Day: March 7, 2019

    An analysis of ten major lakes and rivers found high levels of tiny microplastics, which, once in the water, go on to permeate every level of the food chain and can even end up on the dinner plate. The study, conducted by Bangor University for Friends of the Earth, found varying degrees of microplastics in every stretch of water examined. The highest of which was in the River Tame, where more than 1,000 pieces were recorded per litre, while even the remote Loch Lomond had 2.4 tiny plastic fragments a litre. The Ullswater lake in the Lake District contained 29.5 pieces per litre. The key sources of plastic pollution are car tire dust, clothing fibres, paint, road markings and nurdles the tiny plastic pellets that are glued together to make products that have escaped...

    Frustrated EU officials have urged UK Brexit negotiators to table a workable solution to the Irish backstop by Friday if they want a breakthrough in talks. The UK is currently seeking changes to the withdrawal agreement to make it more palatable to Brexiteer MPs ahead of a crunch vote next week. But speaking on Thursday morning French Europe minister Natalie Loiseau said there had been no precise proposals from the UK and that the EU side was still waiting. A European Commission spokesperson had gone on the record in Wednesday to say talks so far had been difficult and that no solution was in sight. I'm not working on ifs and when's, I'm working on the positions or the proposals of the British government. We are waiting for a proposal from the British government, ...