New research from Sweden identifies the characteristics of substance flow analyses that make them useful to policy makers. Substance flow analyses that focus on measuring rather than modelling pollution and which are aligned to existing measures are more likely to influence policy.

Despite the current economic situation, organic farming is a growth sector in the EU. A recent EU-funded study suggests support payments from the amended 2003 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for organic farming will continue to play an important role in Western European countries and will become increasingly significant in new Member States.

Certain vegetables take up heavy metals from contaminated water used for irrigation, a new study finds. The researchers grew vegetables in greenhouses similar to field conditions in Greece and found that concentrations of nickel and chromium increased in potatoes and onions, but not in carrots, when irrigated with water containing contaminant levels similar to those found in industrial wastewater.

Ship noise increases shore crabs’ metabolism, a new study suggests. The researchers found that larger crabs were particularly affected by recordings of ship noise in controlled experiments. Increased metabolism is a sign of stress and could potentially reduce the growth of crabs and have implications for their survival, as well as for fisheries.

A recent study has analysed trade unions’ understanding of the relationship between environmental protection and jobs. It identified four reoccurring themes from interviews with union representatives, which provide insight into how trade union environmental agendas could develop under a greener economy.

A report has revealed that the plastic components of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) can contain significant amounts of hazardous substances, such as lead, mercury or certain flame retardants. The findings suggest that the plastics from some types of WEEE need to be treated as hazardous waste by waste managers and recyclers.

The environmental benefits of recycling construction and demolition waste (CDW) are considerable, even after accounting for the impacts of the recycling process itself, research confirms. By assessing CO2 and energy use at a large-scale recycling plant in Portugal reseachers have shown that, over its 60-year lifespan, the CO2 emissions prevented will be ten times as much as those produced, and eight times as much energy will be saved, than is used.

Recycling has significant environmental benefits and is key to a circular economy. The EU has set a goal for Member States to recycle 50% of their municipal waste by 2020 and plans to set a 65% target for 2030, although progress towards this goal is variable. This study assessed a waste separation scheme in Malta, a Member State with traditionally low levels of recycling. Even though mixed waste was collected more frequently and for free, residents contributed to the voluntary recycling scheme, with participation increasing over time. This study provides useful insights for developing voluntary policy approaches.

The laid off employees in the United States will get 14 weeks of base pay plus one additional week for every year at Airbnb

Uber said the layoffs included its customer support and recruiting teams, and expects to incur about $20 million in costs for severance and related charges.

The headcount has now come down from more than 1,000 employees a year ago, with the majority of job cuts in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak that forced shutdowns in the February-April period. The headcount comprises staff on the company’s rolls as well as those on contract and outsourced manpower.

April was a month of heavy-lifting for Anand Natarajan, COO, DBS Bank India, but the company’s investments made towards building a robust tech infrastructure made pandemic substantially easier for him.

An international team of astronomers using Hubble have been able to study stellar evolution in real time. Over a period of 30 years dramatic increases in the temperature of the star SAO 244567 have been observed. Now the star is cooling again, having been reborn into an earlier phase of stellar evolution. This makes it the first reborn star to have been observed during both the heating and cooling stages of rebirth.

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A new analysis of waste recycling systems in Portugal highlights where kerbside (edge of pavement) collection systems could be optimised, to decrease their environmental impact. In this case, researchers found that the kerbside system was less favourable economically and environmentally due to more packaging and more fuel consumption per tonne of waste, compared to a system where recyclable materials are deposited by residents in large containers. But the researchers suggest that measures such as re-usable boxes and efficient collection routes could help to mitigate the impact of kerbside collection. While there is an environmental impact from waste collection, processing and disposal, this study only focused on the collection phase.

5G will cover more than 20 percent of the global population six years from now, according to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report

April was a month of heavy-lifting for Anand Natarajan, COO, DBS Bank India, but the company’s investments made towards building a robust tech infrastructure made pandemic substantially easier for him.

Public subsidies are important in encouraging organisations to trial and expand electric vehicle fleets, according to new research. The study, based on interviews and reports from 17 organisations, found that the opportunity to test new technology was the most important factor in deciding to trial electric vehicles. However, some smaller independent companies chose not to expand their fleet because of the expense.

Subsidies support economic sectors and grant advantages to consumers, but can harm the environment. A new study has tested a number of existing tools for assessing environmentally harmful subsidies (EHS), developed a comprehensive methodology for identifying and analysing EHS and highlighted opportunities for reforming them.

A new EU-commissioned report has investigated the social value of biodiversity conservation, particularly in terms of its links to employment. It estimates that 35% of jobs in developing countries and 7% of jobs in the EU are dependent on ecosystem services.

A recent study has analysed trade unions’ understanding of the relationship between environmental protection and jobs. It identified four reoccurring themes from interviews with union representatives, which provide insight into how trade union environmental agendas could develop under a greener economy.

Investment in restoring coastal habitats is an effective way of creating new jobs, recent research has found. The US study analysed 44 ‘blue infrastructure’ restoration projects and found that, on average, 17 jobs were created for every US$ 1 million (€0.76 million) spent on these developments. This is more jobs than are created in the coal, gas or nuclear energy industries, where the same investment only results in 4-7 jobs.

China does not export cars to Europe, yet it has adopted the Euro emissions standard for vehicles. A recent study argues this is because international standards can encourage foreign investors to share advanced technical knowledge with companies in developing and emerging economies – thus bringing a package of environmental and economic benefits. In China’s case, its car industry is now better prepared for future trade in a global market, thanks to this strategy.

