DUDLEY Council is to continue using a controversial weedkiller which may cause cancer after rejecting plans to reduce its use by switching to alternatives.
There have been growing calls on councils across the UK to cut the use of glyphosate, which has been linked to cancer in a series of US law suits as well as being identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a probable human carcinogen. Emamectin Benzoate 30%Wdg
Successful trials using glyphosate-free Katoun Gold and Chikara and herbicide-free Foamstream, plus manual weed clearing with hedge cutters and strimmers, took place last year in four areas of the borough – on the Gig Mill estate in Norton, Stourbridge; Hurst Green in Halesowen; The Straits in Lower Gornal, and on Brierley Hill’s Hawbush estate.
Following this members of the council’s climate change and environment scrutiny committee were asked to look at reducing the use of glyphosate to control the weeds.
The committee, which met last month, was told the trials showed Katoun Gold, which causes weeds to dehydrate, and Chikara, which works to control germinating weeds on natural surfaces, were highly effective in clearing weeds from grass edges and shrub beds.
And a report to the committee said the council could reduce its use of glyphosate by 37 per cent by adopting the use of the two pesticides.
The committee, however, rejected plans to scale back its use of glyphosate, which kills most plants, and the council has confirmed it will continue to use the chemical weedkiller as it has done.
A flower bed in Norton believed to have been sprayed with glyphosate (Image: Public)
Councillor Shaz Saleem, Dudley Council’s cabinet member for highways and public realm, said: “The use of glyphosate to control the growth of weeds has been a source of debate in the borough over the past couple of years.
“As a result, officers presented a report to the climate change and environment scrutiny committee last month detailing possible alternatives to its use with regard to grass edges and flower beds.
“Those recommendations were rejected by the committee.
“As a result of this decision we will be continuing to use glyphosate for the time being, as we have been doing.
“Our team are trained in how to use it and I must stress it has also been approved for use by the government. It has been in use in the UK for nearly 50 years.
“The committee has asked us to look at the possibility of using manual labour to remove weeds rather than weedkillers, and we will be reviewing this in due course.”
The report presented to the committee said there were no difficulties applying Katoun Gold and Chikara, with effects seen in a couple of hours.
Foamstream was also effective, with results quickly evident, but the report said using the necessary diesel/petrol powered machine was not practical on main roads or in areas with many parked cars.
It said: “Considerable time ends up being lost with needing to refill the machine with water. Two operatives are required to drive and operate the machine, with the treatment taking longer to apply than a conventional spray.”
The report indicated use of the alternative weedkillers would have cost the council around £37,000 extra per year on top of the £330,000 it already spends on weed control.
The suspected fin was spotted by a local at around 11am on Sunday morning in Cornwall, prompting local speculation
SANKEY Canal became the playground of a rare flightless bird over the weekend.
Shoppers were unable to get tomatoes at a Morrison’s supermarket as fresh produce sector continues to feel pressure from rising energy costs and a shortage of workers
It is longest water levels have remained so low in Venetian lagoon for at least 15 years
Wintry conditions could be seen as soon as the end of the week
As people dig their houses from the silt, the country faces questions over where to rebuild, as the climate crisis heralds more and more extreme weather
Firemen removed a huge python from a family's car that slithered into the engine while it was parked outside their home.The snake was discovered when its tail was seen dangling down from under the front bumper in Bangkok, Thailand on February 7.Wildlife handlers rushed to the property to remove the deadly 10ft-long serpent that had already slithered deep into the vehicle.Footage shows the firemen wearing gloves and masks as they lured the creature out. The team members pulled the creature's tail until it was totally out of the car.Resident Basza Pheukthet said: ‘Normally I only see this kind of thing in the news. I didn't know what to do when it happened to me.‘I first thought of going to the mechanic but realised I couldn't drive with the snake still inside. So I just called the emergency team instead.'The animal rescue officers said the python might have been looking for a cool place to shelter as the hot summer started.The python was turned over to wildlife officers and later released back to its habitat.The reticulated python is found throughout Southeast Asia, where they live in forests, swamps, canals and even in cities, causing them to come into conflict with humans. The species is one of the world's largest snakes and can eat humans, cats, dogs, birds, rats and other snakes.
