Only three EU Member States – the UK, Germany and the Netherlands - have explicit legislation for monitoring the economic, social and environmental impacts of marine activities. This legislation embraces Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP), a promising tool to improve decision-making on the planning of human activities at sea.

It can take six to seven years before the financial benefits of brownfield regeneration projects are realised, according to a new study which focused on redevelopment in Michigan, USA. The study examines liability issues, regulatory concerns, clean-up standards and funding mechanisms, and introduces a new model that informs debate on brownfield redevelopment policies and funding mechanisms.

‘Product-service systems’ are innovative business models designed to satisfy societal needs in an environmentally sustainable manner. This study explores how government policies could increase the uptake of these systems, outlining five key recommendations to achieve this, including schemes to raise awareness and involve local authorities.

Under water restrictions, farmers will achieve the optimal balance of income and efficient water use if they combine the planting of crops that require little water with the planting of more profitable crops that need more water, according to research.

Domestic water saving is important — not only to address water scarcity and drought, but also to save energy and tackle climate change. Water-management strategies are needed to prevent these shortages, and include incentives to change consumers’ behaviour concerning water use. This study examines the design of a behaviour-change system and a linked incentive model to stimulate a sustainable change in water-consumption behaviour.

Hari Menon pointed out that deliveries were largely constrained due to lack of on-ground staff that had left cities in large numbers prior to the lockdown

Facebook has revealed that it removed a network of 37 Facebook accounts, 32 Pages, 11 Groups and 42 Instagram accounts that originated in India and used fake accounts masquerading as media outlets to target the Gulf region, the US, the UK and Canada.

The tax also applies to advertising revenue earned from companies overseas if those advertisements eventually target customers in India. Google is particularly concerned that it would not be able to swiftly identify countries where such advertising arrangements were in place, Reuters has reported.

While the coronavirus lockdown is set to be lifted to May 3, you can now buy mobile phones on Flipkart.

The cloud giants have seen a drop-off in new contracts from big clients for server storage and to overhaul tech.

Researchers have developed a new model to estimate the impact of harvesting wild species and land use change on biodiversity. Unlike previous models, it considers the indirect effect of harvesting or pest control on landscape structure through reducing the variety of species.

A new model, named OUTOPIE could help design more effective agri-environmental schemes. The model links the farm, field and landscape levels to allow a more accurate assessment of the costs of enrolling specific fields in conservation schemes. Using the model, the researchers were able to assess the cost-effectiveness of different policies for the conservation of the Little Bustard bird (Tetrax tetrax) in France.

Guidelines to establish reserves protecting deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seep ecosystems have been proposed. A group of stakeholders from 14 countries have put forward the Dinard Guidelines for Chemosynthetic Ecological Reserves, to help design and manage reserves for these unique ecosystems in national and international waters.

Policies to manage marine ecological quality can be improved by combining economic and ecological concerns, finds a new study. Using this integrated perspective, researchers developed a model which identified the most cost-effective options for reducing nutrient pollution in the Baltic Sea within a 40-year time-span. The total cost of meeting the commonly agreed targets is estimated to be €1,487 million annually.

Long-term biological monitoring is key to effective, evidence-based conservation management, new research concludes. However, greater collaboration is needed to ensure that scientists understand what kind of information is needed by conservation managers. In this way the data can deliver answers for the most important management questions.

Chemical contamination impairs ecosystem function and reduces biodiversity. Restoration of contaminated ecosystems is important to re-establish the ecosystem services on which society depends. This study provides recommendations to maximise the success of restoration projects by considering when, where and how contaminated sites should be restored.

Agroforestry — managing trees alongside crop or animal-production systems — has been proposed as a means of protecting biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem service supply. A study bringing together evidence has confirmed that agroforestry does have an overall positive effect over conventional (separate) agriculture and forestry. Its environmental benefits, which should be considered in rural planning policy, include reduced nutrient run-off and soil erosion, and biodiversity protection.

The effects of climate change on the distribution of species can be predicted more accurately by considering the genetic differences between different groups of the same species, a new study suggests. The researchers found that a computer model which incorporated genetic information on different groups of a US tree species was up to 12 times more accurate in predicting tree locations than a non-genetically informed model.

New research has examined three different categories of Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA), each with different goals. The researchers find that overlaps between the three assessments could be combined to create a more comprehensive form of ERA, usable by regulators and environmental decision makers. There is an inherent trade-off between increasing agricultural production and protection of biodiversity. This study models the effects of biodiversity conservation agri-environment schemes (AESs) and ecosystem service provider schemes, and shows that determining the aim of an agri-environment scheme is key to improving its efficiency. Such an optimisation could allow AES to be rolled out more generally to provide the backbone for both high yields and enhanced farmland biodiversity, say the researchers.

In line with EU legislative requirements, new research has developed models to assess the toxicity of chemicals in terms of their effects on human development. One of the models has been made freely accessible online, so that it is easy to use for industry and regulators.

