Latest news with #FarahAlHattab
The National
30-07-2025
- Health
- The National
Sharjah study shows devastating impact of plastic pollution on marine life, says expert
The amount of discarded plastic found in dead seabirds in the UAE has been described as "very alarming" by a senior Greenpeace campaigner. Farah Al Hattab, lead plastics campaigner at Greenpeace Mena, said harm to creatures such as seabirds indicated "a much deeper environmental crisis". The new research, released by Sharjah researchers, reported that about one in eight seabirds found dead off the emirate's coast had eaten some form of marine pollutant, mostly plastic or glass, but also including oil. "The study is very alarming and adds to the growing body of evidence on the devastating impact of plastic pollution on biodiversity," Ms Al Hattab told The National. "Any imbalance in the ecosystem, especially involving indicator species like seabirds, signals a much deeper environmental crisis." She said the findings of the study released last month indicated "how pervasive plastic pollution has become", adding that studies like the one just published were "a warning sign". When researchers analysed nearly 500 birds found dead off Sharjah's coasts, 12.8 per cent or about one in eight contained some type of marine pollutant. Most of these − 11.1 per cent of all birds found dead − had solid debris such as plastic or glass in their stomachs, while a further 1.7 per cent of birds contained oil globules. Carried out by scientists from the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah and the American University of Sharjah, the work is thought by the researchers to be the first in the Middle East to measure how the region's seabirds are affected by plastic and other waste. Hidden risks The study's lead author, Fadi Yaghmour, a scientific researcher at the EPAA's Sharjah Strandings Response Programme, indicated debris could damage the birds' gastrointestinal tract. 'Even when the debris doesn't cause physical damage to the tract through tears, or even if it doesn't block the tract, as is often occurring with sheath-like plastics, the bird will feel full, satiated, even while it has not gained any nutrition from eating a piece of plastic,' he said. The researchers analysed the contents of the gastrointestinal tracts of 478 seabirds from 17 species found dead off Sharjah's coasts from the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2023. Birds analysed included 406 black-headed gulls, 29 large white-headed gulls and 23 Socotra cormorants. When a sample of 20 birds were looked at as part of the same study, all contained microplastics, the tiny particles formed from the break-up of larger pieces of plastics. More than three-quarters of the microplastic particles were microfibres, probably from laundry. These can cause scarring and inflammation of animals' digestive tract. Another author, Prof Fatin Samara, part of the American University of Sharjah's recently launched Sharjah Environmental Hazards Assessment Research Group, said problems came not only from the plastic itself. 'It's also about how microplastics can carry or attract toxic pollutants,' she said. 'We're not just examining the plastics themselves – we're also testing for heavy metals and organic contaminants, because multiple studies have shown that microplastics can act as vectors, transporting other substances through the environment. 'What you're dealing with is a cocktail of plastics that may also carry additional toxic chemicals on their surfaces.' Some seabirds, such as gulls, travel inland and visit landfill sites, so not all debris that they consumed will have originated in the seas. A key way to cut plastic pollution is, Prof Samara said, to simply reduce how much plastic is used. Promoting a more circular economy, in which material is recycled, is also important. From the 478 dead birds were analysed in the study, 62 (or 12.8 per cent) had eaten marine debris of some kind, and 53 of those had consumed plastic or other solid debris. Eight had eaten oil or similar pollutants. Phased bans Levels of marine debris found in seabirds varies globally, according to data reported in the new study, with 13 per cent of gulls in the western Mediterranean found to contain marine debris, compared with 22 per cent off Ireland and 33 per cent in the North Pacific. Australian research reported that eight per cent of gulls contained marine debris. Prof Brendan Godley, of the University of KhorFakkan's Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre and the University of Exeter in the UK, said when seabirds ate plastic, they could regurgitate it for chicks, leading to gut damage, blockages and death. Also, if the animal is being fed plastic, it cuts the amount of actual food eaten. 'If a chick needs a lot of food to grow and survive and the parents think they're giving a full portion but half is [not food], it's not getting the nutrition, as well as damaging the gut and causing blockages,' he said. The UAE authorities have tried to prevent plastic waste entering the environment through phased bans on plastic products, with further nationwide restrictions coming into force next year. While many camels have died in the UAE from eating plastic bags, the numbers are thought to have fallen thanks to restrictions on single-use plastic bags. Plastic is also harmful to dugongs. Other dangers to wildlife from litter remain, with Mr Yaghmour saying seabirds continued to get caught in discarded fishing gear, years after the issue was identified. Some of the most severe cases have involved fish hooks with lines becoming attached to birds. A hook may be attached to a fish, Mr Yaghmour said, and when a seabird eats the fish, the hook attaches to the bird. 