Cookies help us run our site more efficiently.

By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information or to customize your cookie preferences.

Accept Deny

GoGreenNation News

Learn more about the issues presented in our films
Show Filters

FirstEnergy seeks looser reliability rules as outages grow more common

Extreme weather is making the grid more prone to outages — and now FirstEnergy’s three Ohio utilities want more leeway on their reliability requirements. Put simply, FirstEnergy is asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to let Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co., Ohio Edison, and Toledo Edison take longer to…

Extreme weather is making the grid more prone to outages — and now FirstEnergy’s three Ohio utilities want more leeway on their reliability requirements. Put simply, FirstEnergy is asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to let Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co., Ohio Edison, and Toledo Edison take longer to restore power when the lights go out. The latter two utilities would also be allowed slightly more frequent outages per customer each year. Comments regarding the request are due to the utilities commission on Dec. 8, less than three weeks after regulators approved higher electricity rates for hundreds of thousands of northeast Ohio utility customers. An administrative trial, known as an evidentiary hearing, is currently set to start Jan. 21. Consumer and environmental advocates say it’s unfair to make customers shoulder the burden of lower-quality service, as they have already been paying for substantial grid-hardening upgrades. “Relaxing reliability standards can jeopardize the health and safety of Ohio consumers,” said Maureen Willis, head of the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, which is the state’s legal representative for utility customers. ​“It also shifts the costs of more frequent and longer outages onto Ohioans who already paid millions of dollars to utilities to enhance and develop their distribution systems.” The United States has seen a rise in blackouts linked to severe weather, a 2024 analysis by Climate Central found, with about twice as many such events happening from 2014 through 2023 compared to the 10 years from 2000 through 2009. The duration of the longest blackouts has also grown. As of mid-2025, the average length of 12.8 hours represents a jump of almost 60% from 2022, J.D. Power reported in October. Ohio regulators have approved less stringent reliability standards before, notably for AES Ohio and Duke Energy Ohio, where obligations from those or other orders required investments and other actions to improve reliability. Some utilities elsewhere in the country have also sought leeway on reliability expectations. In April, for example, two New York utilities asked to exclude some outages related to tree disease and other factors from their performance metrics, which would in effect relax their standards. Other utilities haven’t necessarily pursued lower targets, but have nonetheless noted vulnerabilities to climate change or experienced more major events that don’t count toward requirements. FirstEnergy’s case is particularly notable because the company has slow-rolled clean energy and energy efficiency, two tools that advocates say can cost-effectively bolster grid reliability and guard against weather-related outages. There is also a certain irony to the request: FirstEnergy’s embrace of fossil fuels at the expense of clean energy and efficiency measures has let its subsidiaries’ operations and others continue to emit high levels of planet-warming carbon dioxide. Now, the company appears to nod toward climate-change-driven weather variability as justification for relaxed reliability standards. FirstEnergy filed its application to the Public Utilities Commission last December, while its recently decided rate case and other cases linked to its House Bill 6 corruption scandal were pending. FirstEnergy argues that specific reliability standards for each of its utilities should start with an average of the preceding five years’ performance. From there, FirstEnergy says the state should tack on extra allowances for longer or more frequent outages to ​“account for annual variability in factors outside the Companies’ control, in particular, weather impacts that can vary significantly on a year-to-year basis.” “Honestly, I don’t know of a viable hypothesis for this increasing variability outside of climate change,” said Victoria Petryshyn, an associate professor of environmental studies at the University of Southern California, who grew up in Ohio. In summer, systems are burdened by constant air conditioning use during periods of extreme heat and humidity. In winter, frigid air masses resulting from disruptions to the jet stream can boost demand for heat and ​“cause extra strain on the grid if natural-gas lines freeze,” Petryshyn said.

Energy
Climate
Health

Colorado mandates ambitious emissions cuts for its gas utilities

Colorado just set a major new climate goal for the companies that supply homes and businesses with fossil gas. By 2035, investor-owned gas utilities must cut carbon pollution by 41% from 2015 levels, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission decided in a 2–1 vote in mid-November. The target — which builds on goals…

Colorado just set a major new climate goal for the companies that supply homes and businesses with fossil gas. By 2035, investor-owned gas utilities must cut carbon pollution by 41% from 2015 levels, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission decided in a 2–1 vote in mid-November. The target — which builds on goals already set for 2025 and 2030 — is far more consistent with the state’s aim to decarbonize by 2050 than the other proposals considered. Commissioners rejected the tepid 22% to 30% cut that utilities asked for and the 31% target that state agencies recommended. Climate advocates hailed the decision as a victory for managing a transition away from burning fossil gas in Colorado buildings. “It’s a really huge deal,” said Jim Dennison, staff attorney at the Sierra Club, one of more than 20 environmental groups that advocated for an ambitious target. ​“It’s one of the strongest commitments to tangible progress that’s been made anywhere in the country.” In 2021, Colorado passed a first-in-the-nation law requiring gas utilities to find ways to deliver heat sans the emissions. That could entail swapping gas for alternative fuels, like methane from manure or hydrogen made with renewable power. But last year the utilities commission found that the most cost-effective approaches are weatherizing buildings and outfitting them with all-electric, ultraefficient appliances such as heat pumps. These double-duty devices keep homes toasty in winter and cool in summer. The clean-heat law pushes utilities to cut emissions by 4% from 2015 levels by 2025 and then 22% by 2030. But Colorado leaves exact targets for future years up to the Public Utilities Commission. Last month’s decision on the 2035 standard marks the first time that regulators have taken up that task. Gas is still a fixture in the Centennial State. About seven out of 10 Colorado households burn the fossil fuel as their primary source for heating, which accounts for about 31% of the state’s gas use. If gas utilities hit the new 2035 mandate, they’ll avoid an estimated 45.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases over the next decade, according to an analysis by the Colorado Energy Office and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. They’d also prevent the release of hundreds more tons of nitrogen oxides and ultrafine particulates that cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems, from asthma to heart attacks. State officials predicted this would mean 58 averted premature deaths between now and 2035, nearly $1 billion in economic benefits, and $5.1 billion in avoided costs of climate change. “I think in the next five to 10 years, people will be thinking about burning fossil fuels in their home the way they now think about lead paint,” said former state Rep. Tracey Bernett, a Democrat who was the prime sponsor of the clean-heat law. Competing clean-heat targets Back in August, during proceedings to decide the 2035 target, gas utilities encouraged regulators to aim low. Citing concerns about market uptake of heat pumps and potential costs to customers, they asked for a goal as modest as 22% by 2035 — a target that wouldn’t require any progress at all in the five years after 2030. Climate advocates argued that such a weak goal would cause the state to fall short on its climate commitments. Nonprofits the Sierra Club, the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, and the Western Resource Advocates submitted a technical analysis that determined the emissions reductions the gas utilities would need to hit to align with the state’s 2050 net-zero goal: 55% by 2035, 74% by 2040, 93% by 2045, and, finally, 100% by 2050. History suggests these reductions are feasible, advocates asserted.