The video shows the daring attempt of an elephant herd rescuing their baby elephant that fell behind during a deep and dangerous river crossing. It was during a recent trip to the Kruger National Park that I managed to film this dramatic moment. After our self-drive morning safari, we decided to stop for breakfast at one of the main rest camps. It was busy on the day with a lot of people at the specific rest camp. While sitting in the restaurant overlooking a huge river in the front of the camp, I noticed a herd of elephants in the distance that was getting into the river. At first, I thought the elephants were there for a swim but soon realised that the whole herd formed a single file and was busy crossing the deep and dangerous river. All large water bodies in this part of the world are crocodile and hippo infested. The river was so deep that the elephants disappeared under the water while bouncing back up the whole time as they make their way forward while crossing the river. It was a stunning sight right from my breakfast table on the deck overlooking the river. The elephant herd slowly crossed the deep river to the other side. Suddenly I saw two adult elephants hastily making a u turn and started swimming back. I was a little confused by this but quickly realised what was going on. I saw right in the middle of the deep river a tiny grey spot, which accidently got left behind during the daring crossing. Amazingly in such a big herd, the elephants quickly realised one was missing. The baby elephant was disappearing under the water before coming up for air again the whole time, trying to swim back to opposite side the herd went. A struggling baby elephant alone like that can easily become the target of a big crocodile lurking in the depths of the river. It was incredible to watch how the adult elephants motored their way towards the baby elephant. Finally, the elephants made it to the struggling baby elephant, and it was a mad scramble for the adults. I could see the way baby elephants do cross such big river was to somehow stand or hold onto the backs of an adult. The one adult elephant managed to get the struggling baby elephant onto its back and started to make its way to the rest of the herd. On several occasions the baby elephant would fall of the back of the elephant along the way, and they would turn around and try again. During the last bit of the crossing, it seemed the baby elephant couldn’t stay on the back of the adult elephant, and they pushed it forward under the water right towards the shallows. The elephants stopped in the shallow water, looking around as if they again can’t find the baby elephant. I thought that was it, that last stretch under the water was just too much for the poor little elephant. To the great relief of everyone in the restaurant that eventually gathered to watch the whole drama, the baby elephant popped out and showed its head and trunk before it got moved out to the river bank by the adult elephants. Incredible how the baby elephant survived the whole ordeal by not drowning or getting eaten by one of the many crocodiles in the river. Incredible wildlife moment indeed.
A massive winter storm is on its way to wreak havoc on a large swath of the country while the South prepares for a record February heat wave. Blizzard warnings are in effect for Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, the Dakotas and Minnesota. Up to 2 feet of snow is possible in the upper Midwest, from South Dakota to Minnesota to Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Although winter is nearly over and spring is in reach, there is still potential for cold temperatures and conditions, according to the Met Office.
After last week's damaging cyclone, New Zealand needs to rebuild with more resilient infrastructure to cope with more frequent and intense weather events, the prime minister said Tuesday. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has described Cyclone Gabrielle, which caused widespread damage on New Zealand’s North Island and claimed 11 lives, as the country’s most damaging natural disaster in at least a generation. The cyclone followed another storm two weeks earlier that swamped New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, and killed four people.
