Ten Environmental Reports

 August 2024

 1.  Leaking toxic landfills in England

Paul Elliott, et.al., “Risk of adverse birth outcomes in populations living near landfill sites,” British Medical Journal (17 Nov 2001).

See also, Rachel Salvidge and Leana Hosea, “Landfills across England could be leaking harmful toxic ooze, warn experts,” The Guardian (18 Aug 2001) bit.ly/3xPKII1

“Thousands of polluted landfills across England could be leaking toxic chemicals into the environment and harming people who live nearby, experts have warned…

There are more than 21,000 of these “historic” landfills across England, with contents that are largely unknown. A report in the British Medical Journal found that 80% of the British population lives within 2km of a functioning or closed landfill site.

… the most deprived parts of the country contain five times more old landfills as a proportion of their area than more affluent places, and three times more operational waste sites.”

2.  Toxic PFAS absorbed through skin at levels higher than previously thought

Oddny Ragnatsdottir, et al., “Dermal bioavailability of perfluoroalkyl substances using in vitro 3D human skin equivalent models,” Environmental International (June 2024).  bit.ly/4eVHYtA

See also, Tom Perkins, “Toxic PFAS absorbed through skin at levels higher than previously thought,” The Guardian (30 June 2024).  bit.ly/4boLNVa

“New research “for the first time proves” toxic PFAS forever chemicals are absorbed through human skin, and at levels much higher than previously thought.

Though modeling and research has suggested the dangerous chemicals are absorbed through skin, University of Birmingham researchers say they used lab-grown tissue that mimics human skin to determine how much of a dose of PFAS compounds can be absorbed.

The paper shows “uptake through the skin could be a significant source of exposure to these harmful chemicals”, said lead author Oddný Ragnarsdóttir.”

3.  London’s preparedness for climate impacts including heatwaves,floods, droughts, wildfires, storms, sea level rise and subsidence

City of London, The London Climate Resilience Review (July 2024) bit.ly/3zK5Tff

“Following increasing severity and frequency of climate impacts, including the flash floods in 2021 and the 40-degree heatwave in 2022, the Mayor of London commissioned an independent review to take stock and make recommendations to guide London’s preparations for more extreme weather

The Review gathered evidence from individuals, communities and organisations including the NHS, Transport for London, London Fire Brigade, the Metropolitan Police, Borough Councils, the GLA, UK Government, NGOs, the financial services sector, sports and cultural institutions.

The Review’s 50 recommendations, which call for strategic, delivery, capacity building or investment actions, are directed to stakeholders across London, including the Mayor of London, UK government, local authorities and the community and voluntary sector.”

See also, Fiona Harvey, “Londoners should be charged for paving gardens, says climate resilience report,” The Guardian (17 July 2024). bit.ly/4cGTWpl

4. Reducing air pollution may help elderly people to live independent lives for longer

Boya Zhang, et al., “Source-Specific Air Pollution and Loss of Independence in Older Adults Across the US,” Environmental Health (28 June 2024). bit.ly/4d0IN2i

See also, Gary Fuller, “Lower air pollution may help preserve older people’s independence – study,” The Guardian (12 July 2024) bit.ly/4cWHjGA

Reducing air pollution may help elderly people to live independent lives for longer, research has found.

… Air pollution is linked to worse health – more lung disease, more heart disease, shorter life expectancies and more likelihood of dementia. Knowing that air pollution increases our risk of poor health as we age made us wonder if exposures might also impact how people can care for themselves in later life.

The researchers estimated that 730,000 people a year in the US lose their ability to live independently due to traffic pollution. This was approximately 15% of the total number of people who lost their independence, at an annual cost of $11.7bn (£9bn).

5.  Burning coal, peat and wood is associated with poorer mental health

Seán Lyons et al., “Long-term exposure to PM2.5 air pollution and mental health: a retrospective cohort study in Ireland,” Environmental Health (10 June 2024).  bit.ly/4bLYlGk

See also, Sarah Slater, “Burning coal, peat and wood is associated with poorer mental health, ESRI finds,” The Irish Times (16 July 2024). bit.ly/3zIxc9Y

“Burning solid fuels such as coal, peat and wood for heat over a long period is associated with poorer mental health and wellbeing in older people living in Ireland, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) findings show.

Long-term exposure to one of the most damaging forms of air pollution known as fine particulate matter or PM2.5 can also penetrate a person’s lungs, causing chronic lung disease and cancer.

There is also emerging evidence that these particles may enter the bloodstream and lead to other health conditions, the study found.

Higher annual average PM2.5 levels are significantly associated with higher depression and anxiety, the study co-authors point out.”