Computer models can be powerful tools when developing policies to address nitrogen pollution from agriculture. In a new study, researchers have made recommendations regarding the best design and use of these models to aid the effective implementation of European legislation on nitrogen.

The emissions of two perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) into the Danube River Basin have been estimated in a test of four different hypotheses regarding the factors affecting those emissions. The results were used to simulate water concentrations for comparison with measured data. The researchers found that incorporating wastewater treatment information and wealth distribution alongside population data can improve the accuracy of emissions estimates.

To assess the risk posed by metals in the aquatic environment, Biotic Ligand Models (BLMs) were developed, and are now considered suitable for use in regulatory risk assessments. This study reviews the advantages of BLMs and BLM-based software tools, providing examples from across the EU, and offers recommendations for their widespread implementation.

Chemicals that persist in the environment can harm humans and wildlife. This study describes a computer modelling-based approach to predict which chemical compounds are likely to be persistent. The models were correctly able to predict persistence for 11 of 12 chemicals tested and could provide a cost-effective alternative to laboratory testing.

EU-supported research has established a new model to calculate air pollution emissions from ships. Its calculations could create a database that lists emissions per ship type and size as well as by country.

A new tool used to investigate exhaust emissions of marine vessels has been developed and applied to shipping in the Baltic Sea.

Assessing the impact of large urban areas on air quality and climate change needs an integrated approach with a range of spatial and temporal scales, according to researchers. The EU-funded MEGAPOLI project considers time scales from seconds to decades and spatial scales from local to global.

Traffic fumes can cause serious health problems, but their distribution and spread in complex urban environments can be hard to predict. Now, researchers have created the ‘STEMS-Air dispersion model’, which can be used by planners and health authorities to give accurate daily and annual estimates of exposure to traffic fumes and other forms of air pollution in cities.

Integrating climate change policies with pollution control and energy security measures can deliver improved air quality, better public health and diversified energy supplies, and at a lower total energy cost than many previous studies have indicated, according to recent research.

Increased black smoke pollution was associated with increased mortality rates almost a month after exposure in a recent study. The researchers studied death rates in relation to pollution concentrations over a 22-year period in the city of Glasgow, UK, and found significantly higher mortality rates among residents at 13-18 and 19-24 days after increased exposure to black smoke.

Increased insulation in homes could reduce ventilation and lead to greater exposure to indoor air pollution, a new study suggests. This, in turn, could affect health. The researchers modelled exposure to fine particles, which indicated that insulating half the homes in Greece by 2020 could lead to a 6% increase in adverse health effects. Sources of indoor air pollution should be reduced as far as possible and, failing that, sufficient airing is key, they recommend.

Models that predict how nitrogen from the air is deposited in the sea could be useful in predicting algal blooms. Based on the knowledge that excess nitrogen increases algal growth rates, researchers simulated nitrogen deposition in the North Sea and suggested that, using predicted weather data, it might be possible to adapt this approach to predict algal blooms.

A recent study develops a framework for implementing IAMs using the Lombardy region of Italy as a case study. Researchers have run an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis with an environmental model, specifically with an Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) for air quality, demonstrating how model components are sources of uncertainty in the output of an integrated assessment. Policy responses should therefore consider uncertainty and sensitivity when developing measures to improve air quality.

Air quality standards worldwide are facing increasing scrutiny as countries struggle to meet World Health Organisation (WHO) air-quality guidelines (AQGs), particularly regarding ozone (O₃) and particulate matter (pollutant particles with diameters of less than 10 or 2.5 micrometres — PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 respectively). A new study aimed to evaluate whether WHO guidelines are being met in Europe; the researchers focused on Portugal, using recent data alongside climate change and background air pollution predictions. At present, Portugal frequently exceeds legislated values for ozone and PM₁₀.

Researchers have developed a new computer model to help decision-makers quickly assess proposed strategies to cut air pollution, by generating an array of useful data and maps in under half a minute. The model uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to quickly make sense of the complex problem of urban air quality, and innovatively considers the influence of public opinion in its assessment of emission reduction strategies — given that some are deemed more socially acceptable than others.

A new analysis calls for clear policy guidelines to be adopted in developing countries to direct the development of genetically modified crops which could help contribute to greater food security in developing countries.

Although nanomaterials are already in widespread use, their risk to the environment is not completely understood. Researchers in the US have developed a next-generation risk-assessment model to better understand nanomaterials’ environmental impact. Applied to the San Francisco Bay area, the model predicted that even soluble nanomaterials could accumulate at toxic levels.

March 30, 2020: Effective immediately, physical deliveries should be dropped off to the lobby of the Government Center in the secure drop box labeled Department of Finance and Budget, Division of Procurement.

ENVIRONMENT Secretary, George Eustice, says fast-food restaurants like KFC, McDonald's and Burger King can re-open for deliveries and take-aways, but stressed the need for safety and social distancing.

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  FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – (7 a.m.) An early morning crash has closed all lanes on Route 1 southbound and one lane on Route 1 northbound at Austin...

