The UK U-turned on deep-sea mining, cancer researchers found an AI ally, and France moved to strengthen abortion rights, plus more good news.
The UK U-turned in support of ocean conservation
A proposed moratorium on deep-sea mining has found support in Westminster in a surprising about-face by the UK government.
Rishi Sunak’s administration had drawn heavy criticism from environmentalists for previously backing exploitation of the seabed for critical minerals such as cobalt and lithium.
But environment secretary Thérèse Coffey announced on Monday that the government would add its voice to 24 other countries calling for a ‘precautionary pause’ on exploitation licences until the impact on marine ecosystems had been assessed.
The moratorium is on the agenda this week during ongoing negotiations in Jamaica at the International Seabed Authority, the global regulator for mining in international waters.
Conservation organisation the Blue Marine Foundation said deep-sea mining posed “an existential threat” to some of the planet’s least explored and most vulnerable habitats, with scientists voicing concerns about possible fuel spills, noise, light and dust storms.
“It is vital that we exercise the precautionary principle and find ways of producing minerals necessary for the transition to net zero that do not cause catastrophic and permanent destruction of fragile ocean biodiversity,” said Blue Marine CEO Clare Brook.
Image: Yannis Papanastasopoulos
Cancer researchers found an AI ally
Artificial intelligence was in the spotlight this week as the UK hosted a summit on the breakthrough technology. Depending on your viewpoint, AI will be the saviour of mankind, or its downfall. But one thing looks certain – it beats a biopsy at detecting the aggressiveness of some cancers.
Researchers from the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in England used AI algorithms to grade the aggressiveness of sarcoma tumours captured on CT scans.
They proved twice as accurate as a standard biopsy, a discovery that could help identify high-risk patients more quickly. Researchers hope the technique could eventually be applied to other cancers, benefiting thousands of patients a year.
“This kind of technology has the potential to transform the lives of people with sarcoma – enabling personalised treatment plans tailored to the specific biology of their cancer,” said Dr Paul Huang, group leader in molecular and systems oncology at the ICR. “It’s great to see such promising findings.”
Image: National Cancer Institute
New treatment a ‘gamechanger’ for liver failure patients
A man with liver failure who was given months to live is still alive a year later after receiving a world-first experimental transplant.
Adam Eisenberg (pictured), 58, was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and told to prepare for the worst. But he was thrown a lifeline by the ‘DeFat’ study, a trial set up to explore a new method of storing donor livers – Normothermic Machine Perfusion (NMP) – which mimics conditions inside the body.
The research, ongoing at London’s Royal Free Hospital (RFH), is also looking at ways of treating fatty donor livers with drugs to make them suitable for transplant. Currently a third of donated livers have to be discarded due to excess fat.
The trial is randomised so Eisenberg doesn’t know if he received a liver assigned to NMP alone, or NMP plus defatting.
RFH transplant surgeon and DeFat study co-lead David Nasralla said the new methods could help address the shortage of suitable donor livers. “If defatted donor livers are well tolerated this could be a gamechanger for patients as this will potentially give us the ability to save more lives,” he added.
Image: Royal Free London
Phase one of Wales’ anti-plastics crusade took effect
Wales followed England and Scotland in a shift away from convenience culture this week by outlawing several single-use plastics.
The ban came into force on Monday and includes drinking straws, cutlery, stirrers and plates. Foam or polystyrene cups and takeaway containers are also out, along with balloon sticks and plastic-stemmed cotton buds.
There’s more to come before the end of the current Senedd term in 2026. Next on the Welsh government’s plastics hit list are single-use carrier bags and polystyrene lids for cups and containers, as well as products made from ‘oxo-degradable’ plastic, which often fragments into micro-plastics but does not fully degrade. Ministers are also pondering a plastic-based wet wipes ban.
Jade Chapman from the charity Surfers Against Sewage told Positive News that “we’re pleased to see plastic on the agenda”. However, the group warned that the measures contained loopholes that would still allow plastic pollution to persist.
Here are 20 ways to go a beyond single-use plastic ban.
Image: American Heritage Chocolate
London’s clean air drive is working, data shows
The number of ‘dirty’ cars on London’s streets has almost halved since the mayor’s controversial expansion of clean air measures, data revealed this week.
Sadiq Khan expanded the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez) to cover Greater London in August. Fresh findings show that 95 per cent of vehicles clocked driving in the city’s outer limits are now compliant with clean air standards, almost catching up with compliance rates in the inner city. In 2017, when the mayor announced a ‘toxicity charge’ as a prologue to Ulez, London-wide compliance was just 39 per cent.
The figures also reveal that the daily number of older, more polluting vehicles on the roads has fallen by 77,000 since June – a drop of 45 per cent.
The decision to expand Ulez drew ire from motorists who couldn’t afford to buy newer, cleaner vehicles, despite the mayor’s £2,000 scrappage scheme. However, Khan’s plans were deemed lawful by the UK’s high court. The mayor said that this week’s data vindicated the policy. “I am determined to do all I can to ensure that Londoners now and the next generation can grow up breathing cleaner air,” he said.
Image: Guillaume Meurice
A repair centre opened in London
Outdoor apparel giant Patagonia has expanded its mission to clean up the clothing industry by opening a new repair centre in the English capital.
The California-based brand has long advocated DIY repairs of its garments instead of buying new, and offers free postal repairs for fixes beyond the skills of novice seamsters.
It collaborated with Amsterdam-based United Repair Centre on an innovative scheme training and employing refugees to repair damaged clothing, and now the two have expanded the model to London in collaboration with garment makers Fashion-Enter.
United Repair Centre London opened on Wednesday at Fashion-Enter’s factory in the London borough of Haringey, safeguarding 15 UK jobs. People facing barriers to employment, including refugees, will be employed there. They’ll initially repair clothes for Patagonia’s UK customers, with three more brands set to join the initiative over the coming year.
Alex Beasley, Patagonia’s country manager for the UK, Ireland and Nordics, said: “With the launch of United Repair Centre London, we are looking to dramatically scale our impact and empower other clothing companies to move away from disposability and waste, and weave circularity into their business models.”
Image: F.J.West Films
Hi, my name is Gavin Haines. I’m a London-based journalist and travel writer, and the digital editor of Positive News magazine.
While doom and gloom dominates the news cycle, I try to highlight the people and places driving progress in challenging times. I specialise in environmental reporting and solutions journalism, but my portfolio includes investigative pieces, interviews and features on anything from psychedelics to new Icelandic religions.
This article was originally published on Positive.news and was republished here, with permission, under a CC BY-ND 4.0 license.
