HUMAN WRONGS WATCH

Human Wrongs Watch

ROME, Aug 16 2017 (IPS)* – The Minamata Convention — a legally-binding landmark treaty, described as the first new environmental agreement in over a decade – entered into force August 16..

The primary aim of the Convention is “to protect human health and the environment” from mercury releases, which are considered both environmental and health hazards, according to the United Nations.

Human Wrongs Watch

A ground-breaking global convention on mercury on 16 August 2017 went into effect, the United Nations environment wing said, protecting millions of children and infants from possible neurological and health damage.

Artisanal small scale mining is responsible for up to 35% of global emission of mercury into the environment. Photo: Global Environment Facility | Source: UN News Centre

Human Wrongs Watch

By Desmond Brown*

This comes as global attention is drawn to climate-smart agriculture as one of the approaches to mitigate or adapt to climate change.

Human Wrongs Watch

By Christiane Huxdorff and Davin Hutchins*

11 August, 2017 (Greenpeace)* — In case you missed the news this week, here’s what we know so far: during the first week in August, the Dutch food safety authority (NWMA) announced that they discovered tens of thousands of eggs contaminated with fipronil – a toxic anti-lice pesticide, banned in food production in the EU. Dutch and Belgian police have since made arrests at the homes of buyers of the fipronil-laced pesticides.

Millions of eggs could be contaminated. The full extent isn’t known yet, but 180 Dutch farms have been temporarily closed and major German retailers like Lidl and Aldi have been pulling eggs off their shelves.

Authorities in Germany are testing other products made with eggs; like pasta, mayonnaise and cakes.