Climate crisis: flooding threat ‘may force UK towns to be abandoned’
Environment Agency calls for urgent action to protect country from river and coastal floodsEntire communities might need to be moved away from coasts and rivers as the UK takes urgent action to prepare for an average global temperature rise of 4C, the Environment Agency warned.The agency said on Thursday that difficult decisions would have to be taken in the coming years to make sure the UK was resilient amid flooding that would not be held back by higher land defences.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - May 8, 2019 Category: Science Authors: Sandra Laville Tags: Climate change Coastlines Environment Agency Committee on Climate Change Flooding Paris climate agreement UK news Science Natural disasters and extreme weather Politics Source Type: news
U.S. environment agency says glyphosate weed killer is not a carcinogen
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Tuesday that glyphosate, a chemical in many popular weed killers, is not a carcinogen, contradicting decisions by U.S. juries that found it caused cancer in people. (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - May 1, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: healthNews Source Type: news
Will a shower of April wins help us flower in May?
With UNISON’s campaign for Go for Growth in May already underway, it’s time to look back on an April that produced more than a few illustrations of just what the UK’s biggest union can do.
It began (as these things do) on the first of the month, when we celebrated 20 years of the national minimum wage – an achievement that UNISON made possible.
In 1999, we were told that it would cost millions of jobs – but we know how that turned out.
But we’re not resting on our laurels and UNISON is committed to campaigning for a real living wage for all. And that’s why, at a Parliamentary reception to mark the anniver...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 30, 2019 Category: UK Health Authors: Amanda Kendal Tags: Article News 2019 Health Conference Bring them in environment agency health and safety international workers' memorial day LGPS living wage local government nhs pay OCS one wage any age pensions divestment Source Type: news
Environment Agency staff back industrial action over pay
Workers at the Environment Agency are to take industrial action after a below-inflation pay rise was forced on staff earlier this year, UNISON said today (Thursday).
Staff overwhelmingly backed industrial action in their demand for a fairer offer than the 1.3% rise they were given back in January. More than 85% of votes cast supported taking action, which includes stopping unpaid overtime and work travel during personal time.
Senior managers at the Agency have refused to make a better offer or hold further talks, despite repeated UNISON efforts.
Staff are angered their pay falls short of increases given to other pub...
Source: UNISON Health care news - April 4, 2019 Category: UK Health Authors: Charlotte Jeffs Tags: News Press release environment agency Source Type: news
March madness
The phrase “mad as a March hare” is said to stem from the excited behaviour of the European hare during its breeding season, which peaks in the month of March.
For anyone living in UK – and the whole of Europe for that matter – the phrase may now forever be associated with British MPs. For most of us, the month was dominated by the madness of Brexit as it came to its heated head. As March closed the UK hadn’t left the EU on time, but the shenanigans dominated the headlines.
That said, UNISON’s general secretary Dave Prentis sagely reminded members that Brexit wasn’t the only issue the country faced.
“Th...
Source: UNISON Health care news - March 29, 2019 Category: UK Health Authors: Demetrios Matheou Tags: Article News 2019 Community Conference Bridge the gap environment agency living wage nhs pay Source Type: news
Severe water shortages could plunge England into 'jaws of death' in 25 years, warns environment agency
England could face severe water shortages in the next 25 years because of climate change and rapid population growth, the head of the UK Environment Agency has warned. (Source: CNN.com - Health)
Source: CNN.com - Health - March 19, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Environment Agency staff vote on strike action over pay
The threat of industrial action is looming at the Environment Agency after it decided to force a below inflation pay rise on its 10,000 staff earlier this year, says UNISON today (Thursday).
UNISON is asking Environment Agency staff whether they would be prepared take industrial action to try to win a better wage rise than the 1.3% that’s been imposed on them. Since 2010 staff have faced a 20% real-terms pay cut.
UNISON says staff working for the agency are understandably angry, especially as the increase is way below that given to other public sector workers.
For example, colleagues doing the same job at the Scottish E...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - March 14, 2019 Category: Food Science Authors: Anna Mauremootoo Tags: Press release andrew dobbie environment agency Industrial action pay Source Type: news
Blog: Why we ’ re balloting Environment Agency members on industrial action
In all of our communities, UNISON members work tirelessly to provide public services. Often unseen, it’s our people who keep our country going. That’s certainly the case for the vital workers in the Environment Agency. They have the vital roles of protecting towns and villages up and down the country from flooding, and preventing environmental pollution.
Yet since 2010, they’ve faced 20% real terms pay cuts as a result of the government’s disastrous pay policy – similar to so many others across the public sector. Now, despite lofty claims from the government that “austerity is over” they’re still being offe...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - March 14, 2019 Category: Food Science Authors: Dave Prentis Tags: General secretary's blog News environment agency Source Type: news
Humanity ‘at a crossroads’ as damage to planet poses growing risk to health, UN environment agency warns
Human activity is damaging the planet so badly, exacerbated by climate change, that it will increasingly put our health at risk, warns a major report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), released on Wednesday at the UN Environment Assembly, currently taking place in Nairobi. (Source: UN News Centre - Health, Poverty, Food Security)
Source: UN News Centre - Health, Poverty, Food Security - March 13, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Toxic substances found in nappies in France: government agency
A variety of potentially toxic substances, including the widely-used weed-killer glyphosate, has been found in babies' nappies in France, according to a study on Wednesday by the French environment agency ANSES. (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - January 23, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: healthNews Source Type: news
Toxic substances found in diapers in France: government agency
A variety of potentially toxic substances, including glyphosate, has been found in babies' diapers in France, according to a study published on Wednesday by the French environment agency ANSES. (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - January 23, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: healthNews Source Type: news
Toxic substances found in nappies in France: government agency
A variety of potentially toxic substances, including glyphosate, has been found in babies' nappies in France, according to a study published on Wednesday by the French environment agency ANSES. (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - January 23, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: healthNews Source Type: news
Exclusive: Patients' body parts were stored dangerously for six months
Human body parts from NHS patients have been stored in unrefrigerated units for more than six months resulting in a smell of “decaying flesh” at a scandal hit waste management company, according to Environment Agency documents seen by HSJ. (Source: HSJ)
Source: HSJ - January 16, 2019 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Our Bodies Are Polluted With Plastic, Scientists Warn
VIENNA (CBS Local) — The ocean isn’t the only thing filled with plastic. Our bodies are also polluted with plastic, according to a new study from Austrian scientists.
Hundreds of small plastic pieces known as microplastics were found in stool samples of each volunteer who participated in a small pilot study by the Environment Agency Austria and the Medical University of Vienna.
“This is the first study of its kind and confirms what we have long suspected — that plastics ultimately reach the human gut,” lead researcher Dr. Philipp Schwabl said Tuesday. “Of particular concern is what this ...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - October 23, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Health – CBS Boston Tags: Health Offbeat Local TV talkers Source Type: news
Researchers Have Found Microplastics in Human Waste for the First Time
A new study found microplastic particles in human waste for the first time, a worrying sign of the prevalence of plastic in the food chain, the Guardian reports.
In the small study of participants from Europe, Russia and Japan, all eight were found to have microplastic particles in their stool samples. Out of 10 varieties tested for, nine different plastics were identified in the human waste, with polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate the most common.
Based on their findings, the study researchers expect that tiny bits of plastics may be widespread in the human digestive system.
“This is the first study of its...
Source: TIME: Science - October 23, 2018 Category: Science Authors: Casey Quackenbush Tags: Uncategorized Environment onetime overnight Source Type: news
