Enfield Climate Action Forum (EnCaf)

Foreign firms taking billions of litres from UK aquifers to make bottled water Coca-Cola extracts largest amount of freshwater of any drinks company in England, FoI request finds ‘It’s not drought - it’s looting’: the Spanish villages where people are forced to buy back their own drinking water Grace Livingstone Foreign multinational companies are extracting billions of litres of water from British aquifers to sell as bottled water, the Guardian can reveal. Coca-Cola extracts the largest amount of freshwater of any drinks company in England, the data obtained through freedom of information legislation shows. It has a licence to extract 1.59bn litres of water a year from boreholes in Sidcup, Kent for its soft drinks. On top of that, it has the right to take 377m litres for its bottled water brands Glaceau Smartwater and Abbey Well from Morpeth in Northumberland. Read on at https://lnkd.in/dWz2hs-v

Patches of wildflowers in cities can be just as good for insects as natural meadows – study Researchers found no difference in the diversity of species in urban meadows compared with those in rural settings Phoebe Weston Small patches of wildflowers sown in cities can be a good substitute for a natural meadow, according to a study which showed butterflies, bees and hoverflies like them just as much. Councils are increasingly making space for wildflower meadows in cities in a bid to tackle insect decline, but their role in helping pollinating insects was unclear. Researchers working in the Polish city of Warsaw wanted to find out if these efforts were producing good results. Read on at https://lnkd.in/gbpfdR3Q

'Vague' net zero rules threaten climate targets, scientists warn by Daniel Lawler Earth's oceans, forests and soil absorb carbon dioxide, meaning they play a crucial role in efforts to fight climate change. Countries must not count the carbon dioxide naturally sucked up by Earth's forests in their net zero climate plans, scientists said on Monday, warning that "vague" rules could end up with the world warming more than expected. Read on at https://lnkd.in/en38cXKb

Can Earth Support a Human Future? Maybe, If the Rich Consume Less. Due to their extravagant habits, the richest 1 percent produces more greenhouse gas than half the global population. By Mike Ludwig , Truthout The latest study by renowned Dutch climate scientist Klaus Hubacek and his team offers an eye-opening look at the 1 percent’s extravagant consumer behaviors that — in combination with rampant militarism and the continued dominance of the fossil fuel industry — are pushing the Earth toward disastrous climate tipping points from which there might be no return. Read on at https://lnkd.in/e2UYjSdt

The rise of solar power and China's staggering EV growth may have pushed global emissions into decline By climate reporter Jo Lauder For decades now, there's one fact that's a buzzkill for anyone who cares about climate change: despite all the talk and action, global emissions have not stopped increasing. But, the world is on the cusp of reversing that trend, finally. Two major international climate agencies predict global emissions have reached a critical inflection point and 2024 could be the beginning of the decline. Read on at https://lnkd.in/emdhudwt

‘Catastrophic’ marine heatwaves are killing sealife and causing mass disruption to UK fisheries Targeted research must be launched urgently to save sea creatures and plant life, oceanography centre warns Robin McKie Science editor Britain is facing a future of increasingly catastrophic marine heatwaves that could destroy shellfish colonies and fisheries and have devastating impacts on communities around the coast of the UK. That is the stark conclusion of a new report by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), based in Southampton, which is pressing for the launch of a targeted research programme as a matter of urgency to investigate how sudden temperature rises in coastal seawater could affect marine habitats and seafood production in the UK. Read on at https://lnkd.in/e_-qtBFq

Time is running out for a treaty to end plastic pollution – here’s why it matters The issue of plastic pollution has moved up the public and political agenda in a way few could have predicted. Global action has always been the missing piece of the picture, as the plastics economy transcends national boundaries, and actions in one jurisdiction, while locally beneficial, tend not to address global pollution patterns. To tackle plastic pollution, a shift in the entire plastics economy is needed. This should focus on reuse and refill schemes, which reduce the need for new plastic products and the substitution of plastics with other materials that are less polluting or harmful Read on at https://lnkd.in/eR_s97Wx

Researchers call for recognition of tire particles as a distinct environmental threat by University of Portsmouth Credit: Environmental Research (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.120222 A new study led by an international team of scientists highlights tire particles (TPs) as the leading contributor to microplastics and calls for urgent, targeted research to address their unique environmental and health risks. Read on at https://lnkd.in/e-gur7Ts

What is Climate Resilience, and Why Does it Matter? The scientific evidence is overwhelming: The climate is changing, and human activity is the primary factor in the acceleration of climate change over the past century. Regardless of how successful humans are at limiting the root causes of our warming planet, society is facing significant impacts—from more frequent and severe weather, ocean warming and acidification, extended periods of drought and extreme temperatures, and other deleterious effects of climate change. The ability to prepare for, recover from, and adapt to these impacts is called “climate resilience.” Read onat https://lnkd.in/etq3Nepb

Committee launch survey to canvas views of stakeholders Image representing news article The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has today launched an online survey that asks stakeholders to contribute their views on the issues they think the Committee should prioritise in 2025. The survey also asks stakeholders to share any long term or emerging issues that they think the Committee should scrutinise over the next five years. Read more at https://lnkd.in/dMVzM97h