‘A massive win for all generations’: European Human Rights court rules Switzerland violated rights with climate inaction & more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Friday, April 12, 2024 “The Earth does not belong to us: we belong to the Earth.” — Marlee Matlin ‘A Massive Win for All Generations’: European Human Rights Court Rules Switzerland Violated Rights With Climate Inaction In a historic ruling, the [European Court of Human Rights]( has found that Switzerland’s inadequate efforts to tackle [climate change]( violated the human rights of its country’s citizens, represented by more than 2,000 older Swiss women. [Read More]( Related: [European Court of Human Rights to Rule on Whether Governments Must Protect People From Climate Change]( Rivers in Russia and Kazakhstan See Worst Flooding in Nearly a Century This week, the European Court of Human Rights could make a landmark ruling that governments have an obligation to protect people from the adverse impacts of [climate change](. Judges will rule on three distinct cases concerning whether people’s human rights were breached when governments failed to protect them from the ravages of a warming planet. [Read More]( Related: [Flooding 101: Everything You Need to Know]( Amazon Has Increased Plastic Packaging in U.S. Despite Global Phaseout: Oceana Report When you order something from [Amazon]( and it arrives, wrapped in [plastic]( inside and out, do you ever wonder, “Why do we use all this plastic?” A new [report]( by Oceana has found that the amount of [waste]( from plastic [packaging]( produced by Amazon has increased in the United States, even as the online retailer began to phase out [plastics]( in other parts of the globe. [Read More]( Related: [Plastic Pollution and Global Heating Caught in ‘Vicious Circle,’ Study Finds]( Coal Capacity Increased 2% Globally in 2023, the Most Since 2016 The annual Global Energy Monitor (GEM) survey, [Boom and Bust Coal]( has found that [coal]( operating capacity worldwide rose by two percent last year — the highest annual increase since 2016. [China]( was responsible for two-thirds of the expansion, with a small amount of growth in other parts of the globe, a press release from GEM said. [Read More]( Related: [Solar and Wind Capacity Predicted to Overtake Coal in China in 2024]( High PFAS Levels Detected in Groundwater Around the World A new study on global surface water and groundwater has found levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals,” to exceed limits considered safe. As reported by CNN, the study found that limits of PFAS in some groundwater samples collected globally [exceeded]( proposed limits by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Health Canada’s set standards. [Read More]( Related: [Major Bandage Brands in the U.S. Contain PFAS, Study Finds]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2024 EcoWatch, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for EcoWatch Top News of The Day Our mailing address is: EcoWatch 1122 Oberlin RoadRaleigh, NC 27605 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](