Environment
VIDEO – Environmental Disaster in Brazil Could be Worst Ever
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor In November 2015, a dam at an iron ore mine burst into the Doce river in Brazil. Toxic mud poisoned with arsenic and mercury flooded the river and land over two states. The Institute for Water Management in Minas Gerais (IGAM) found arsenic levels more than ten times above the legal limit at one section of the mighty river. At least 13 people died when the dam broke and hundreds were displaced. The toxic mud traveled...
Stephen Fry Leads Campaign to Speed up the Reporting of Missing Children
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Famous Comedian and intellectual Stephen Fry is urging the public to help save the lives of high risk missing children. The two-week long national campaign is asking people to register for free Child Rescue Alerts, activated when a child has gone missing and police believe their life is in imminent danger. Fry appears in a short animation (watch at bottom of article) and there is a major outdoor advertising campaign launched, developed with pro bono...
VIDEO – Mark Ruffalo Tells Cameron to Stop Fracking
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Actor Mark Ruffalo, who recently starred in feature film Spotlight, has told the PM to abandon plans for fracking and to leave fossil fuels in the ground. Ruffalo is a vocal opponent of this method of extraction in the US and told the PM he was making "a legacy mistake" in his championing of the controversial process. His remarks were made in an interview with environmental pressure group Friends of the Earth. Ruffalo said: “Mr...
George Monbiot Explained Flooding…to The Flooding Inquiry
By Harold Stone Thousands of people have been flooded out of their homes in the last few months, as they were in 2014, 2013, 2012, 2009 and 2007. Two weeks ago our MPs launched a flooding inquiry, and they invited George Monbiot to explain the situation. This is what happened. Streamlining floods Floods happen when there is too much water, and this water submerges the dry land. The way to prevent floods, Mr Monbiot began by explaining, was to slow...
Largest Offshore Windfarm in World to be Constructed Off Coast of Yorkshire
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor An offshore windfarm, capable of powering over a million UK homes, has been given the green light. It will be the world’s largest and will be situated off the Yorkshire coast. DONG Energy has just made the final investment decision to ensure the 1.2 gigawatt (GW) scheme will come into fruition. The windfarm will be based 75 miles off the Yorkshire coast and will span a huge 160 square miles, five times the size of...
On Young Carers Day 700,000 Young People Are Not Having Childhood They Deserve
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Today, 28th January, is young carers day, a time to raise awareness and praise the selfless work of children as young as five who look after a loved one. In every classroom in the UK, it is thought there are two young carers, spending the majority of their time looking after a parent or close family member. Instead of enjoying their childhood like their class mates, they tend to others. 13,000 of these people care...
UK Community Foundations Must Take Lead in Flooding Crisis Planning
By Fabian French, Chief Executive UK Community Foundation Blow, winds and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow!* Recurring flooding shows that we need to have high quality plans in place to deal with natural disasters. UK Community Foundations need to take the lead in crisis planning for our communities rather than playing catch-up. Community Foundations in flood areas have demonstrated how quickly their adaptable and flexible procedures can be executed so that immediate and effective responses are made to alleviate the worst...
We Must Listen to Children Who Suffer Domestic Violence
By Natasha Benjamin - Founder & Managing Director www.freeyourmindcic.com Domestic Violence in Childhood is a major problem of our times, effecting 1.8 million children across the UK and even more alarmingly 1 in 3 will have a mental illness as a result. Since launching Free Your Mind in 2013, I have worked to create better awareness of this issue and to create a support system for children affected after realising that there was no specific service for them, only finding that...
MSF Building New Refugee Camp in Northern France
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Building work has already begun on a new refugee camp in northern France, which should accommodate 2,500 people, currently living in squalor at an ad hoc site in Grande Synthe, near Dunkirk Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) the medical humanitarian organisation have been given permission to build the camp, work started on January 11th and it is expected to take four weeks to finish. Vickie Hawkins, MSF UK executive director said: “Conditions in Grande Synthe are some of...