Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
The aim is to improve the quality of seawater and to provide a better environment for the marine life
The Finnish Ministry of the Environment is seeking to change the law on environmental protection, more specifically to ban the practice of dumping snow into the sea. The aim of the proposed amendment is to reduce seawater pollution and protect marine life. As things stand, the restrictions would mostly affect the capital Helsinki as this is where the practice of cleaning snow and then disposing of it in the port is a common practice.
It’s not the snow itself that is the problem but the fact that when it falls in the urban environment and then gets swept up it gets mixed with sand and other debris, such as plastics, cigarette butts and trash.
This garbage has different effects on marine animals. Animals can get stuck in bigger pieces of trash and microplastics can end up in animals' digestion tracts and then back [to humans] in the food chain," says Henna Rinne, an environmental specialist at the ministry, as quoted by Yle.
Dumping snow into the sea is easy and convenient as it is just adding water to water, plus it avoids the problem of having to put away all that frozen mass on land where it takes space until warmer temperatures arrive. Nevertheless, other Finnish cities, such as Oulu and Turku, dump their excess snow on land, rather than in the water.
In the Finnish capital, snow duping is most common near the port areas. Other districts, however, resort to using the so-called snow dumping grounds.
In 2019, the City of Helsinki agreed in principle that the practice must be abandoned. Yet, bureaucracy gets in the way since the Regional State Administration Agency has granted a permit for sea dumping valid until 2031. It thus remains unclear when the practice will be abandoned for good.
Silesian is spoken by about half a million people in the south of the country
Legislators and magnates have to await a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice
The building will then serve as the site for a new museum dedicated to Finnish-Russian relations
The tool helps identify undeclared swimming pools and garden sheds
It will serve as a virtual companion to the municipal network of libraries in the country
In addition, the federal government has launched the National Week of Action against Bicycle Theft to raise awareness of the issue and the new solution
The tests are also experimenting with a charging point that is easier to maintain
Reportedly, the aim of the local government is to curb violence and disorder among the youth
The city thinks that it’s time to update pet-related street cleanliness rules for the 21st century
Yes, you guessed it right, that also includes baguettes and cheeses
Reportedly, the aim of the local government is to curb violence and disorder among the youth
Silesian is spoken by about half a million people in the south of the country
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
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An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team