Business
Climate
Pollution

Birdgirl' marks decade of making nature accessible

Dr Mya-Rose Craig marks 10 years of Black2Nature and calls for wider access to nature across the UK.

'Birdgirl' marks decade of making nature accessibleOliver Edwards PhotographyDr Mya-Rose Craig says Black2Nature has helped hundreds of children over the past decadeAn environmental campaigner who founded a charity to help children from ethnic minorities access nature says the cultural landscape has "shifted" since she began her work a decade ago.Dr Mya-Rose Craig, 23, nicknamed 'Birdgirl', set up Black2Nature at the age of 13 to connect more children from Visible Minority Ethnic (VME) communities with the outdoors.Reflecting on the charity's 10th anniversary, she said the current environment feels "very different"; although there is still "a lot of progress to be made". "It's amazing to look back over the past decade of all the hundreds of kids that we've worked with," she said. "All the different activities, the lives we've changed."Dr Craig said that when she first began speaking about the lack of diversity in nature spaces, the reaction was markedly different."I remember when I first started having these conversations, people didn't want to have them with me," she said."It made them very uncomfortable. I think they didn't want to acknowledge that there was exclusion and racism. So much has shifted in the past decade. "For me, that is really exciting, because I think that is how you build a more sustainable environment, by getting everyone on board."Oliver Edwards PhotographyDr Craig says she has noticed a shift in the cultural landscape over the past decadeBlack2Nature runs camps, day trips and outdoor adventures designed to increase access for VME children, young people and families.The organisation also campaigns for greater racial diversity in the environmental sector and for equal access to green spaces.Dr Craig, who is from the Chew Valley in Somerset, said the idea to set up the charity came from a "very deep love of nature and the environment.""I strongly felt that nature was a very important resource for other kids to have access to in terms of mental and physical health," she said."A lot of these kids have never been to the countryside, so it's about breaking down those assumptions."For a lot of kids that we work with, they feel like the countryside is not a space for them."Research from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) shows that people from ethnic minorities have an average of 11 times less access to green space than others in society.For parents such as Kumar Sultana, 42, from Bristol, Black2Nature has provided opportunities her family would have otherwise missed."I'm a low-income parent and I can't afford things like camping," she explained.She added the activities have helped her children connect with the natural world and learn about sustainability.Black2NatureBlack2Nature runs camps and adventure trips for childrenMs Sultana, who has a Pakistani background, said she did not have those experiences growing up."We don't have camping in our culture and money is also a barrier to accessing it," she said."Some of the places we've been, I couldn't afford to take my kids."Black2NatureThe charity campaigns for equal access to green spacesTo mark its 10th anniversary, the charity will host a conference at the University of the West of England (UWE) on Wednesday, focusing on race equity, education and career pathways in the environmental sector.Looking ahead, Dr Craig said she hopes to see environmental organisations engage more meaningfully with diverse communities and for young people to be made aware of career prospects in that sector.She also wants wider access to nature across the UK."I'd love to see better quality of green spaces in cities. There's very often a class divide in terms of green spaces, where nicer neighbourhoods have nicer parks."

Nature
Culture
Health

‘I kept smelling a horrible nasty smell’: the risks of England’s old dumping grounds

For some, the smell brings on nausea and headaches. Others fear ‘forever chemicals’ seeping into the waterUK and Europe’s hidden landfills at risk of leaking toxic waste into water supplies“I just kept smelling this horrible, nasty smell … like animal excrement, and I was wondering what it was,” says Jess Brown, from Fleetwood, Lancashire.Brown’s mother suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and she believes the smells make it worse. She also worries for her eight-year-old daughter, whose asthma worsens when the odour seeps indoors. Continue reading...

