Central to the achievement of the Agenda for Sustainable Development is an adequate, equitably distributed and fully supported health workforce. Nurses are the largest occupational group and represent an indispensable force with which to combat inequities in access to health services and progress towards health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while …
there is fresh evidence that the ozone layer over the uk and northern Europe is thinning. Scientists are worried by the depletion which was previously thought to be a problem largely confined to the southern hemisphere. Meteorological readings taken in the stratosphere over the Arctic show that in six of …
europe is in the middle of a major environmental disaster - the worst since the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine. On January 30, about 100,000 cubic metres of slurry, consisting major concentrations of cyanide and other heavy metals, from a containment dam spilled into the Szamos river in Romania. …
The Cosmic Background Explorer satellite has discovered the infrared glow of the universe's first generation of stars and galaxies. But its small telescopes could not pick up the "lumps' that indicate the structure of the primordial star systems. Now, two astronomers have found the lumps after analysing data from the …
some 250 million years ago, Europe was devastated by the great Permian extinctions which wiped out 95 per cent of the extensive conifer forests covering the land. The impact of this was more widespread than the extinction of the dinosaurs and other forms of life by the asteroid impact 60 …
The warming of the Atlantic waters may be responsible for the significant decline in stocks of cod and other white fish off the coasts of Europe. This despite the fact that, in the last two decades, fisherfolk have cut their catches by a third. Though the number of mature fish …
The European Court of Justice said Italy has failed to uphold European clean water legislation in the San Rocco valley. The court found Italy's failure to prevent waste from entering streams and rivers had jeopardised the environment and health of valley residents. Italy was charged by the European Commission with …
colourful plastic toys may be fun, but could pose a health hazard, too. A scientific committee of the European Union ( eu ), which has assessed analyses from several countries, has shown that when these toys are sucked or chewed by infants, there is a risk that hazardous softeners added …
europe's forests are deteriorating at an alarming rate despite measures to reduce air pollution, says a new report. About 35 per cent of trees assessed throughout Europe can be classified as "healthy,' about 40 per cent are in the "warning stage,' while about a quarter of trees are rated "damaged,' …
the mad cow disease and the dioxin scare in Europe has spelt doom for kangaroos in Australia. The animal has increasingly come under threat in the wake of export of large quantities of kangaroo meat to Europe in recent weeks. "Kangaroo meat is ideally suited for barbecue and char-grill, and …
Coca Cola Enterprises (CCE), the exclusive bottler for Coke in northern Europe, have said that there has been a 70 per cent drop in second-quarter profits due to the recent recall of Coke products in Europe. The recall of nearly 17 million unit cases of soft drinks, when dozens of …
ministers and heads of national delegations from 155 countries wound up a six-day conference on science in Budapest with a call to increase resources for scientific research, bridge the gap between North-South science and technology (s&t;) knowledge and harness s&t; for the betterment of society. The
Two managers of a fats recycling firm have been charged with fraud for Europe's dioxin-in-food scare ( Down To Earth , Vol 8, No 4). "There are two people who have been questioned by the judge, a brother and sister, the two managers of the business. The woman was released, …
the third European conference on environment and health recently organised in London resolved to set an agenda for improving health and environment standards in Europe for the next century. Representatives of 51 countries, international agencies and groups representing consumers and the corporate sector participated in the meet. The theme of …
each civilisation has a different attitude towards nature and wildlife. And one of the best indicators of how a culture relates to the environment is its attitude towards large carnivores, who are not only an important factor in maintaining the ecological equilibrium but also a source of potential conflicts and …
the air pollution campaign will have far reaching implications, say energy consultants Wood Mackenzie. Greener regulations for gasoline and diesel that come into effect from next year in Europe will cut output, while boosting regional oil products trade and use of lighter, crudes, say analysts. The Auto Oil rules aim …
a cancer scare, which threatens to become as grave as the bse virus(mad cow disease) in the uk , is causing mayhem in many countries, particularly Europe. At the heart of the controversy are food products from Belgium that were contaminated with dioxins
according to findings of a study commissioned by the European Union ( eu), E uropeans are constantly being exposed to unsafe amounts of ground-level ozone. "The threshold set for the protection of human health is exceeded substantially and in all member states,' reported the Copenhagen-based European Environment Agency ( eea …
toxic waste from metal mining poses a major threat to environment and human health across Europe, and existing laws can do little to solve the problem, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature ( wwf). The waste storage lagoon which burst at Boliden Limited's Los Frailes zinc mine in …
unpredictable stormy winters in northern Europe are known to put life out of gear. Now, their uncertainty may be a thing of the past because researchers in the uk have found a link between temperatures in the Atlantic and an atmospheric effect that influences European winters. Since the 1930s, climate …