🌳 Limits to deforestation under debate in the European Parliament
Updated at 18:30 am
In order to combat global climate change and the loss of biodiversity, MEPs will debate and vote a new law requiring companies to guarantee that products sold in the European Union (EU) do not come from deforestation. Voting on the proposal should take place this Tuesday (13), in the European Parliament.
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The European Commission project imposes restrictions on the import of commodities agricultural activities associated with deforestation in countries of origin.
Commodities They are primary commodities – such as soybeans, cattle, corn and cotton – produced on a large scale, which provide raw materials for different sectors of global industrial production.
The measure is defended by European leaders as necessary, not only to reduce the EU's “carbon footprint”, but also to support rural producers who align with the bloc's climate objectives.
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According to the proposal, the commodities may suffer a surcharge if they were produced in areas deforested after December 2021.
The Brazilian government would have led an offensive, together with other emerging countries, aiming to prevent Europe from applying protectionist measures against agricultural products. In a document – sent to the European Commission at the end of July – Brazil and a dozen developing countries, warned that such barriers could violate international treaties.
Curto curation:
- Brazil and alliance of countries attack EU plan to ban commodities linked to deforestation (Valor Econômico)🚥
- Brazil articulates emerging countries against EU proposal to ban commodities associated with deforestation (UOL)
The European Parliament called, this Tuesday (13), for a stricter plan, which includes expanding its scope of action to rubber and the financial sector. Veja mais em:
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🍃 Air pollution can cause lung cancer, scientists say
Air pollution can cause lung cancer in people who have never smoked. This was the conclusion of an article – presented last Saturday (10) by scientists from Francis Crick Institute (United Kingdom) – during a conference of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), in Paris.
Research has found that exposure to certain particles in the air (called PM2,5) promotes the growth of cells in the lungs that carry cancer-causing mutations. The work is a “warning” about the harmful impact of pollution in human health.
To reach this conclusion, scientists examined data from more than 400 people. They speculate that air pollution may also promote the growth of cells carrying cancer-causing mutations in other parts of the body.system. (The Francis Crick Institute*)
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Curto curation:
- Scientists discover how air pollution causes lung cancer (Financial Times*)🚥
- Scientists discover link between air pollution and lung cancer (Axios*)
- The discovery of cancer is a warning about the danger of air pollution (The Guardian*)
🌱 Black carbon has a climate impact up to 1,5 thousand times greater than CO2
Gray smoke, coming from the fires in the Amazon, covered the sky of cities in the North, Central-West and even Southeast regions of Brazil, at the beginning of September.
In addition to being harmful to the health of the population, this smoke releases dangerous black carbon into the atmosphere, particulate matter whose impact on climate change is 460 to 1.500 times greater than carbon dioxide (CO2).
“Black carbon is an extremely polluting particulate material, the main global source of which is forest fires. It can cause serious damage to health, such as respiratory, cardiac and even psychological diseases, in addition to consequences for the environment, such as accelerating the melting of glaciers (and, consequently, the rise in sea levels) and significantly altering rainfall patterns”, explains Marcelo Laterman, Climate and Justice spokesperson at Greenpeace Brazil.
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Although this smoke lasts for a short time in the atmosphere because it is made up of microparticles, the black carbon present in it has medium-term climate effects.
“The release of black carbon increases the risks of extreme weather events such as torrential rains and long periods of drought which, as we have witnessed, are increasingly frequent in the country. And, unfortunately, while the fires serve the interests of a powerful minority, those who feel the consequences most are vulnerable populations, exposed to landslides, floods, dry taps and expensive bills”, says Laterman.
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☘️ Nike Forward: new material from the brand that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 75%
Last week, Nike presented the Nike Forward, a new material – the result of 5 years of research – that requires fewer manufacturing steps than the brand’s traditional knits or fabrics, which significantly reduces your carbon footprint: around 75%.
Forward is the brand's new bet on creating more sustainable clothing. But it is not a mesh or a fabric and does not use thread. The material creates fibers from flakes of recycled plastic and joins them together using needle machines found mainly in the automotive and medical industries.
The launch products using Nike Forward, a line of sweatshirts, have at least 70% recycled material and will be on sale from September 15th.
O Curto Verde is a daily summary of what you need to know about the environment, sustainability and other topics linked to our survival and that of the planet.
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