La Mode Verte
Environmental Awareness Through Media ProductionsArchive for England
UK Set to Create 100 New Marine Conservation Zones
www.bbc.co.uk 8th September 2011
Proposals have been put forward to turn over a quarter of the English and Welsh coasts into marine conservation zones. Currently only 1% of this coastline is protected but a 100 sites have been put forward as part of the 2009 UK Marine Bill. The sites range from ‘tiny stretches of coastline to large tracts of seafloor’ and include Chesil Beach in Dorset, Land’s End, the Donna Nook seal colony in Lincolnshire, and the Silver Pit off the Yorkshire coast. The proposed sites will now be assessed by an expert panel before being put forward to parliament, probably next year. A whole range of groups were consulted to draw up the plans including the mineral industry, scuba-diving groups, anglers, renewable energy companies and the Ministry of Defence. ‘The ultimate aim is to create an “ecologically coherent” network of protected areas around all UK coasts, safeguarding important natural habitats while allowing other activities such as recreational angling, commercial fishing, surfing and marine energy to go ahead.’ Scotland is due to create its own marine reserves but Northern Ireland has yet to announce similar plans.
One Species a Fortnight Becomes Extinct in England
www.telegraph.co.uk 5th October 2010
A new study by Department of Zoology at Oxford University has revealed that over the last two centuries, 5% of England’s 60,000 species are lost each year. Previous research into the subject has focussed on iconic species such as birds and animals but the university’s study included lesser known floral species such as lichens. If such a rate continues then 26 species a year will become extinct in England and as much as 40 in the UK as a whole. The findings refute data released in March this year by the British government’s advisory body Natural England which stated that only 500 species had been lost since 1800, or around 0.5% a year. Oxford University’s results have been published in the academic journal Biological Conservation as UN countries prepare to meet in Japan to discuss new global targets for the protection of wildlife.
UK Salmonella Scare Over Bean Sprouts
www.bbc.co.uk 22nd September 2010
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a warning following 83 diagnosed cases of salmonella bareilly in England and Scotland in recent weeks. Although the source of the outbreak is still unknown, the carrier is believed to be British beansprouts. A salad producer discovered the bacteria in a routine test of its products. Salmonella bacteria are naturally found in the gastrointestinal tracts of wild and domestic animals and birds and the bareilly strain can lead to gastro-enteritis in humans. The Health Protection Agency is currently investigating whether the 15 cases in Scotland are related to the 68 cases in Northwest England. As this may take some time FSA has recommended that anyone planning to eat bean sprouts should ‘cook them until steaming hot’ before consumption.