6.  Human and chimpanzee face-to-face communication points to shared underlying rules in communication

GalBadihi, et al., “Chimpanzee gestural exchanges share temporal structure with human language,” Current Biology (22 July 2024).  bit.ly/4ffqJn2

Humans regularly engage in efficient communicative conversations, which serve to socially align individuals.  In conversations, we take fast-paced turns using a human-universal structure of deploying and receiving signals which shows consistent timing across cultures.  We report here that chimpanzees also engage in rapid signal-to-signal turn-taking during face-to-face gestural exchanges with a similar average latency between turns to that of human conversation. This correspondence between human and chimpanzee face-to-face communication points to shared underlying rules in communication. These structures could be derived from shared ancestral mechanisms or convergent strategies that enhance coordinated interactions or manage competition for communicative ‘space’.

See also, Tanya Procyshyn, “Chimpanzees communicate in similar quick-fire fashion to humans, study shows,” The Guardian (22 July 2024).  bit.ly/3zSGK21 via @guardian

7.  Accelerating warming threatens 70 percent of the world’s workers

United Nations Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat bit.ly/3A14xNq

See also, Bob Berwyn, “UN Secretary-General Says the World Must Turbocharge the Fossil Fuel Phaseout,” Inside Climate News (25 July 2024). bit.ly/3zY2BW3

“Globally, 2.41 billion workers, 70 percent of the working population, are exposed to excessive heat, the report found. Poor people, older people and people with pre-existing health conditions, as well as pregnant women, infants and young children, are especially vulnerable to heat, and more must be done to protect them given the near-certainty of worsening heatwaves in the years ahead, the report noted, citing the IPCC.

The report emphasizes focusing on four areas: Caring for the vulnerable; protecting workers; boosting the resilience of economies and societies using data and science: and limiting the average global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

8.  Connection found between early exposure and bronchitic symptoms in adults without previous lung problem.

 Erika Garcia, et al., “Childhood Air Pollution Exposure Associated with Self-Reported Bronchitic Symptoms in Adulthood,” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (25 J8ne 2024). bit.ly/3Su8n8e

See also, Gary Fuller, “Childhood air pollution directly linked to adult lung health, study says,” The Guardian (26 July 2024). bit.ly/3Yqny5Z

Air pollution breathed in during childhood is one of the factors in adult lung health, according to a new study.

The origins of the study date back to 1992 when researchers began investigating the effects of air pollution on groups of children in California. Some of these children are now in their 40s.

The first finding was that people with higher childhood exposures to particle pollution and nitrogen dioxide had a higher likelihood of bronchitic symptoms as an adult. This relationship was strongest for those who had developed asthma and lung problems as children, meaning these people had a vulnerability that continued into adulthood.

The second finding was unexpected: a relationship existed between childhood air pollution and adult bronchitic symptoms for people who did not have lung problems as children.”

9.  A new study puts a number on the scale of unreported emissions from oil and gas companies’ investments

Patricia Pina and Renato Coelho, “The Missing GHG Emissions: How Satellite Data Can Quantify the Real Climate Risk of Oil & Gas Companies,” Clarity AI (10 July 2024).  bit.ly/4c28ezO

“While a growing number of companies disclose sustainability-related information, there are still challenges around data completeness, consistency, and transparency. For example, all publicly traded Oil & Gas companies listed in the MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Still, over 90% of these companies do not incorporate the Scope 3 emissions from their investments in their reports.

Leveraging our collaboration with Climate TRACE, we have analyzed the largest 20 companies in the Oil & Gas industry, quantifying GHG emissions from all physical assets, including their minority investments. Our research found that the relative ranking of these companies in terms of carbon intensity is significantly affected by the inclusion or exclusion of the assets they own but don’t operate.

Additionally, we assessed the impact of these “missing emissions” on the carbon footprint of a theoretical portfolio investing in the largest 20 Oil & Gas companies — the carbon footprint increases by 24% when emissions from these assets are included.”

See also, Mathilde Augustin, “Not All Companies Disclose Emissions From Their Investments, and That’s a Problem for Investors,” Inside Climate News (29 July 2024). bit.ly/4didU9K

10.  Climate change is fueling more intense heat waves, which could cause severe health impacts for athletes at Olympics.

Dan Stillman, “Weather to heat up at Paris Olympics after chance of rain at Opening Ceremonies,” The Washington Post (26 July 2024).  wapo.st/3Ympzjy

Should temperatures climb into the 90s (32 to 37 degrees Celsius), which is most probable in southern France, athletes and spectators would have to take more precautions to reduce the risk of heat illness. Paris and the rest of France have experienced multiple deadly heat waves in recent years as human-caused climate change has increased average temperatures and the frequency of hot days.

See also, Kiley Price, “At the Olympics, Heat Can Raise the Danger Bar of Competitions,” Inside Climate News (26 July 2024).