'That's why several time's we've seen birds with the hook in the beak,' he said. One particularly distressing case involved a cormorant found hanging from a tree. The hook had become caught in the animal's oesophagus, the pipe down which food passes, and the line attached to the hook became entangled in a tree. Another bird could not move normally because it had hooks embedded in its beak and a foot, with a line running between them. When the animal moved its head, it pulled its foot, and vice versa. 'We see this often in cases of entanglements – the line is as dangerous as the hook. When they're together it becomes a very potent risk,' Mr Yaghmour said. Mr Yaghmour said fishing gear was hazardous and so should be 'handled responsibly like any other material that can cause harm to people or animals'. 'The call I would give to fishermen – recreational and artisanal – is of course to respect the gear and use it responsibly. Do not use it in areas where it may latch on to substrates and get lost easily,' he said. Ghost fishing gear The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi is developing a programme to deal with marine debris, including large or macro debris and derelict or 'ghost' fishing gear because of their "wider ecosystem impacts". The organisation said it had upgraded its policies to follow "best international practices", particularly those from a well-regarded programme at Hawaii Pacific University. "As a result, we have updated and enhanced our upcoming programme design to incorporate ghost gear tracking as a core component, complementing our broader marine litter and water quality initiatives," the agency said. In the Abu Dhabi emirate, the agency said fishing hooks were used only in handline fishing or Hadaq, which prevents unattended gear from being left in the water. 'While the current risk is minimal, ongoing education and monitoring can ensure best practices are maintained,' it said. 'If handlining practices change, or incorporate baiting methods more attractive to birds, additional measures – weighted lines, bird-scaring devices – could be considered.' The environmental agency said other actions could reduce the risk that fishing hooks posed, including bird-scaring lines to discourage birds from approaching baited hooks, setting lines at night when birds tended to be less active, and adding weights to lines so that they sank out of the reach of foraging birds.
19-06-2025
- General
Greenpeace warns of potential environmental disaster as oil tankers collide near Strait of Hormuz
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- A collision between two oil tankers just east of the world's most critical oil choke point, the Strait of Hormuz, could bring about a potential environmental disaster, Greenpeace said on Thursday. The two giant tankers, ADALYNN and Front Eagle, crashed Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman and caught fire before the Emirati national guard intervened to evacuate crew members. No injuries were reported, according to Emirati authorities. Satellite data from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System showed heat signatures in the area early Tuesday morning. Greenpeace said it had reviewed satellite imagery that showed a plume of oil stretching up to about 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) from the crash site. The 23-year-old tanker ADALYNN belonged to a so-called Russian 'shadow fleet' – known to operate older ships below basic security standards – and may have been carrying around 70,000 tons of crude oil, the group said. 'This is just one of many dangerous incidents to take place in the past years,' said Farah Al Hattab of Greenpeace's Middle East and North Africa division, adding that such oil spills "endanger marine life.' The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure did not respond to a request for comment. It was not immediately clear what caused Tuesday's incident. British maritime security firm Ambrey said it was unrelated to fighting between Israel and nearby Iran. The Strait of Hormuz, near where the collision took place, is the strategic maritime entryway to the Persian Gulf and sees about a fifth of the world's oil pass through it, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In 2024, an average of 20 million barrels of oil traveled through it daily. After Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on June 13, oil prices surged as worry mounted over whether the Islamic Republic might block the waterway. Maritime ship experts say shipowners are increasingly wary of using the waterway, with some ships having tightened security and others canceling routes there. As the Israel-Iran conflict intensified over the weekend, hundreds of ships in the strait saw spotty navigation signals and had to rely more on radar. The Financial Times reported on June 13 that the world's largest publicly listed oil tanker company, Frontline – which owns the Front Eagle oil tanker involved in Tuesday's crash – said it would turn down new contracts to sail into the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Greenpeace warns of potential environmental disaster as oil tankers collide near Strait of Hormuz