A man out exploring along the coast of New Zealand’s North Island during Cyclone Gabrielle dramatically demonstrated the strength of the storm’s winds on February 13.Video by Brando Yelavich shows him near the churning ocean on the Coromandel Peninsula, and what he calls “the largest waves I’ve ever seen”.He then throws a stick off the edge of a cliff.“Expecting gravity to do its job, I wanted to see the stick fall down into the ocean, but it took off like a broomstick. Disappearing far into the sky,” Yelavich told Storyful.Cyclone Gabrielle brought heavy rain, strong winds and large waves to the North Island of New Zealand. Eleven people were confirmed to have died by February 20, but that number was expected to rise as more than 2,200 remained missing. Credit: Brando Yelavich via Storyful
Three people have been killed and more than 200 injured after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Turkey-Syria border two weeks after massive quake in the region left more than 45,000 dead. More buildings have collapsed, trapping some people, while more than 130 injuries were recorded in neighbouring Syria. Turkey's AFAD disaster management agency said the earthquake was centred around the town of Defne in the country's Hatay province, which was the worst-hit region after the huge 7.8 magnitude tremor earlier this month.
A 10-foot alligator was captured after it fatally attacked an 85-year-old woman in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Monday, February 20, local media reported citing wildlife officials.St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office released footage showing the capture at Spanish Lakes Fairways retirement community, where the woman was walking her dog when the attack happened.WPBF 25 News reported neighbors said the gator lunged out of the water and grabbed the woman.A short time later, trappers found the gator lurking at the bottom of the lake and pulled it out. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the incident. Credit: St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office via Storyful
BBC weather forecasts that snow will hit Watford in the coming weeks as temperatures plummet.
STORY: Molten metal and debris rained down on an Ohio neighborhood on Monday after an explosion tore through a metals plant about 15 miles southeast of Cleveland. At least one person was killed and about a dozen others injured, mostly with burns, according to officials and media reports. The blast sent smoke billowing into the sky that could be seen for miles around the I. Schumann & Co. metals plant in Bedford. Authorities said they did not yet know what caused the explosion. But that all the casualties were people on site. Oakwood Fire Department Captain Brian DiRocco told reporters at the scene that he had inspected the site before and found it a safe place, “except for the fact that it's a foundry. You are dealing with molten metal, so there's always an inherent danger.” I. Schumann and Co. produces copper, brass and bronze alloys. In a statement, the company said the cause was unknown and damage to the plant was "significant”. It added, "We will work alongside investigators in their search for answers as part of our commitment to Northeast Ohio, where we have been operating for more than 100 years." The explosion was about 70 miles northwest of East Palestine, Ohio, where a train loaded with toxic chemicals derailed earlier this month, causing a spill and a blaze that forced thousands of people to evacuate from the area.
According to the Norfolk Non-Native Species Initiative, here are six plants homeowners in the county should look out for on their land.
STORY: Police divers noticed the child struggling in the water in Hurriyet Park in Malatya on Monday (February 20) and jumped into action to save her.Video released by Turkish police showed her being lifted from the water and onto a frozen part of the pond, from where she crawled to safety. The girl was given dry clothes from quake donation boxes and a new toy to replace the one that had nearly cost her her life when she accidentally dropped it in the pond. Six people were killed in the latest earthquake to strike the border region of Turkey and Syria, authorities said on Tuesday (February 21), two weeks after a massive quake killed more than 47,000 people and damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes.
A “massive” winter storm carrying heavy snow, blizzard conditions, sleet, freezing rain, high winds, severe thunderstorms and low temperatures threatened “a large portion of the US” from February 21, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.Rick Barber said this slow-motion footage was taken in Cape Neddick in York County, Maine, on Tuesday morning.A winter storm watch was in effect for coastal York until Thursday evening as the NWS warned of total snow accumulations greater than six inches, and possible sleet accumulations up to a quarter of an inch. Credit: Rick Barber via Storyful
Amine Herbicide (Bloomberg) -- A sprawling winter storm is sweeping across the northern US this week, unleashing bitter cold and snow from California to Maine even as the Southeast sees record warmth. Most Read from BloombergHow Much Do Investors Say They Need to Retire? At Least $3 MillionMcKinsey Plans to Eliminate About 2,000 Jobs in One of Its Biggest Rounds of CutsRussia’s War on Ukraine, China’s Rise Expose US Military FailingsPutin Halts Nuke Pact With US, Vows to Push War in UkraineWorld’s Largest Four-