Satellite images could be used as evidence in environmental crime cases in the future, a Belgian judge and researcher predicts. However, there are several obstacles to their use at present. Notably, they do not provide sufficiently detailed evidence for the courtroom.

Since its inception in Bengaluru in 2008, Walmart Labs India has built cross-disciplinary teams engaged in cutting edge engineering, product development and data sciences.

Brokers need to submit a quarterly report on incidence of cyber-attacks and threats.

The company has created qualification packs to define the competency standards that will provide a framework for academic institutions to design their course curriculum to better conform to industry hiring standards. These have been approved by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), and National Skills Qualifications Committee (NSQC).

The headcount has now come down from more than 1,000 employees a year ago, with the majority of job cuts in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak that forced shutdowns in the February-April period. The headcount comprises staff on the company’s rolls as well as those on contract and outsourced manpower.

Adani expects to invest Rs 700 billion to build data parks in India over the next two decades.

DBS Bank is leveraging technology to reduce man hours, enhance the customer journey, automate processes and open new revenue streams.

There is a recognised need for a more comprehensive system to observe, track and compare biodiversity across the world. Three years ago a global network was established to help reach this goal. It has identified the necessary characteristics for such an integrated system and possible ways in which integration can occur.

Pollination by wild insects and honey bees improves soybean yield by 18%, new research has indicated. This equates to an extra 331.6 kg of seeds per hectare, boosting the value of the global crop by €12.74 billion. Encouraging insect pollination could therefore reduce the destruction of natural ecosystems to make way for soybean cultivation, the researchers say.

Hunting has obvious impacts on wild populations. However, new research concludes that for Scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos), it also contributes to the killing of cubs by adult males to increase the male's chances of mating with the cubs' mother. The researchers say that this indirect effect of hunting should be considered when developing sustainable hunting quotas and management plans.

Studies investigating the effects of pregnant women’s low level exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on the weight of their newborn babies have produced conflicting results. However, new research, which involved 8000 pregnant women across Europe, adds to the mounting body of evidence that PCB exposure does in fact reduce birth weight.

Debate exists as to whether environmental concentrations of the hazardous substance hexachlorobenzene (HCB) should be measured in water or in wildlife when assessing compliance with environmental quality standards (EQS). New research has proposed a method to calculate concentrations in water that best represent critical levels in wildlife, and a tiered approach to compliance assessment that minimises sampling of wildlife.

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and its derivatives — linked to health problems in animals — have been found in levels exceeding EU thresholds in some outdoor textiles, leather goods and ski waxes, according to a recent analysis of everyday consumer items. Better quality control in the processing and manufacture of goods coated with the substances is among the recommendations made by researchers to reduce human exposure to these toxic chemicals.

Sources of biocidal active substances (BAS) in common household products have been assessed in a new study from Germany. These could potentially be released into wastewater and may be toxic to wildlife and humans. The main household sources of BAS were found to be washing, cleaning and personal-care products, which together accounted for over 90% of the observations of BAS in the products found in homes surveyed by the researchers.

The EU would not be breaking World Trade Organization (WTO) rules if it chose to extend REACH’s authorisation scheme on substances of very high concern (SVHC) to products imported to Europe, a recent legal analysis concludes. At present, the scheme — which is effectively a ban on SVHC, with some exceptions — applies only to products made within the European Economic Area (EEA).

If the EU is to combat resource scarcity, it is necessary to develop and refine strategies for substituting raw materials with sustainable alternatives, such as recovered by-products from waste. A recent study presents a new approach for evaluating the sustainability of raw materials’ substitutions, based on the quantification of the embodied energy (energy required to produce the material from ores and feedstock) and carbon dioxide footprint (greenhouse gasses produced and released into the atmosphere during the production of the material) of both the raw material and its proposed substitute. The evaluation method has been applied to a real case, where it indicates that substituting a raw material (calcite) with stabilised fly ash for use as a filler in polypropylene composites in plastic manufacturing may be sustainable. The study also highlights the need for additional policy tools and legislation to encourage Europe’s transition towards a circular economy.

European scientists have conducted the first ever long-term study into the breakdown of alternative plastic bags compared to conventional plastic bags, across multiple habitats — open air, soil and sea. Oxo-degradable, compostable and biodegradable bags are often marketed as being recycled back into nature more quickly than normal bags; however, the long-term environmental studies to back this up are lacking and there is concern regarding microplastic pollution from these alternative plastic bags.

Today I want to introduce my favorite new feature in MATLAB R2019b: Subsystem Reference... read more >>

Grey is a leaf on the wind, Myke shares his thoughts on Todoist, and they both share their experiences on hiring and applying.

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There cannot have been many successful run chases in the history of the Watford Observer Fourteen14 Shield that started and ended with a six, less so with both shots being struck by members of the same family. But that was what happened on Tuesday as Watford Haidery capitalised on a blistering early onslaught to secure their place in Wednesday’s final against Abbots Langley with a five-wicket victory over West Herts A.

A destructive display of batting power propelled Watford Haidery to their first Watford Observer Fourteen14 Shield triumph for 30 years as holders Abbots Langley were swept aside by more than 100 runs in last night’s final.

The margin of victory was perhaps closer than it should have been but Leverstock Green A held their nerve in the final over to beat Watford Town A by five runs and win the Watford Observer Fourteen14 Plate last night.