Latest news with #policies
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Plastic bags: Have bans and fees curbed shoreline litter?
Banning or charging for plastic bags is helping stop them ending up on US shorelines, a study of the country's litter from thousands of cleanups showed that areas which tried to reduce bag use saw them fall by at least 25% as a percentage of total litter collected, compared to areas that didn't or charging for bags worked better at state rather than town level, and had a bigger impact in places that had a bigger litter problem to begin the good news, the researchers cautioned that, overall, more plastic bags are being found across the US – they're just increasing less in those places trying to tackle the issue. Plastic bag laws in the US vary considerably by state, county and town, which made it a useful place for researchers to test the effectiveness of bag range from bans and partial bans (where only thinner bags are banned), to charges on bags and pre-emption laws, where states prevent counties and towns from regulating plastic bags researchers used data from shoreline cleanups that recorded bags as a percentage of all items collected, and looked at how this differed in areas with a policy compared to those average, bags made up 4.5% of items collected in cleanups, and were the fifth most common item found after cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic bottle caps and plastic drinks models were used to analyse the data, which estimated that the relative decrease in bags in areas with a policy was between 25% and 47%. Comparing 182 policies and 45,067 cleanups from 2016 to 2023, the study's authors said it was the largest analysis of how effective such policies are in curbing shoreline litter. Plastic bags 'only part of the problem' The findings highlight the importance of policy in reducing plastic pollution, lead study author Anna Papp key policy opportunity would be the first global plastics treaty that 175 countries will continue negotiating in August, after talks collapsed in December."Stronger results in areas with a higher baseline of plastic bag litter means these policies may be especially effective in these areas," she said."It's also very important to keep in mind with the treaty, plastic bag policy addresses just one part of the problem. "More comprehensive solutions are needed to address it entirely, with a focus on the production side, consumption, and waste," she research cautions that despite the evidence policies are working to reduce the relative percentage of plastic bags on shorelines, the overall percentage of bags is still increasing in places with and without is because plastic pollution continues to grow overall, so policies can only make so much of a dent in the the UK, where charges on single-use plastic bags started to be adopted in 2011, a survey found there had been an 80% fall in the number of bags washed up on beaches over a decade. Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Shell survey reveals cost concerns for EV adoption, especially in Europe
Drivers are increasingly hesitant to transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs), with this trend being more noticeable in Europe compared to the US, according to a survey released by Shell. According to a survey of 15,000 drivers from around the world, including those from UK, China, Germany, and the US, cost continues to be the primary obstacle to electric vehicle adoption, especially in Europe, where 43% of non-EV drivers point to affordability as a major concern. In the US, the interest in EVs is slightly lower, with 31% in 2025 compared to 34% in 2024. Meanwhile, in Europe, the drop is more pronounced, with interest decreasing from 48% in 2024 to 41% in 2025. The survey reveals a notable rise in confidence among current EV drivers. Globally, 61% of EV drivers now express less concern about running out of charge compared to a year ago. Additionally, almost 72% of them report that the options and availability of public charging stations have improved. Demonstrating a commitment to the shift towards electric mobility, 91% of current EV drivers, including those with battery EVs and Plug-in Hybrid EVs, express their willingness to consider another EV for their next vehicle purchase. In the US, 46% of petrol and diesel car drivers support policies aimed at phasing out ICE vehicles, while in Europe, the figure is 44%. However, this support is often contingent upon certain conditions. For instance, only 56% of those who favour phasing out ICE vehicles would maintain their support if electric vehicles (EVs) remain more expensive than their petrol and diesel counterparts. Additionally, only half of the supporters would continue to back the phase-out if there is no significant improvement in the charging infrastructure for EVs. The proportion of EV drivers who own only one vehicle has significantly increased compared to 2024, highlighting a decreased reliance on ICE vehicles as backups. This trend reflects the growing acceptance and satisfaction with EVs among current users. In the US, the percentage of single-vehicle EV owners increased from 34% to 41%. In Europe, this figure went up from 49% to 54%, and in China, it surged from 72% to 89%. About 78% of EVs driven by European participants were purchased new, a decrease from 82% last year. This indicates that the second-hand market is expanding, potentially attracting more consumers to the EV sector by offering more affordable options, stated Shell. Shell's EV charging network encompasses over 75,000 charging stations worldwide, with a primary focus on key markets such as Europe, the US, and China. Shell Mobility & Convenience group executive vice president David Bunch said: 'Shell has established strong public charging networks in key markets worldwide, and this research reinforces what we hear from our customers: there's a growing disparity in the transition to electric vehicles. 'While current EV drivers are feeling more confident, the relatively high cost of owning an electric vehicle, combined with broader economic pressures, are making it a difficult decision for new consumers.' "Shell survey reveals cost concerns for EV adoption, especially in Europe" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
ABC News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Your Say: Tasmanian election 2025 is here — tell us what matters to you and what you want to know
Tasmanians will go to the polls on July 19 for their second state election in as many years. We want to know what issues matter most to you when it comes to your vote. You can also tell us what you want to know — either from the politicians or us — about policies or the election. Have your say in the form below.
BBC News
09-06-2025
- BBC News
Frazer Irvine inquest to look Jersey emergency services policies
A coroner is to consider the policies of emergency services as part of an inquest into the death of a 39 year-old John Sutherland and technician Tom Le Sauteur were found guilty of failing to take reasonable care of Frazer Irvine, whose March 2022 death is the subject of an inquest due to start on at a pre-inquest hearing on Monday, Bridget Dolan KC said the inquiry would look at the broad context and systems in which the police officers and ambulance staff present at Mr Irvine's death were made it clear the inquest would be "a wholly separate process to the criminal trial". Ms Dolan said it was going to be an Article 2 inquest - a broader type of hearing where there is potential an official or state body is in part responsible for the said the hearing would not challenge the trial's findings but it would address relevant matters that weren't dealt with in the criminal process, or weren't dealt with in sufficient said the trial never focused on what caused Mr Irvine's death so that would be for the inquest to determine, adding it was unusual for an inquest to happen after criminal setting out the scope of the inquest, Ms Dolan said she would consider whether there were any shortcomings in ambulance and police policies, guidance and procedures that were relevant to Mr Irvine's service to have an external investigation Dolan reassured Mr Irvine's parents, who were present at the hearing, their interests were integral to the process, acknowledging it had been "a long road" for inquest will hear evidence from Mr Sutherland and Mr Le Sauteur, as well as from two police officers present at Mr Irvine's is expected to conclude on Friday.
CTV News
01-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
CTV QP: Will Carney be able to keep his political promises?
Watch The Scrum panel discusses the policies Carney wants to introduce while navigating a minority government.
