Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
Here is a long-dreamed chance for holidaymakers to combine leisure with benefit and help out the environment
Scientists from the University of Algarve (UAlg), in the south of Portugal, have issued a call to beachgoers to record the state of algae accumulation on the country’s beaches and report it to them. For this purpose, the researchers have created a digital platform, called Algas na Praia (Seaweeds on the Beach), the same as the project.
If you find yourself wondering why the accumulation of seaweed on the beach is important, the answer is that it can point to imbalances in the marine ecosystem – both in the water and on the sand.
The call for help is returning for a new edition after it was already tried out last summer. Scientists have noticed the presence of invasive seaweed species coming from as far away as Australia and Japan.
The sight of too many algae on the beach can be a nuisance as it makes swimming harder and unpleasant and when the biomass can cause an unpleasant smell when it rots. However, the issues are more than just aesthetic.
Seaweed overgrowth is often (if not only) the result of an excess of nutrients from the discharge of urban effluents or from fertilization in agriculture. When algae grow excessively, they can harm biodiversity, fisheries and the beach's environmental quality.
This is where beachgoers can put on their scientist assistant’s hats and join in with reporting the state of their favourite beach. Users can go to the dedicated platform (available in Portuguese and in English), fill in the questionnaire and submit photos they have taken. And with that, suddenly, a day at the beach will not be all about idleness.
The scientists study the input to evaluate patterns in accumulation and get a clearer picture of the state of coastal biodiversity.
But how do algae from Australia or Japan get there anyway? The researchers from the University of Algarve explained that they can come attached to the hulls of ships, but also through the importation of oysters, for example.
However, not everything is bad news and these species can even be useful. The same university also counts on the Nutrisafe project, which is studying how some of these algae can be used to create food supplements or medicines to fight chronic inflammation.
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
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
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 facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
Legislators and magnates have to await a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice
It also set the standards for a better European parking card for people with disabilities
Everyone’s invited free of charge, but only after registration
It also set the standards for a better European parking card for people with disabilities
Italian cities and regions continue experimenting with creative proposals to curb overtourism effects
The building will then serve as the site for a new museum dedicated to Finnish-Russian relations
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
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team