“I just kept smelling this horrible, nasty smell … like animal excrement, and I was wondering what it was,” says Jess Brown, from Fleetwood, Lancashire.Brown’s mother suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and she believes the smells make it worse. She also worries for her eight-year-old daughter, whose asthma worsens when the odour seeps indoors.The stench was traced to the Jameson Road landfill, reopened by Transwaste Recycling & Aggregates Limited in late 2023, after the previous owners Suez stopped accepting waste in 2017. The Environment Agency says that reopening long‑inactive landfills can release gases including hydrogen sulphide, which produces a “rotten egg” odour.Determined to act, Brown launched a Facebook group that quickly drew more than 4,000 members reporting headaches, nausea, and breathing problems.Thousands of odour complaints followed, prompting an enforcement order in April 2024 to curb hydrogen sulphide emissions, which have been linked to health problems including respiratory and eye irritation, as well as neurological and cardiovascular effects.Jess Brown and her mother Janice. Jess believes the smell from Jameson Road landfill exacerbates her mother’s chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Photograph: Jess BrownAfter partial compliance, Transwaste resumed tipping at the site, which sits in an erosion and flood zone on the banks of the protected River Wyre. This prompted a second enforcement order six weeks after the first.In March this year, the company’s licence was suspended until new gas extraction infrastructure was installed. This took place in April, and topsoil is still being added to the site to reduce emissions. The Environment Agency says pollutant levels generally remain within health limits, though odours continue to cause discomfort.Barbara Kneale, a retired doctor who lives near the site, said: “Fleetwood is classed as a deprived area and has twice the national average of chronic respiratory diseases … people with diseases, like asthma or chronic obstructive airways have exacerbations of their symptoms. Kids haven’t been able to play out.”Nor is air quality the only concern. The Guardian and Watershed Investigations found waste legally dumped at Jameson Road landfill by AGC Chemicals until 2014 contained the potentially carcinogenic “forever chemical” perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has since been banned. The site also borders a former ICI landfill, which is thought to have received PFOA waste for decades.Retired doctor and Fleetwood resident Barbara Kneale outside Jameson Road landfill. Photograph: Barbara KnealeSampling of water next to both landfills carried out by Watershed suggested the sites are leaching forever chemicals, more properly known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), into the Wyre.David Megson of Manchester Metropolitan University said: “These PFAS results are a cause for concern, with concentrations of PFOA 5-10 times above environmental quality standards. This would indicate that those landfill sites do contain PFAS, and that [they] are leaking out.“The landfills are situated right next to the coast, so with increasing sea levels there is concern that the situation could get worse.”Someone familiar with ICI’s chlorine-producing Hillhouse site on the edge of Fleetwood in the 1970s, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “Effluent from different parts of Hillhouse was disposed of in the ICI landfill. It was massive.“It was a system of open, shallow lagoons. One was a lake of acid. Parts of the waste was liquid sludge and some white solids went in there … There was no lining in the landfill.”Though a multi-agency probe into AGC Chemicals found PFOA in nearby soil and warned against eating local produce, the landfill itself remains excluded from investigation. The Environment Agency says it will act only if there is evidence not only that contaminants are present in hazardous amounts but also that they could likely spread harmfully.Jameson Road landfill is expected to operate until 2027. Photograph: Leana HoseaHowever, the community wants the site shut as soon as possible, even if it risks a repeat of the situation at Walleys Quarry landfill in Staffordshire. Here, the operator went bust and sidestepped costs after a closure order, leaving the Environment Agency responsible for managing the site.“I think it will be the same situation even if it closes when it’s meant to,” Brown says, referring to the end of Transwaste’s lease in 2027. “It’ll be left to the Environment Agency or the taxpayer [to foot the bill for long-term management].“It’ll probably be an issue for years to come, but it’s better to close it now than add more and more damage to what’s already going to happen.”skip past newsletter promotionThe planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essentialPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionAccording to Transwaste, the older hazardous landfill is closed and capped with an impermeable layer of clay, meaning gas and leachate (liquid that has percolated through the waste) is fully contained, and the only run-off would be uncontaminated rainwater.It said: “To claim that there have been odours for 18 months is not correct. We acknowledge that there have been occasional odours which have coincided with essential engineering works on site.“The ongoing Environment Agency air quality monitoring survey concluded that emissions were largely insignificant and air quality is well within WHO [World Health Organisation] and UK regulatory safety standards.”In reference to the sampling that found PFOA, Transwaste said the tests were carried out in a spot regularly covered by the River Wyre, which is known to already have high levels of PFOA contamination as a legacy of the chemicals industry, “so a PFOA reading is not unexpected”.It added: “To put this into context, the test result showed 560 nanograms per litre (ng/l), whereas the River Wyre, when tested in 2021, had levels of PFAS/PFOA measured at 12,100 ng/l, with fish in the river containing 11,000 ng/l.”Transwaste said that the area had been used as settlement lagoons for the chemicals industry since the 1940s, before being used for landfill, and so “again, PFAS/PFOA readings would not be unexpected in the vicinity”.NPL Group, which manages the former ICI landfill, declined to comment.Wyre Borough Council said: “There are no plans to renew the lease held by Transwaste Recycling and Aggregates Ltd beyond its current lifespan, which is due to end in March 2027. Transwaste is legally obligated to remediate the site as part of its planning consent.”Paul Jackson lives next to a former landfill site in Cheshire. Photograph: suppliedElsewhere, there are concerns that older landfills predating pollution laws may also contaminate groundwater, rivers and even drinking water.At the former Commonside landfill in Cheshire last year, levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), which have been linked to immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine harm, were found to be 1,000 times above UK norms. PCBs have polluted the area’s streams since the 1970s and, despite a fine being issued to the site’s owner in 1994, no cleanup followed. The council is now reassessing the site.“It’s a sham,” says local farmer Paul Jackson, who lives next door to the Commonside landfill, which closed in the 1970s. “There’s three quarters of a million tonnes of chemicals, rubble and waste, and 50 different chemicals that’ve been tipped in there.” He added that sludge regularly comes off the tip, causing him to worry it could pollute the drinking water.United Utilities, which manages water supply in the north-west, said water quality has remained good. It added: “Since being made aware of concerns about PCBs [in the area], we have conducted enhanced testing, these were also clear. We will continue to carry out these additional tests.”

Animals
Chemicals
Waste

UK and Europe’s hidden landfills at risk of leaking toxic waste into water supplies

Exclusive: Rising flood risks driven by climate change could release chemicals from ageing sites – posing threats to ecosystems‘I kept smelling a horrible nasty smell’: the risks of England’s old dumping groundsThousands of landfills across the UK and Europe sit in floodplains, posing a potential threat to drinking water and conservation areas if toxic waste is released into rivers, soils and ecosystems, it can be revealed.The findings are the result of the first continent-wide mapping of landfills, conducted by the Guardian, Watershed Investigations and Investigate Europe.Disclaimer: This dataset may contain duplicate records. Duplicates can arise from multiple data sources, repeated entries, or variations in data collection processes. While efforts have been made to identify and reduce duplication, some records may remain. Continue reading...