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – All lanes are now open on Route 1 at Austin Park Drive in Stafford. An early morning crash closed Route 1 southbound and...

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SALEM – As part of the ongoing construction to replace the bridge over Back Creek on Route 220, an extended lane closure has been scheduled for next week. The bridge is near the intersection of Route 657 (Crowell Gap Road and Winter Drive).  Beginning Monday, October 8 at 9 a.m., the right northbound lane of Route 220 and the crossover at Crowell Gap Road will be closed until Wednesday, October 10 at 5 p.m. to pave a segment of the roadway that will connect to the new bridge. Drivers traveling on Route 220 northbound into Roanoke should expect significant delays on Route 220 during this time and are encouraged to plan their travel accordingly. The bridge replacement is expected to be complete in spring 2020. For updates on this project and other traffic impacts and lane closure, visit www.511Virginia.org .

SALEM – The left lane of southbound Route 220 is closed due to a slope failure in the median just south of the Franklin County line. The lane closure begins approximately one mile prior to  the Roanoke County and Franklin County line and just north of the intersection with Route 613 (Naff Road).   Drivers should prepare for travel delays and plan accordingly. Message boards are in place to alert motorists of the closure. The Virginia Department of Transportation is currently investigating to determine what repairs need to be made. The lane will remain closed until further notice.   For updates on this lane closure, visit www.511Virginia.org .

SALEM – The recent flooding and heavy rainfall has resulted in several slope and shoulder failures along Route 220 in Roanoke and Franklin Counties. During the next week, crews will be working to repair the damage and commuters and travelers will be impacted. Route 220 Southbound between Buck Mountain Road and Yellow Mountain Road in Roanoke County The right lane of southbound Route 220 is closed due to a slope failure on the right shoulder of the road between Buck Mountain and Yellow Mountain Road in Roanoke County.  High water from the heavy rains caused a rock slide that impacted the shoulder of the roadway. The weight caused the shoulder to collapse resulting in the road being pushed out and giving way. The right lane closure will remain in place through Monday evening, weather permitting. Crews are developing a plan to repair the pipe and plan to begin work over the weekend.   Route 220 Southbound at Franklin County Line The left lane of southbound Route 220 has been closed due to a slope failure in the median just south of the Franklin County line. VDOT crews have been working to determine how a pipe under the road has failed and how to proceed with repairs. At this time, the ground continues to settle and move, therefore, the lane will remain closed through the weekend and into Monday . The lane closure is located approximately one mile prior to the Roanoke County and Franklin County line and just north of the intersection with Route 613 (Naff Road).  Route 220 Shoulder Repairs There will be alternating right and left lane closures on southbound and northbound Route 220 next week, weather permitting, to repair shoulders that have been damaged by the heavy rainfall. Drivers using Route 220 southbound and northbound should plan ahead for significant delays during this time until repairs can be made and lane closures are removed. Drivers should plan ahead accordingly. For updates on this lane closure, visit www.511Virginia.org .

SALEM – The Virginia Department of Transportation encourages race fans driving to and from Martinsville Speedway for the race on Sunday, October 28, to follow recommended traffic patterns as posted on signs and message boards. Drivers travelling from Roanoke to the Martinsville Speedway for the race events this weekend should plan for possible delays due to a left lane closure on Route 220 southbound approaching the Boones Mill area. VDOT will place many signs and changeable message boards throughout the region to assist travelers. Vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be heavy. Traffic is being routed to the speedway in certain patterns to minimize overall congestion as much as possible. Watch for the speed limit to reduce gradually from 65 mph to 35 mph on the Route 220/Route 58 Bypass as you approach the speedway. From Roanoke and areas north of Martinsville: Race fans traveling south on Route 220 are encouraged to allow for extra travel time. A left lane closure is in place for a pipe failure in the median about eight miles south of Roanoke and 1.7 miles north of Boones Mill. Drivers can take the exit onto Route 58 to Martinsville to reach the track or they can continue on the Route 220/Route 58 Bypass past the speedway interchange and turn right onto the access road that leads into the speedway. The entrance is located one mile east of the Route 220 interchange and may provide easier access. Signs are in place designating the entrance to the speedway.  From Danville and areas east of Martinsville: Motorists on the Route 58 Bypass should follow signs directing them to use the track’s back gate. This entrance is located off the bypass, east of the track. From Greensboro and areas south of Martinsville: Route 220 northbound traffic will split into three lanes shortly before reaching the speedway.  Motorists should watch for electronic message boards and obey police directing traffic. Through traffic should use the left lane. From Stuart and areas west of Martinsville: Motorists should stay on Route 58 east and follow signs and message boards to the track.  ADA Parking: Race fans needing ADA Parking are encouraged to enter the Speedway via Old Sand Roa Those attending the race should closely follow directional information and plan to arrive early and expect heavy traffic and delays. Martinsville Speedway has shared the attached graphics for drivers entering and exiting from the race.