Latest news with #SydneyEvans
Daily Record
28-05-2025
- Daily Record
"I was so impressed with the 'world best' beach in the UK I considered moving there"
City life isn't for everyone. Yes it offers numerous advantages like a vibrant nightlife, an array of restaurants and convenient access to public transport. But the hustle and bustle can be too much for some who prefer a quieter, more quaint lifestyle, especially if you are bringing up a family. There's one area that offers the best of both worlds and that's Cornwall. Home to one of the best beaches in the world, Cornwall has been branded a truly unique corner of the UK. Known for its picturesque sandy stretches, coastlines and Cornish pasties, the county has so much more to offer local and visitors. Stunning Harlyn Bay, which is just three miles from the charming town of Padstow, was recently voted one of the world's best beaches - and it's easy to see why. The horseshoe-shaped beach that is frequented by surfers worldwide and is where local families enjoy leisurely weekend strolls. Writer Sydney Evans from London fell in love with the area after visiting family members. Admitting she's not usually a fan of leaving her home city, Sydney said the stunning scenery on offer made her question her where she lives, reports the Mirror. She said: "During a visit to relatives residing in Cornwall, I was introduced to a beach that I later discovered is frequently ranked among the world's best each year, and since then, I've become an ardent admirer of the British countryside. "Finding a beach that ticks all the boxes of what a beach should offer is indeed rare, and I certainly didn't think such a place existed in the UK. "However, having been fortunate enough to visit several tropical beaches, few can rival the tranquillity I experience while ambling along Harlyn Bay. "During a sunny morning visit last November, the blue sky seemed to merge with the sea, and I found myself questioning why I reside in London when mornings could be as serene as this instead of being stuck in a packed tube carriage. "However, as a typical Londoner who can't drive, I'll likely remain somewhere with public transport access for the foreseeable future. "Cornwall is far from undiscovered, and the increasing influx of tourists in recent years has caused numerous issues for locals, yet this beach manages to retain a tranquil atmosphere, away from bustling crowds. "What I love most about this Cornish treasure isn't its beauty on a sunny day; it's how picturesque it remains throughout all seasons. I often visit during winter, even stopping by on Christmas Day occasionally, and it remains as charming as ever. "Indeed, while it's too chilly for a swim, the sand dunes provide some shelter from wind and rain, and the moss-covered stones and rock pools often appear even more stunning in the depths of winter. "As a Londoner, I've discovered that I actually appreciate some peace and quiet away from the city, and Harlyn Bay offers that kind of respite that makes it worth escaping the Big Smoke for. "While there are plenty of breathtaking beaches in Spain, Greece and Italy, having one a bit closer to home is ideal."
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The truth about American drinking water: Report shows widespread presence of hazardous chemicals
Between the ongoing controversy around fluoridated water and the recent discovery of a chemical in our water systems that may or may not be toxic, the safety of American drinking water is murky, to say the least. And today, with a new report revealing that tap water is delivering harmful chemicals like PFAS ('forever chemicals'), heavy metals, and radioactive substances to millions of Americans—often at levels far beyond what scientists consider safe—it got even murkier. The latest update to the Tap Water Database, from the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG), reveals that 324 contaminants were found in drinking water systems across the country, with almost all systems having some amount of detectable contaminants in its water. That's according to safety data collected between 2021 and 2023 by EWG from nearly 50,000 water systems in every state (except New Hampshire, which did not provide its data). 'This is a wake-up call,' said EWG senior scientist Tasha Stoiber in a news release. Consumers can search the database by zip code to see what specific contaminants were found in their local water systems. 'The impact of human activities on our environment inevitably trickles downstream, impacting our drinking water,' EWG senior science analyst Sydney Evans tells Fortune. She adds that while many of the contaminants have likely been long present in our water and are only being detected now because of improved scientific methods, others appear to be new. 'I would argue that a lot of it has been the way that chemicals and industries are regulated in this country—allowing for a huge number of chemicals to be approved without a whole lot of underlying research to prove that they're safe," she says. Tap water is regulated by the Safe Water Drinking Act of 1974. The law, explains EWG vice president of government affairs Melanie Benesh, requires the Environmental Protection Agency to look at the contaminants that are in drinking water, set safe limits on them, and then require water utilities to implement those standards through regular monitoring, by installing treatment technologies, or by changing their drinking water sources. 