Thousands of landfills across the UK and Europe sit in floodplains, posing a potential threat to drinking water and conservation areas if toxic waste is released into rivers, soils and ecosystems, it can be revealed.The findings are the result of the first continent-wide mapping of landfills, conducted by the Guardian, Watershed Investigations and Investigate Europe.Patrick Byrne, of Liverpool John Moores University, said: “With increasing frequency and magnitudes of floods and erosion from climate change, there’s a greater risk of these wastes washing into our environment.“This includes physical waste like plastics and building materials, but also toxic metals and chemicals such as Pfas [‘forever chemicals’] and PCBs [polychlorinated biphenyls].”Kate Spencer, professor of environmental geochemistry at Queen Mary University, said: “We’ve identified wide-ranging wastes at an eroding coastal landfill [in Tilbury] including what looked like hospital blood bags, and we are talking about tens of thousands of sites that if they aren’t lined and are at flood risk, then there’s multiple ways for it to get into groundwater, surface water and the food chain.”Across the EU there are estimated to be up to 500,000 landfills. Roughly 90% of them, including 22,000 sites in the UK, predate pollution control regulations such as landfill linings to prevent leaching. Modern landfills which are well managed are likely to pose a low risk.More than 61,000 landfills have been identified across Europe, with 28% located in areas vulnerable to flooding. Modelling indicates the true number of flood‑risk sites could be as high as 140,000. This mapping effort, based on requests for landfill data from 10 countries and supplemented with open-source information, highlights a deeper issue: EU institutions lack centralised landfill records, while data from individual member states remains fragmented, inconsistent and often inaccessible.“We have inadequate records, differences in ways of categorising these sites and that makes it really difficult to deal with,” said Spencer.“It’s the worst possible scenario. Most landfills will be fine, but you only need a small number of sites which contain very toxic chemicals to be a problem. We just don’t know which ones.”More than half of the mapped landfills are in areas where groundwater fails to meet chemical quality standards, suggesting the landfills may in some cases have contributed to the contamination.The EU landfill directive, adopted in 1999, banned unlined landfills and created strict waste acceptance criteria. But before this there were few or no pollution containment measures.Many older sites across the UK and Europe were built before modern protections. Photograph: Ashley Cooper/Global Warming Images/Alamy“There could be many other sources of pollution, such as farming and industry, but one of the main ways chemicals migrate away from landfills is through groundwater,” said Byrne.Byrne found leachate leaking from the historic landfill at Newgate nature reserve in Wilmslow, Cheshire, into a small stream. His tests found toxic Pfas “forever chemicals” at 20 times the acceptable levels for drinking water. In Greece, tests found levels of Pfas many times above drinking water standards, as well as mercury and cadmium leaching into the Nedontas river from the former Maratholaka landfill site in the Taygetos mountains, which are visited by thousands of hikers every year. The local mayor of Kalamata says the site has ceased to operate since June 2023 and that “there is currently no evidence or data to substantiate any environmental impact from the operation of the site”.Some of these waters could be sources of drinking water and analysis found almost 10,000 landfills in drinking water zones in France, the UK, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. More than 4,000 of these are historic landfills in England and Wales and are therefore unlikely to have pollution controls. It was not possible to confirm whether landfills in Europe predated regulations or not.“We don’t and won’t know how much risk to human health and our drinking water there is until you can identify where all the landfills are, what is in them, whether they’re leaching and if treatment processes are filtering them out” said Byrne.A spokesperson for the European Commission said that “under the drinking water directive the quality of the water has to be ensured ‘at the tap’ in the whole EU. The directive includes several parameters to be monitored and the corresponding limit values have to be complied with. In case of exceedances of these limit values, member states must ensure that the necessary remedial action is taken.”In the UK, water companies undertake risk assessments and monitoring of their public water abstractions under regulatory guidelines.Landfills that are most visibly at risk of exposure are those along the coast. The analysis found 335 landfills in coastal erosion zones in England, Wales and France, and 258 landfills across Europe within 200 metres of the coast, which could be at risk of erosion or exposure from storm surges.“This is the tip of the iceberg,” said Spencer, who is helping the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to rank the most high-risk landfills out of 1,200 identified priority sites in England and Wales. She tested two eroding landfills on the coast and found Lynemouth in the north-east released elevated concentrations of arsenic, and Lyme Regis in the south-west discharged high levels of lead, both of which could cause ecological harm.“We now need to understand the potential risks of climate change and associated pollution release at all our historic landfill sites, not just the coastal ones,” she said, adding that money will be needed to tackle these sites.skip past newsletter promotionThe planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essentialPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotion“Essentially we are all living on a garbage dump,” said Spencer, who explained that about 80% of the British population lives within 2km of known landfill sites, and disproportionately in the most deprived parts of the country.A report from the UK’s Health Security Agency last year concluded that living close to a well-managed municipal active or closed landfill site does not pose a significant risk to human health, although the picture for historic sites is less clear due to the lack of data.Wildlife may also be at risk, as more than 2,000 European landfills are in protected conservation areas.“We know plastics are accumulating in wildlife, humans and environments and there’s emerging evidence of negative health impacts,” said Byrne.“A key thing with chemical pollution is where the chemical leachate goes. We have important wetlands around these areas, so if the leachate goes there it could accumulate in wildlife.”Illegal waste dumping is also a significant problem, which Europol has identified as one of Europe’s fastest-growing areas of organised crime. In February, Croatian authorities arrested 13 people suspected of illegally dumping at least 35,000 tonnes of waste from Italy, Slovenia and Germany in Croatia, generating a profit of at least €4m for the criminals.In England, Environment Agency data shows 137 open investigations into illegal dumps, involving more than 1m cubic metres of material.In the Campania region of southern Italy, illegal toxic waste dumping by the mafia has been blamed for the increased death and disease rates in the area.In England and Wales, at the current pace of use our remaining landfill capacity could run out in about 2050. New sites often face environmental concerns and public opposition.An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Our job is to protect people and the environment, and we are working closely with the landfill industry, water companies and across government to better understand the impacts from Pfas chemicals in landfills.“Environment Agency teams are undertaking a multi-year programme to improve evidence about the sources of Pfas pollution in England. Alongside this, we are also running further studies to investigate the potential contribution of Pfas in landfill leachate to a limited number of sewage works.”A Defra spokesperson said: “We want to prevent waste from occurring in the first place, but where waste occurs, we need to manage it in the most appropriate way.“We are committed to reducing the amount of waste being sent to landfill, supported through our collection and packaging reforms. Alongside this, the forthcoming circular economy growth plan will outline measures to drive greater reuse and recycling, safeguarding the value of our resources and preventing the nation’s waste going to landfill.” Disclaimer: This dataset may contain duplicate records. Duplicates can arise from multiple data sources, repeated entries, or variations in data collection processes. While efforts have been made to identify and reduce duplication, some records may remain.

Waste
Water
Climate

People living along polluted Thames file legal complaint to force water firm to act

Residents claim raw sewage and poorly treated effluent as result of Thames Water’s failings are threat to healthCommunities across south-east England are filing the first coordinated legal complaints that sewage pollution by Thames Water negatively affects their lives.Thames Water failed to complete upgrades to 98 treatment plants and pumping stations which have the worst records for sewage pollution into the environment, despite a promise to invest in them over the last five years. Continue reading...

