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    Due to microplastics, people become resistant to antibiotics – research

    Researchers at the George Brown School of Engineering at Rice University in the United States say that microplastics in the environment are a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Eurekalert states. A study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials describes how the ultraviolet aging of microplastics in the environment make them apt platforms for antibiotic-resistant genes […]

    The European Union may ban the import of goods related to deforestation

    The European Union may ban the import of several products, including beef.  In late November, the European Commission unveiled a draft bill restricting imports of deforestation products, namely beef, coffee, cocoa, soybeans, palm oil, and wood. The bill requires companies to disclose information about their supply chains. It aims to prevent the import of deforestation […]

    Australia admitted in a report on 2020 bushfires that climate change was the driving factor
    25 Dec 2021

    Two years has passed since Australia’s largest bushfire razed more than a million hectares, but the scars are still burned into the memories of those who were there. Gospers Mountain bushfire residents live in fear of next blaze, ABC states. Locals around Lithgow reflect on the fire which burned from October 2019 to January 2020. […]

    Look up! Qatar skies to see Al-Dibiyt meteor shower
    23 Dec 2021

    Get your cameras ready! Qatar’s skies will be decorated with the last celestial event of the year – the Ursid meteor shower – on December 22. Experts say the showers can be seen with the naked eye without using any astronomy devices or telescopes. The annual event happens between December 17 to December 26 of […]

    Dutch urban farming startup gets backing from Qatar wealth fund

    Leading Dutch indoor farming startup Infarm opened its first center in Doha in 2023 following a massive $200 million financial backing from investors including the Qatar Investment Authority [QIA], Doha News reports. “We see vertical farming as a way to enhance food security in every part of the world,” said Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud, chief […]

    Hamdan bin Zayed issues resolution on administrative penalties, fines regarding environmental violations in Abu Dhabi

    H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), has issued a new resolution concerning the list of administrative penalties and fines for violators of environmental regulations in Abu Dhabi, WAM reports. The resolution has been […]

    Tourism is the essential underpinning of UAE’s sustainable development: RAK Ruler
    23 Dec 2021

    H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, affirmed the role of tourism as the essential underpinning of the UAE’s sustainable development, WAM reports. His Highness’s comments came as he was presented with a commemorative postage stamp bearing the image of Jebel Jais, the UAE’s tallest mountain, […]

    Iraq and Syria: More than 12 million people threatened by drought in 2021, warn aid groups

    A water crisis and droughts are risking the lives of more than 12 million people across Iraq and Syria, aid groups warned in August. NGOs warned of ‘catastrophe’ as low levels of rainfall threaten drinking water, irrigation and electricity production in summer, 2021. In a joint statement, 13 aid groups said there was a risk […]

    Syria war turned coast into ‘pollution flashpoint’ – NGO report
    23 Dec 2021

    Pollution stemming from the conflict in Syria is posing ‘acute health risks for civilians’, Middle East Eye reports. Leaks from moored tankers, underwater pipelines and wastewater systems have turned the Syrian coast into a major “conflict-linked pollution flashpoint”, said a report released on Tuesday. The study by PAX, a Dutch peace-building organization, analyzed public and […]

    Turkey becomes Europe’s dumping ground for illegal plastic waste

    Illegal plastic waste from the UK and Germany is dumped in Turkey where it is polluting the Mediterranean, says Greenpeace, Middle East Eye states. The UK and Germany have continued to illegally export non-recyclable plastic waste to Turkey, where it is burnt at landfill sites and pollutes the environment, a Greenpeace investigation revealed in May, […]