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A collision between two oil tankers just east of the world's most critical oil choke point, the Strait of Hormuz, could bring about a potential environmental disaster, Greenpeace said on Thursday. The two giant tankers, ADALYNN and Front Eagle, crashed Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman and caught fire before the Emirati national guard intervened to evacuate crew members. No injuries were reported, according to Emirati authorities. Satellite data from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System showed heat signatures in the area early Tuesday morning. Greenpeace said it had reviewed satellite imagery that showed a plume of oil stretching up to about 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) from the crash site. The 23-year-old tanker ADALYNN belonged to a so-called Russian 'shadow fleet' – known to operate older ships below basic security standards – and may have been carrying around 70,000 tons of crude oil, the group said. 'This is just one of many dangerous incidents to take place in the past years,' said Farah Al Hattab of Greenpeace's Middle East and North Africa division, adding that such oil spills "endanger marine life.' The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure did not respond to a request for comment. It was not immediately clear what caused Tuesday's incident. British maritime security firm Ambrey said it was unrelated to fighting between Israel and nearby Iran. The Strait of Hormuz, near where the collision took place, is the strategic maritime entryway to the Persian Gulf and sees about a fifth of the world's oil pass through it, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In 2024, an average of 20 million barrels of oil traveled through it daily. After Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on June 13, oil prices surged as worry mounted over whether the Islamic Republic might block the waterway. Maritime ship experts say shipowners are increasingly wary of using the waterway, with some ships having tightened security and others canceling routes there. As the Israel-Iran conflict intensified over the weekend, hundreds of ships in the strait saw spotty navigation signals and had to rely more on radar. The Financial Times reported on June 13 that the world's largest publicly listed oil tanker company, Frontline – which owns the Front Eagle oil tanker involved in Tuesday's crash – said it would turn down new contracts to sail into the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
Euronews
19-06-2025
- General
- Euronews
Greenpeace warns of disaster after tanker crash near Strait of Hormuz
A collision between two oil tankers just east of the world's most critical oil choke point, the Strait of Hormuz, could bring about a potential environmental disaster, Greenpeace said on Thursday. The two giant tankers, ADALYNN and Front Eagle, crashed on Tuesday, 17 June, in the Gulf of Oman and caught fire before the Emirati national guard intervened to evacuate crew members. No injuries were reported, according to Emirati authorities. Satellite data from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System showed heat signatures in the area early Tuesday morning. Greenpeace said it had reviewed satellite imagery that showed a plume of oil stretching up to about 1,500 hectares from the crash site. The 23-year-old tanker ADALYNN belonged to a so-called Russian 'shadow fleet' – known to operate older ships below basic security standards – and may have been carrying around 70,000 tonnes of crude oil, the group said. 'This is just one of many dangerous incidents to take place in the past years,' said Farah Al Hattab of Greenpeace's Middle East and North Africa division, adding that such oil spills "endanger marine life.' The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure did not respond to a request for comment. It was not immediately clear what caused Tuesday's incident. British maritime security firm Ambrey said it was unrelated to the fighting between Israel and nearby Iran. The Strait of Hormuz, near where the collision took place, is the strategic maritime entryway to the Persian Gulf and sees about a fifth of the world's oil pass through it, according to the US Energy Information Administration. In 2024, an average of 20 million barrels of oil travelled through it daily. After Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on 13 June, oil prices surged as worry mounted over whether the Islamic Republic might block the waterway. Maritime ship experts say shipowners are increasingly wary of using the waterway, with some ships having tightened security and others cancelling routes there. As the Israel-Iran conflict intensified over the weekend, hundreds of ships in the strait saw spotty navigation signals and had to rely more on radar. The Financial Times reported on 13 June that the world's largest publicly listed oil tanker company, Frontline, which owns the Front Eagle oil tanker involved in Tuesday's crash, said it would turn down new contracts to sail into the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. Converting abandoned or soon-to-close coal mines into solar farms could provide enough power to meet the demands of a country the size of Germany, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis. Researchers from Global Energy Monitor (GEM) have identified 312 surface coal mines that have been shut since 2020, sprawling over 2,089 square kilometres (km²). Its Global Coal Mine Tracker (GCMT) finds that a further 3,731 km² of mine land is set to be abandoned by operators before the end of 2030 as reserves are run down. In total, that means an estimated 446 coal mines and 5,820 km² of abandoned land that could be repurposed for solar projects and generate nearly 300 GW of renewable energy. That's a huge amount - equivalent to around 15 per cent of globally installed solar capacity today. 'The legacy of coal is written into the land, but that legacy does not have to define the future,' says Cheng Cheng Wu, project manager for the Energy Transition Tracker at GEM. 