Communities across south-east England are filing the first coordinated legal complaints that sewage pollution by Thames Water negatively affects their lives.Thames Water failed to complete upgrades to 98 treatment plants and pumping stations which have the worst records for sewage pollution into the environment, despite a promise to invest in them over the last five years.People in 13 areas including Hackney, Oxford, Richmond upon Thames and Wokingham are sending statutory nuisance complaints to their local authorities demanding accountability from Thames Water and urgent action.At several sites it is not just raw sewage from storm overflows that causes pollution but also the quality of treated effluent coming from Thames Water facilities, which presents a direct threat to public health, the campaigners say.At Thames’s Newbury sewage treatment plant, raw effluent discharges into the River Kennet, a protected chalk stream. Data shows raw sewage discharges from the plant increased by 240% between 2019 and 2024 from 482 hours to 1,630 hours. Thames says the plant is among its 26 most polluting sites.Thames wants the water regulator, Ofwat, to allow it to charge customers £1.18bn over the next five years for the upgrades it has failed to carry out. But the regulator has refused to let it pass the full cost on to customers, allowing only £793m, as it deems bill payers have already funded the upgrades. It says any escalation of costs should be borne by Thames Water.With the company failing to act, people living in the catchment are turning to statutory nuisance complaints under section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In letters to their local authorities, they are asking for decisive action by Thames to stop its sewage pollution that is causing harm along the river.A statutory nuisance is an activity that unreasonably interferes with the use or enjoyment of land and is likely to cause prejudice or injury to health.Those living in the area say sewage pollution from Thames’s failing sites and infrastructure has made rivers unsafe and disrupted recreation, sport, local businesses and everyday enjoyment.They cite a 16-year-old rower from Henley rowing club who became unwell after training on the river; tests confirmed he had contracted E coli. His illness coincided with his GCSE exams, preventing him from revising and sitting some papers.In West Berkshire, people are highlighting the case of a kayaker who capsized and became unwell over the following days. And at Tagg’s Island in Hampton, south-west London, five children became ill after playing in the River Thames near Hurst Park.Laura Reineke, who lives in Henley-on-Thames and founded the campaign group Friends of the Thames, said: “People here are fed up with living beside a river that’s being treated like an open sewer. We’ve submitted a nuisance complaint to our local authority because what Thames Water is doing is unacceptable.”Citizen testing of the river has found treated effluent leaving the Henley plant has contained E coli at levels 30 times higher than bathing water safe levels, calculated using Thames Water’s data released under an environmental information request.“Local residents are angry and determined to hold this company accountable for the damage it’s causing to our river and our community,” Reineke said.Thames has already received a record £104m fine by Ofwat over environmental breaches involving sewage spills across its network, after failing to operate and manage its treatment works and wastewater networks effectively.Amy Fairman, the head of campaigns at River Action, which is supporting the coordinated complaints, said: “This action is about fixing sewage pollution in the Thames for good, not compensating people for past failings.“Each local authority must investigate these complaints and, where statutory nuisance is found to exist, issue an abatement notice and take enforcement action. Councils now have a legal duty to act.”She said there was extensive evidence of performance failures at Thames Water, which was on the brink of insolvency. Despite this ministers had not put the company into special administration, a process that would allow for urgent infrastructure upgrades, put public interest ownership and governance first, and protect communities and the environment.Thames Water was approached for comment.

Water
Health
Pollution

MIT Sea Grant students explore the intersection of technology and offshore aquaculture in Norway

AquaCulture Shock program, in collaboration with MIT-Scandinavia MISTI, offers international internships for AI and autonomy in aquaculture

Norway is the world’s largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon and a top exporter of seafood, while the United States remains the largest importer of these products, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Two MIT students recently traveled to Trondheim, Norway to explore the cutting-edge technologies being developed and deployed in offshore aquaculture. Beckett Devoe, a senior in artificial intelligence and decision-making, and Tony Tang, a junior in mechanical engineering, first worked with MIT Sea Grant through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). They contributed to projects focusing on wave generator design and machine learning applications for analyzing oyster larvae health in hatcheries. While near-shore aquaculture is a well-established industry across Massachusetts and the United States, open-ocean farming is still a nascent field here, facing unique and complex challenges. To help better understand this emerging industry, MIT Sea Grant created a collaborative initiative, AquaCulture Shock, with funding from an Aquaculture Technologies and Education Travel Grant through the National Sea Grant College Program. Collaborating with the MIT-Scandinavia MISTI (MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives) program, MIT Sea Grant matched Devoe and Tang with aquaculture-related summer internships at SINTEF Ocean, one of the largest research institutes in Europe. “The opportunity to work on this hands-on aquaculture project, under a world-renowned research institution, in an area of the world known for its innovation in marine technology — this is what MISTI is all about,” says Madeline Smith, managing director for MIT-Scandinavia. “Not only are students gaining valuable experience in their fields of study, but they’re developing cultural understanding and skills that equip them to be future global leaders.” Both students worked within SINTEF Ocean’s Aquaculture Robotics and Autonomous Systems Laboratory (ACE-Robotic Lab), a facility designed to develop and test new aquaculture technologies. “Norway has this unique geography where it has all of these fjords,” says Sveinung Ohrem, research manager for the Aquaculture Robotics and Automation Group at SINTEF Ocean. “So you have a lot of sheltered waters, which makes it ideal to do sea-based aquaculture.” He estimates that there are about a thousand fish farms along Norway’s coast, and walks through some of the tools being used in the industry: decision-making systems to gather and visualize data for the farmers and operators; robots for inspection and cleaning; environmental sensors to measure oxygen, temperature, and currents; echosounders that send out acoustic signals to track where the fish are; and cameras to help estimate biomass and fine-tune feeding. “Feeding is a huge challenge,” he notes. “Feed is the largest cost, by far, so optimizing feeding leads to a very significant decrease in your cost.”During the internship, Devoe focused on a project that uses AI for fish feeding optimization. “I try to look at the different features of the farm — so maybe how big the fish are, or how cold the water is ... and use that to try to give the farmers an optimal feeding amount for the best outcomes, while also saving money on feed,” he explains. “It was good to learn some more machine learning techniques and just get better at that on a real-world project.” In the same lab, Tang worked on the simulation of an underwater vehicle-manipulator system to navigate farms and repair damage on cage nets with a robotic arm. Ohrem says there are thousands of aquaculture robots operating in Norway today. “The scale is huge,” he says. “You can’t have 8,000 people controlling 8,000 robots — that’s not economically or practically feasible. So the level of autonomy in all of these robots needs to be increased.”The collaboration between MIT and SINTEF Ocean began in 2023 when MIT Sea Grant hosted Eleni Kelasidi, a visiting research scientist from the ACE-Robotic Lab. Kelasidi collaborated with MIT Sea Grant director Michael Triantafyllou and professor of mechanical engineering Themistoklis Sapsis developing controllers, models, and underwater vehicles for aquaculture, while also investigating fish-machine interactions. “We have had a long and fruitful collaboration with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and SINTEF, which continues with important efforts such as the aquaculture project with Dr. Kelasidi,” Triantafyllou says. “Norway is at the forefront of offshore aquaculture and MIT Sea Grant is investing in this field, so we anticipate great results from the collaboration.”Kelasidi, who is now a professor at NTNU, also leads the Field Robotics Lab, focusing on developing resilient robotic systems to operate in very complex and harsh environments. “Aquaculture is one of the most challenging field domains we can demonstrate any autonomous solutions, because everything is moving,” she says. Kelasidi describes aquaculture as a deeply interdisciplinary field, requiring more students with backgrounds both in biology and technology. “We cannot develop technologies that are applied for industries where we don’t have biological components,” she explains, “and then apply them somewhere where we have a live fish or other live organisms.” Ohrem affirms that maintaining fish welfare is the primary driver for researchers and companies operating in aquaculture, especially as the industry continues to grow. “So the big question is,” he says, “how can you ensure that?” SINTEF Ocean has four research licenses for farming fish, which they operate through a collaboration with SalMar, the second-largest salmon farmer in the world. The students had the opportunity to visit one of the industrial-scale farms, Singsholmen, on the island of Hitra. The farm has 10 large, round net pens about 50 meters across that extend deep below the surface, each holding up to 200,000 salmon. “I got to physically touch the nets and see how the [robotic] arm might be able to fix the net,” says Tang. Kelasidi emphasizes that the information gained in the field cannot be learned from the office or lab. “That opens up and makes you realize, what is the scale of the challenges, or the scale of the facilities,” she says. She also highlights the importance of international and institutional collaboration to advance this field of research and develop more resilient robotic systems. “We need to try to target that problem, and let’s solve it together.”MIT Sea Grant and the MIT-Scandinavia MISTI program are currently recruiting a new cohort of four MIT students to intern in Norway this summer with institutes advancing offshore farming technologies, including NTNU’s Field Robotics Lab in Trondheim. Students interested in autonomy, deep learning, simulation modeling, underwater robotic systems, and other aquaculture-related areas are encouraged to reach out to Lily Keyes at MIT Sea Grant.

