The authorities in Milan, Italy, made the decision on Sunday to halt all traffic in the northern city for 10 hours in an attempt to control high levels of smog. The measure is bought in to play whenever there are 12 consecutive days when pollution levels exceed a statutory limit. The system of trying to cut back on poor air quality was first introduced in 2007.

Milan is known for being one of the worst cities in Europe when it comes to pollution caused by road traffic. Vehicles producing the worst exhaust fumes have nor been allowed to enter the centre of town since Thursday.

However, environmentalists do not feel that the city is doing enough, and have called on the authorities to improve public transport and encourage residents to… Read the full story

by Riley Walker on October 10th, 2011

Australian travellers intending to visit Europe this summer are being advised to avoid eating salad if they go to Germany. So far, 17 people in Europe have died from food poisoning and around 1600 people have become ill. According to the World Health Organisation, a new strain of E. Coli is putting people in danger of neurological problems, kidney failure and internal bleeding.

The source of the bacteria was originally thought to be cucumbers coming from Spain. However, Rowland Cobbold from the University of Queensland has warned that the problem could also be traced to lettuce and tomatoes. The infectious diseases expert said Australians should avoid eating salad in Europe for the time being.

He explained that the current theory is that the bug has been transferred to salad items… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on June 3rd, 2011

Queenslanders are bracing themselves for some of the worst storms in living memory as Cyclone Yasi approaches. Citizens of the Australian state are being advised to get out of the way as the category five storm is due to hit imminently. Anna Bligh, the state’s premier, has advised people who are in the path of the cyclone to hold on to each other and make for a place where they will be safe.

Authorities in the coastal city of Cairns are telling residents that they should leave and try to find safety further inland. Those who have decided to stay are taping up their windows, buying in food supplies and barricading their homes with sandbags.

Military personnel in Townsville have been going door-to-door advising residents to prepare themselves. Ms Bligh… Read the full story

by Lily Thompson on February 2nd, 2011

The flood waters which have caused misery across parts of Queensland are now set to engulf areas of Victoria as a 55 mile-long lake of water approaches. The floods have so far claimed the lives of more than 30 people since the rains began to fall last month. In Queensland, which has so far experienced the severest flooding, nine people are still reported to be missing.

The State Emergency Service in Victoria has issued some communities with evacuation warnings. According to the service, 75 towns have already being affected by the flooding and a further 10 are in the path of the approaching lake of water. The flooding is the worst to have been experienced in the south-eastern state for at least 130 years.

Wayne Swan, the deputy prime minister,… Read the full story

by Riley Walker on January 24th, 2011

Although many residents of Brisbane have woken to widespread flooding, water levels have not been as high as many feared. Officials warned yesterday that flood levels could exceed the 5.4 meter levels recorded during the severe floods of 1974, but today have announced that levels peaked at 4.46 meters in the Brisbane River early this morning.

Anna Bligh, Queensland’s premier, said the city was still in a dangerous predicament, pointing out that thousands will have woken to utter devastation. She added that the damage done meant that many were living in conditions similar to post-war zones.

Many railway lines and roads are currently underwater and sewage is now entering the water system. According to reports, Rocklea, a suburb of Brisbane, is under around three meters of water and some of… Read the full story

by Isabella Robinson on January 13th, 2011

Flash floods have devastated the town of Toowoomba in Queensland. According to official figures eight lives have been lost and 72 people remain missing. Eyewitnesses are describing the floods an inland tsunami. Anne Bligh, the state’s premier said it was likely that the death toll would rise adding that the latest flash flooding was the worst to hit since the rains began to fall.

Residents of the town are being rescued from the roofs of their houses by helicopters and the military is helping by bringing in vehicles better able to cope with the deluge. Charlie Green, a resident of the town, described how if the flooding had not been so tragic it would be amusing to thing that Toowoomba had just suffered a decade of drought.

The storms, which… Read the full story

by Mia Harris on January 11th, 2011

Public officials hope that a public car initiative in Cardiff, set to begin in October, will help to ameliorate the traffic problem in the city which has become increasingly worse over the past few years. The scheme will see 10 low-emission autos provided by City Car Club and will be available for hire on a per hour basis, which Cardiff councillors hope will encourage residents to give up their second cars, free up parking spaces, and decrease city-wide traffic congestion.

In an interview with the Echo, head of transport for Cardiff Coun Delme Bowen said that the new car club initiative is another important step in helping to reduce the city’s traffic problem. He went on to add that through the availability of the environmentally-friendly autos throughout the city, people… Read the full story

by Isabella Robinson on August 31st, 2010

An electric vehicle (EV) initiative spearheaded by THINK, the Scandinavian-based manufacturer of EVs, has shown that it is practical and popular to use eco-friendly vehicles by those vacationing in the Swiss Alps. The current scheme is an attempt to ensure that the area will be protected from the pollution generated by carbon monoxide-ridden vehicle emissions, and comes through a partnership between THINK, Swiss retailer Migros, and eco-tour company Alpmobil.

The environmentally-friendly electric vehicle programme is scheduled to run until the end of September, and has over 60 THINK City EVs in use in two regions in the Swiss Alps. According to a representative of THINK during an interview with Relaxnews, the current programme has been a great success, and could be extended. The representative went on to say that it… Read the full story

by Isabella Robinson on August 20th, 2010

The Highways Agency has released statistics for the amount of rubbish found on UK roadways each year, and has recommended that people refrain from throwing trash out of their autos in order to keep the roads clean. The group found that a whopping 700,000 bags of rubbish are collected each year from the roadways around the UK, and that although the majority of motorists believe the roads should be kept clean, they don’t believe that they individually responsible.

The Highways Agency is promoting its current Bag It! Bin It! campaign, which encourages motorists to keep an empty bag in their autos in order to store rubbish, instead of merely discarding it out the window. Derek Turner, network director for the Highways Agency, said that a vast amount of public money… Read the full story

by Lily Thompson on August 17th, 2010

One of the longest serving chief constables in the UK has said that she believes middle-class motorists are hypocritical when it comes to speeding on the roadways. Julie Spence, outgoing head of Cambridgeshire Police, said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph that most motorists believe speeding is acceptable, unless they have the misfortune of experiencing a vehicle tragedy and losing a loved one.

Mrs Spence said that speeding is anti-social behaviour which has been normalised by the middle-class, and that most individuals who speed believe that they should be able to get away with it. She went on to say that everything is usually fine with speeding, at least in the minds of those who go faster than the law allows, until their child dies in a road accident,… Read the full story

by Cooper Anderson on August 10th, 2010