As conservation groups announce a manifesto for the Wye, concerns are raised that the Defra Plan to Save the Wye includes incinerating manure from intensive poultry farms in the area - a process studies in the US have linked to arsenic & dioxin emissions.
grist.org/politics/renew…

Other criticisms levelled at Defra's long-delayed plan include a lack of consultation with local experts with detailed knowledge of the river or, indeed, the Welsh government. Campaigners are calling for a cross-border approach to restore the river.

cutcher.co.uk/linklog/2024/0…

In recent years, the Wye has experienced an explosion of nutrient pollution, around 72% of which has been linked to runoff from farms. Since ~ 2016 many intensive poultry farms have been licensed in the catchment. Algal blooms are now frequent, & salmon numbers have fallen 95%.

Campaigners are calling for a robust, coordinated, adequately funded & resourced, cross-border approach with the health of the river, & needs of all stakeholders at its heart.

wyemanifesto.org

A local brown field site,self sown, compared to other areas of the countryside, this is a #wildflower haven. Growing on gravel,no soil. Perfect for #pollinators

Post-Brexit rules on antibiotic use on farms water down EU laws.

UK weakens regulations on air pollution, water quality, pesticides, antibiotics and agricultural emissions.

All to enable companies to make bigger profits. They won't bear the social cost.
theguardian.com/environment/ar…

Winter grazing by cattle has left my wet #meadow in good shape, the Lousewort is spreading really well. I added Marsh marigold,Water avens,Spearwort, Purple loosestrife, & Yellow flag Iris,all are thriving. So good to see a Mother Shipton #moth there & lots of solitary #bees

A better plan would be to get rid of the factory farmed chicken. If you get rid of the source of the problem you get rid of the problem.

'Hundreds treated for heatstroke in Pakistan as country faces severe heat wave'

Temperatures soared as high as 120° Fahrenheit in Mohenjo Daro

'recent erratic changes in weather patterns were the result of man-made climate change'
foxnews.com/world/hundreds…

Swifts are key predators of cabbage stem flea beetle, a problematic species for farms, study finds. Could these vulnerable birds be beneficial predators for UK agriculture?

Kelly Jowett Graham Denny Insect Survey Hannah Bourne-Taylor

nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wl…

Populations of migratory fish, such as salmon & trout, have plummeted by 81% globally. Blockages such as dams, preventing fish from travelling upriver to spawn, toxic mining waste, diverting water for human use are among the key drivers of decline.

theguardian.com/environment/ar…

In this excellent thread, Peter Powell outlines some of the impacts dams, diversions, & remodeling of rivers can cause.

x.com/powell_peter/s…

The presence of solid dams in a river, (as opposed to leaky, or beaver dams) prevents the passage of sediment downstream, where it would form deltas, salt marsh, mangroves, that shelter young fish, shellfish, invertebrates, seabirds.

Indeed, road runoff is the single largest source of microplastics in the world's oceans.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/why…

🧵Some gut-bubbling facts for those pondering the crytosporidiosis outbreak 💩:

The UK was (presumably still is) leading the way on the number of reported cases per year, and doing rather well on rates!

Ireland's having a bad time of it too. 1/

There's no public annual data available for the UK beyond 2018, even for our own reference.

Another of those Brexit bonuses, perhaps.

It's spread via the delightful-sounding faecal-oral route. (Another reason, if you needed one, to decline that human centipede invite) 2/

It's seasonal:

You get more cases in Spring, linked to exposure to young-animal poop. Coincides with the calving and lambing seasons.

And lots in Summer, linked to exposure to human poop in recreational water, and travel.

So farms and the water sector are major sources.
3/

So how did it get into tap water? Cryptosporidium is a challenge to water treatment processes because it's small and resistant to disinfection. Outbreaks like the one in Brixham are often due to poor operation of water treatment works. 4/

And the works are often in a sorry state. I've been told by whistleblowers that many treatment works are under resourced and over capacity. A sorry state. 'There's usually something not working.' 5/5
theguardian.com/environment/20…

What if Fossil Fuels Weren't Subsidized? Many people can cut their carbon footprint in half simply by switching banks and choosing a green pension asset manager. #MoveTheMoney #WeDontHaveTime ChangeNOW

Full article: aeconomiab.com/e-se-os-combus…