Technology
Agriculture
Food

Mass Die-Off in Costa Rica’s Madre de Dios Lagoon Sparks Alarm

A wave of dead fish, birds and reptiles has washed up along the canals and beaches linked to Madre de Dios Lagoon, signaling a fresh environmental crisis in this key biodiversity zone on Costa Rica’s Caribbean side. Local residents and tourism operators report seeing hundreds of snook, snapper, tilapia, seagulls and even crocodiles floating lifeless […] The post Mass Die-Off in Costa Rica’s Madre de Dios Lagoon Sparks Alarm appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

A wave of dead fish, birds and reptiles has washed up along the canals and beaches linked to Madre de Dios Lagoon, signaling a fresh environmental crisis in this key biodiversity zone on Costa Rica’s Caribbean side. Local residents and tourism operators report seeing hundreds of snook, snapper, tilapia, seagulls and even crocodiles floating lifeless in the waters. The die-off, which started about eight or nine days ago, has intensified in recent days, with larger species now affected. Julio Knight, a tourism business owner in the area, has documented the scene through photos and videos. He points to chemical runoff from upstream banana plantations as the main cause. “This happens year after year,” Knight said. “Heavy rains carry the pesticides downstream, and now it’s spreading to places like the Batán Canal.” The timing adds to the concern, as many fish species enter the lagoon to spawn during this period. Fishermen and community members express fear over the impact on local wildlife and their livelihoods. “People see the dead alligators and birds and wonder what’s next,” Knight added. Authorities have received alerts about the situation. Reports went to the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Matina municipality. Some locals also contacted the Presidential House and Health Minister Mary Munive, though no immediate actions have been confirmed. This is not the first such event in Madre de Dios. Records date back to 2003, when a spill of 20,000 liters of fungicide from the nearby 24 Millas airport contaminated waterways. Since then, similar die-offs have occurred multiple times, often tied to agricultural practices in the region. Environmental groups and researchers note that banana farms use various agrochemicals, which can enter rivers during storms. A study from the Regional Institute for the Study of Toxic Substances at the National University highlights how these substances harm aquatic life, leading to repeated mass kills. In May 2025, a similar incident struck Madre de Dios and the nearby Santa Marta Lagoon, where thousands of fish died over several days. Fishermen there reported losses in catches and called for investigations into plantation operations. That event, the third in eight months at the time, prompted temporary fishing bans and water testing. Now, with the latest outbreak, calls grow for a permanent response plan. Advocates push for stricter regulations on chemical use and better monitoring of runoff. “We need protocols to handle these disasters and prevent them,” said one local activist involved in past complaints. The Caribbean coast’s ecosystems support tourism, fishing and conservation efforts. Madre de Dios Lagoon forms part of the Tortuguero National Park area, home to endangered species and a draw for eco-tourists. Continued pollution threatens not just wildlife but also jobs in the sector. Officials from SINAC say they are looking into the reports, with teams possibly sampling water soon. The Health Ministry advises avoiding contact with affected areas until tests confirm safety. As rains persist, residents watch the waters closely. Knight and others plan to keep sharing updates to pressure for change. For now, the lagoon’s once-teeming life remains under threat from this ongoing issue. The post Mass Die-Off in Costa Rica’s Madre de Dios Lagoon Sparks Alarm appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

Crisis
Activism
Chemicals

Gold clam invasion in NZ threatens drinking water for millions of people

The invasion threatens more than water. Clams could foul dam intakes and reduce hydroelectric efficiency in a river that generates 13% of New Zealand’s power.