'The coal mine to solar transition is underway, and this potential is ready to be unlocked in major coal producers like Australia, the US, Indonesia and India,' Wu adds. China is currently leading the pack on coal-to-solar projects. It has 90 such conversions up and running, with a capacity of 14 GW, and 46 more projects in the pipeline. The next four major coal producers above hold nearly three-quarters of the global potential for coal-to-solar transitions, the analysts found. In Europe, the report singles out Greece - which is 'exceptionally well-suited' for turning old coal mines into solar plants. An average solar potential of 4.45 kilowatts per square meter (kW/m²), a fast-approaching coal phaseout goal of 2026, and a supportive financing environment as an EU member state all make Greece ripe for this transition. In Western Macedonia in northern Greece, companies have already set to work creating solar parks in the boundaries of the former Amynteo opencast lignite mine. And the country's EU-funded national recovery plan Greece 2.0 has set aside €175 million to support more solar projects in Central Macedonia. Given the global goal of tripling renewables capacity by 2030, derelict coal mines present a sizable opportunity for the clean energy transition. But the benefits don't stop there. 'Acquiring land for global renewable energy targets has been rife with conflicts among stakeholders and decision-makers,' acknowledges Hailey Deres, researcher at GEM. Developers are busy exploring overlooked sites for panels - from roadsides to reservoirs and railway tracks - and old coal mines are a particularly fitting location. 'So repurposing degraded lands could provide salient new benefits to former coal communities across the planet,' she continues. 'Repurposing mines for solar development offers a rare chance to bring together land restoration, local job creation, and clean energy deployment in a single strategy,' adds Wu. 'With the right choices, the same ground that powered the industrial era can help power the climate solutions we now urgently need.' In total, the analysts estimate that 259,700 permanent jobs could be created at coal-to-solar transition sites, and another 317,500 temporary and construction jobs. That's more than the number of workers the coal industry is expected to shed globally by 2035. Old coal mines are often just left as a scar on the landscape, but this approach also provides an economic incentive for reclamation and cleaning up the mess left after mining. 'We've seen what happens in coal communities when companies go bankrupt, axe the workers, and leave a mess behind,' says Ryan Driskell Tate, associate director at GEM. 'But mined-out coalfields harbour huge potential for powering a clean energy future. It's already happening. We just need the right mix of incentives to put people to work building the next generation of solar in coal country.'
The Hill
19-06-2025
- General
- The Hill
Greenpeace warns of potential environmental disaster as oil tankers collide near Strait of Hormuz
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A collision between two oil tankers just east of the world's most critical oil choke point, the Strait of Hormuz, could bring about a potential environmental disaster, Greenpeace said on Thursday. The two giant tankers, ADALYNN and Front Eagle, crashed Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman and caught fire before the Emirati national guard intervened to evacuate crew members. No injuries were reported, according to Emirati authorities. Satellite data from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System showed heat signatures in the area early Tuesday morning. Greenpeace said it had reviewed satellite imagery that showed a plume of oil stretching up to about 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) from the crash site. The 23-year-old tanker ADALYNN belonged to a so-called Russian 'shadow fleet' – known to operate older ships below basic security standards – and may have been carrying around 70,000 tons of crude oil, the group said. 'This is just one of many dangerous incidents to take place in the past years,' said Farah Al Hattab of Greenpeace's Middle East and North Africa division, adding that such oil spills 'endanger marine life.' The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure did not respond to a request for comment. It was not immediately clear what caused Tuesday's incident. British maritime security firm Ambrey said it was unrelated to fighting between Israel and nearby Iran. The Strait of Hormuz, near where the collision took place, is the strategic maritime entryway to the Persian Gulf and sees about a fifth of the world's oil pass through it, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In 2024, an average of 20 million barrels of oil traveled through it daily. After Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on June 13, oil prices surged as worry mounted over whether the Islamic Republic might block the waterway. Maritime ship experts say shipowners are increasingly wary of using the waterway, with some ships having tightened security and others canceling routes there. As the Israel-Iran conflict intensified over the weekend, hundreds of ships in the strait saw spotty navigation signals and had to rely more on radar. The Financial Times reported on June 13 that the world's largest publicly listed oil tanker company, Frontline – which owns the Front Eagle oil tanker involved in Tuesday's crash – said it would turn down new contracts to sail into the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
