the trend of legal consequences for water companies' environmental breaches.
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| 2023 | The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a comprehensive report highlighting the disproportionate effects of climate change on vulnerable populations, emphasizing the urgent need for global, rapid, and sustained climate action. |
| 2023 |
Litter in Australia
Plastics were found to comprise 81 percent of all surveyed litter in Australia, highlighting the significant environmental challenge of plastic waste.
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| 2023 |
Odour pollution in Australia
EPA permanently cancelled the operating licence for the Sunshine Landfill, with the remaining underground fire continuing to burn.
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| December 2023 |
Odour pollution in Australia
Van Hessen was found guilty in court and ordered to pay $75,000 towards an environmental improvement project in South Wangaratta for persistent odour pollution violations.
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| November 2023 |
Recycling in Australia
Planned introduction of a container deposit scheme in Victoria as part of the state's recycling industry transformation strategy.
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| August 2023 |
Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Fisheries minister Tetsuro Nomura called the treated radioactive water 'contaminated', but later apologized and retracted the statement after receiving instruction from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
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| August 25 2023 |
Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
TEPCO reported that tritium levels in seawater around Fukushima remained below the detection limit of 10 Bq/L. The Japanese Fishery Agency confirmed no detectable amounts of tritium in fish caught 4 km from the discharge pipe.
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| August 24 2023 |
Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Protests against the water discharge erupt in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, with approximately 50,000 people gathering in Seoul and some attempting to storm the Japanese embassy.
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| August 24 2023 |
Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Japan began discharging treated waste water into the Pacific Ocean, which triggered protests in the region and prompted China to expand its ban on aquatic imports from Japan.
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| August 23 2023 |
Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka expresses support for the IAEA report, stating the plan meets international safety standards.
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| August 22 2023 |
Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Japan announced plans to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean within 48 hours, despite regional opposition. The water was treated using the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) to remove radiation, with tritium remaining as the primary radioactive element.
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| July 2023 |
Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
IAEA releases a conclusion that Japan's discharge plan is in accordance with international safety standards, but does not fully endorse the decision.
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| June 2023 |
Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
South Korean shoppers rush to buy salt and other items before the expected water discharge, with the government banning seafood from near Fukushima.
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| June 2023 | Published a paper in PLOS Climate, co-authored by Lauren Cooper (SFI's Chief Conservation Officer), discussing Climate-Smart Forestry and its role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. |
| June 2023 |
Odour pollution in Australia
EPA Victoria takes Stevensons Brothers Industries (SBI) Landfill to court for failing to meet general environmental duty, with potential fines up to $1.8 million for the company and $360,000 for each director.
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| June 2023 |
Odour pollution in Australia
EPA continued to monitor odour emissions around the Visy site, indicating ongoing concerns about the plant's environmental impact.
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| May 2023 |
Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
An interlaboratory comparison was conducted with 3 IAEA laboratories and 4 national laboratories to verify TEPCO's testing of ALPS-treated water.
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This contents of the box above is based on material from the Wikipedia articles Deforestation and climate change, Agroforestry, REDcycle, Recycling in Australia, Waste management in Egypt, Drinking water quality in the United States, Biodiversity loss, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Climate Change Isn't Everything: Liberating Climate Politics from Alarmism, Waste management in Australia, Odour pollution in Australia, Climate change adaptation in the Philippines, Litter in Australia, Ghazipur landfill, Woodchipping in Australia, Environmental issues, Waste management in Thailand, Waste management in Bangladesh, Water scarcity, Sewage discharge in the United Kingdom, Climate policy of China, Woody plant encroachment & Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.