Michele Melchior, CC BY-NDAs a geochemist studying New Zealand’s freshwater systems, I’ve spent years tracking the subtle chemical shifts in our rivers and lakes. But nothing prepared me for the rapid transformation unfolding in the Waikato River since the invasion of the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea, also known as the freshwater gold clam). First detected in May 2023 in Lake Karāpiro, a reservoir lake on the Waikato, this bivalve is now altering the river’s chemistry in ways that could jeopardise drinking water for up to two million people, disrupt hydroelectric power and undermine decades of ecosystem restoration efforts. Our team’s work reveals how these clams are depleting essential minerals like calcium from the water, impairing arsenic removal during treatment and signalling a rapid escalation with broader impacts ahead. Gold clams now dominate the river bed in many areas, with densities exceeding 1,000 individuals per square metre. Michele Melchior, CC BY-ND Native to eastern Asia, the gold clam can self-fertilise and spreads via contaminated gear, birds or floods. Climate change will likely accelerate its invasion. The problem is already spreading quickly beyond the Waikato River. A recent detection in a Taranaki lake has led to waterway closures. And warnings for the Whanganui River underscore the urgent need for national vigilance. A silent invasion with big consequences The Waikato River stretches 425 km from Lake Taupō to the Tasman Sea, powering nine hydroelectric dams and supplying drinking water to Auckland, Hamilton and beyond. It’s a taonga (cultural treasure) central to Māori identity and the subject of a landmark restoration strategy, Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato, that aims to revive the river’s mauri (life force). In late 2024, arsenic levels in treated Waikato water briefly exceeded safe limits of 0.01 milligrams per litre (mg/L), triggering alarms at treatment plants. Investigations ruled out typical culprits such as geothermal spikes. Instead, our analysis points to the clams. By filtering water and building calcium carbonate shells, the clams are drawing down dissolved calcium by 25% below historical norms. But calcium is crucial for water treatment processes because it helps bind and remove contaminants such as arsenic. Our modelling estimates the clams are forming up to 30 tonnes of calcium carbonate daily in Lake Karāpiro alone. This suggests lake-wide densities averaging around 300 individuals per square metre. 2025 surveys show hotspots with up to 1,134 clams per square metre. The result? Impaired arsenic removal. Without stable calcium, flocs (clumps of particles) don’t form properly, letting arsenic slip through. While the exceedances were short-lived and contained through quick adjustments, they exposed vulnerabilities in a system optimised for historically consistent river chemistry. Field teams survey the rapidly expanding population of freshwater gold clams in the Waikato River. Michele Melchior, CC BY-ND How the clams are changing the river The gold clam isn’t just a filter-feeder; it’s an ecosystem engineer. Each clam can process up to a litre of water per hour, sequestering calcium for shells while releasing ammonia and bicarbonate. Our data from 2024-2025, collected at multiple sites, show these shifts are most pronounced in deeper waters. Statistical tests confirm patterns absent in pre-invasion records. Longer residence times in the reservoir lake (up to seven days) exacerbate the issue. Faster flushing correlates with higher growth rates, as clams ramp up activity. But prolonged retention in warmer months can lead to hypoxia (low oxygen), with the potential to trigger mass die-offs that release toxins or mobilise sediment-bound arsenic. Lake Karāpiro water column temperature and dissolved oxygen levels (from November 2024 to October 2025) show oxygen depletion in deep water during warmer summer conditions, likely exacerbated by the gold clam. Author provided, CC BY-NC-ND These changes threaten more than water treatment. Clams could biofoul dam intakes and reduce hydroelectric efficiency in a river that generates 13% of New Zealand’s power (25% at peak). Native species like kākahi (freshwater mussels) face competition and shifts in nutrient cycling could fuel algal blooms, clashing with restoration goals. Climate risks and stressors in a warming world Amid these ongoing changes, climate projections indicate that hot, dry events – such as prolonged heatwaves or droughts – are likely to become more frequent. Such conditions could reduce river flows and elevate water temperatures, lowering dissolved oxygen levels and creating low-oxygen zones. If clam densities continue to rise exponentially, a mass die-off might occur. This would release pulses of ammonia and organic matter that further deplete dissolved oxygen. This, in turn, could promote arsenic mobilisation from sediments and harmful algal blooms in nutrient-enriched, stagnant waters. This could necessitate supply restrictions for affected communities. Ecologically, it might kill fish and disrupt native biodiversity. Economically, it could interrupt industries reliant on the river. From the Waikato to a nationwide threat The invasion isn’t contained. The clam, which can produce up to 70,000 juveniles annually, thrives in warm, nutrient-rich waters. It is notoriously hard to eradicate once established. In mid-November, the Taranaki Regional Council confirmed the gold clam in Lake Rotomanu. Just days later, warnings were issued to boaties on the Whanganui River, urging rigorous “check, clean, dry” protocols. Without intervention, the clams could reach other systems, including the Clutha or Waitaki, and compound pressures on New Zealand’s already stressed freshwaters. Our research highlights the need for integrated action. Monitoring should expand, incorporating environmental DNA for early detection and calcium isotope tracing to pinpoint clam impacts. Water providers could trial calcium dosing during peak growth periods. But solutions must honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles. Collaboration with iwi and blending mātauranga Māori (indigenous knowledge) with science, such as using tikanga indicators for water health, is essential. Biosecurity measures including gear decontamination campaigns are critical to slow spread. Field teams are counting invasive gold clams on the banks of the Waikato River. Michele Melchior, CC BY-ND This invasion intersects with New Zealand’s evolving water policy framework, particularly the Local Water Done Well regime which replaced the repealed Three Waters reforms in late 2023. Councils are now implementing delivery plans and focusing on financial sustainability and infrastructure upgrades. The Water Services Authority Taumata Arawai continues as the national regulator, enforcing standards amid an estimated NZ$185-260 billion infrastructure deficit. Recent government announcements propose further streamlining, including replacing regional councils with panels of mayors or territories boards, while encouraging amalgamations to simplify planning and infrastructure delivery. These changes aim to make local government more cost-effective and responsive to issues such as housing growth and infrastructure funding. But a hot or dry event could test the effectiveness of water policy, potentially straining inter-council coordination for shared resources such as the Waikato River and highlighting gaps in emergency response. Globally, the gold clam has cost billions in damages. New Zealand can’t afford to wait. By acting now, we can protect Te Awa o Waikato and safeguard water security for generations. Adam Hartland receives funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment via grant LVLX2302.

Water
Business
Climate

11 Foods Experts Say Can Boost Your Brain Health And Help Ward Off Dementia

“Proper nutrition is the foundation upon which our mental acuity and vitality rest."

Chris Stein via Getty ImagesBroccoli contains sulforaphane, which has been linked to reduced inflammation and improved brain health.Most people know which foods to avoid for a healthy heart. Yet, do you often think about the foods you eat and how they affect the brain? It’s been scientifically proven that diet can influence brain health. “The brain represents about 2% of our body weight, but it consumes about 20% of all of our calories,” said Dr. Robert Melillo, a brain researcher, clinician, autism expert, and founder of The Melillo Center in Long Island, New York. “The brain uses more calories than any other organ in our body; what we eat can have a big impact on our brain.”Diet and nutrition are essential to keep the brain healthy. “Proper nutrition is the foundation upon which our mental acuity and vitality rest,” said Dr. Brett Osborn, a board-certified neurosurgeon and the chief of neurosurgery at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Jupiter, Florida. “Just as we care for our bodies through exercise and a balanced diet, nurturing our brains through the right foods is essential for a vibrant and youthful mind.”Although scientists still don’t know what causes Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia, many think diet and environmental factors play a role. One study in the journal Neurology, published in November 2022, showed that increasing foods high in flavonoids showed it lowered the chances of developing dementia. “The two major groups of factors driving Alzheimer’s are reduced energetics —blood flow, oxygen saturation, mitochondrial function and ketones — and increased inflammation from various pathogens, toxins and metabolic disease,” explained Dr. Dale Bredesen, a neuroscience researcher and neurodegenerative disease expert. “Diet and environmental factors impact both energetics and inflammation, by multiple mechanisms, and therefore play key roles in both Alzheimer’s and treating cognitive decline.”According to Dr. Philip Gold, the chief of neuroendocrine research and senior investigator at the National Institute of Mental Health, “The key positive environmental influences include exercise, which is extremely important, level of education, and cognitive ‘exercise’ throughout life.” Getting sufficient sleep is also key. “Adequate sleep is also critical because, in part, it is during sleep that the brain repairs itself,” he said. Regularly eating foods that are not good for you can have negative consequences on both the body and the brain. “An unhealthy diet may negatively impact gut microbiota, leading to inflammation and potentially influencing the brain,” Osborn said. “Obese people ― most of whom have an unhealthy gut microbiome ― are at a marked risk for the development of Alzheimer’s dementia,” he added.So which foods are the most beneficial for brain health? The experts break it down below.Claudia Totir via Getty ImagesGood news for fans of avocado toast (and eggs!).AvocadoLove eating guacamole, mashing avocado on toast or dicing it into a salad or rice bowl? Avocados have healthy monounsaturated fats, and according to Bredesen, “These help to reduce vascular disease, and provide excellent energy for the brain, without the problems associated with simple carbs or saturated fats.”BroccoliWhether you like broccoli steamed with melted cheese on top, in stir-fries or as a veggie you sneak into your smoothie, you may want to find more ways to enjoy this crunchy vegetable. “Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that contains compounds like sulforaphane, which have been linked to reduced inflammation and improved brain health,” Osborn said. A 2019 study published in the journal Brain Circulation shows sulforaphane is an important antioxidant, and has anti-inflammatory properties that shows potential to protect the nervous system and reduce the burden of pervasive diseases on the body. BlueberriesIf you like to add blueberries to your morning bowl of yogurt, your brain will thank you. “Blueberries contain flavonoids, which are neuroprotective and have been shown to increase neuroplasticity and cerebral blood flow,” said Lynn A. Schaefer, Ph.D, a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist in Long Island. A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study published in Nutritional Neuroscience in 2022 showed older adults who consumed wild blueberries had an increase in processing speed, suggesting blueberries may slow down cognitive decline.And these small berries are full of antioxidants, including anthocyanins. Osborn says anthocyanins can “help protect the brain from oxidative stress and inflammation.” He eats blueberries daily, either in a smoothie or on top of a salad.EggsEggs are known for being a good protein option, especially for those who are vegetarian or follow a plant-based diet. And there’s another reason to celebrate eggs: the yolk contains choline. Choline is an essential nutrient and important to produce acetylcholine. “Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that is very important for the parasympathetic nervous system, and important for memory,” Melillo explained. Choline is found in different foods, but the highest concentration is in egg yolks. According to Gold, “Critical to normal cognition, acetylcholine neurotransmission is pronouncedly decreased in Alzheimer’s disease.”Claudia Totir via Getty ImagesSalmon is a fatty fish that's high in omega-3 fatty acids.Fatty fishSalmon, sardines and mackerel are examples of fatty fish that contain omega-3 fatty acid. “These essential fats are crucial for maintaining brain health and have been linked to improved memory, mood regulation, and reduced risk of cognitive decline,” Osborn said. Omega-3 fatty acids are also important for creating new nerve cells and protecting brain cells from damage, according to Gold. Leafy greensDoctors and nutritionists encourage patients to eat more leafy greens because they are packed with nutrients. “Leafy greens such as spinach and kale are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants,” Osborn said. “They promote healthy brain function by reducing inflammation and improving cognitive performance.” Magnesium is an important mineral in leafy greens — Melillo says it helps relax the body, lowering blood pressure and the effects of stress. TunaTuna is a low-fat fish and contains the amino acid tyrosine, an important component for producing neurotransmitters in the brain. “Tyrosine is used for making dopamine and norepinephrine, two of the main neurotransmitters in the brain,” Melillo explained. “Dopamine is more of a left brain neurotransmitter and norepinephrine is more of a right brain neurotransmitter.” Tuna also contains high concentrations of creatine. “Creatine facilitates the entry of water into brain and muscle cells to prevent their dehydration,” Gold said. TurmericSpices provide plenty of flavor and as a bonus can have important compounds that the body needs. Turmeric is a common ingredient that is grated or chopped fresh, or used as a powder in curries. “Turmeric, which contains curcumin, is remarkable in that it has anti-inflammatory effects, and also binds to both the amyloid and tau associated with Alzheimer’s disease, so it has multiple mechanisms to support brain health,” Bredesen said.A study published in the journal Molecules in February 2023 showed curcumin to be antimicrobial and neuroprotective in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. GingerAnother spice used in both fresh and powdered form is ginger. “Ginger is a potent anti-inflammatory agent that has been shown to enhance cognitive function,” Osborn said. “The antioxidant effects are also thought to protect neurons against oxidative stress that underpin neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.”Ginkgo bilobaGinkgo biloba is known to enhance memory and cognitive function. “It is believed to improve blood flow to the brain and protect brain cells from oxidative damage,” Dr. Osborn. “Some research supports its potential benefits in age-related cognitive decline.”Fermented foodsFermented foods, such as kimchi, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and yogurt may also be beneficial for the brain. “Research has established that the brain and gut communicate through the nervous system as well as through the immune system,” Schaefer said. “Therefore, changing the bacteria in the gut with probiotics and prebiotics, and not overdoing antibiotics, may play a role in improving brain functioning.”According to Osborn, “Foods that cultivate a healthy microbiome will likely serve as ‘medicines’ to remedy or slow the onset of all age-related diseases, including those affecting the brain.”

Food
Health
Energy

No Results today.

Our news is updated constantly with the latest environmental stories from around the world. Reset or change your filters to find the most active current topics.

Join us to forge
a sustainable future

Our team is always growing.
Become a partner, volunteer, sponsor, or intern today.
Let us know how you would like to get involved!

CONTACT US

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

Subscribers receive a free day pass for streaming Cinema Verde.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.