'But a lot of those clean water limits are out of date,' Benesh says. 'There are a lot of unregulated contaminants that probably should be regulated contaminants, and the process for adding new contaminants to that list is very slow.' States are given further authority to set more stringent standards—something that 11 states (Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin) have taken advantage of by setting standards for maximum levels of certain PFAS in drinking water. The EPA set historic federal PFAS limits last April after determining that there is no safe exposure level in drinking water, as they are carcinogens. But those protections are now in limbo, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. paused lawsuits from both water utilities and the chemical industry, allowing the Trump administration more time to review the EPA limits—and raising fears that they could be made weaker. California, though, just introduced legislation that would codify those limits within the state. The following groupings of chemicals are among the most common, according to EWG, which says that, to keep them out of drinking water, utility companies would have to start using more advanced treatment protocols. 'We need to disinfect drinking water so that people don't get different pathogens,' Evans explains. But the disinfection chemicals can then combine with other contaminants and organic matter in the water to make byproducts, 'which, at low levels, are linked to things like bladder cancer,' she says. 'There's a balancing act that needs to be done there.' This is the cancer-causing chemical made notorious by the film Erin Brockovich, which documented the poisoning of drinking water in Hinkley, Calif. It gets into drinking water as industrial pollution or through erosion of soil and rock. There is still no national standard for chromium-6 in drinking water, as the EPA's safety review of the chemical was stalled by pressure from the industries responsible for contamination. Toxic effects can include stomach cancer, liver and reproductive system damage, and lowered body weight. Nitrate, from fertilizer, landfill, or animal waste runoff, 'is another big one,' says Evans, adding that it can be naturally occurring at low concentrations. At high levels, she says, it has been known 'to be particularly harmful to babies in the short term,' while more recent research has shown low levels linked to colorectal and other forms of cancer. This is the large group of long-lasting chemicals that break down extremely slowly over time, used widely, industrially, for things including firefighting foam, nonstick pans, clothing, food packaging, furniture, and textile coatings. Found widely in water, air, soil, and the blood of people and animals all over the world—and in the drinking water of over 143 million Americans—they are linked to a host of health effects at low levels, including immune system suppression, endocrine disruption, low birth rate, various cancers, reduced vaccine effectiveness, and liver damage. 'We have a gap between what is legally allowed in drinking water and what the research shows is dangerous because [legal limits] are outdated,' says Evans. Perchlorate, a toxic component of rocket fuel, is harmful to humans because it blocks the thyroid from taking in iodide, which is critical to its ability to regulate many bodily functions. Too little iodide can cause harm to metabolism and to physical and cognitive development, and puts children and developing fetuses at the most risk. The No. 1 way to know you are drinking safe water, says Evans, is to invest in a home water filter—a solution she says comes with 'a caveat.' 'We recognize that it is not the universal solution, because whether it's out there and available and effective or not, not everybody's going to be able to take advantage of it,' whether due to time, energy, or cost, she says. 'It's just not an equitable solution.' That being said, filtering your water at home is very effective, she says, as long as 'you have the right filter for the job.' It's why EWG tested a range, and included the search-by-zip feature in its new database, pointing first to what contaminants are in your local water and then to which filters best fit your situation. 'Because not all types of filters are going to be effective for all contaminants,' she says, noting that the activated-carbon filter pitchers are the easiest and more affordable, while a reverse-osmosis system will be more effective and expensive. Bottled water, meanwhile, should be avoided except in the case of natural disasters or other emergencies. 'The main issue that we have with bottled water is that there's really no guarantee that it's any better than your tap water,' Evans says. 'Sometimes it can be, but a lot of times it's not, and the testing, because it's regulated by a different agency, is a lot less transparent.' Further, she says, it's less affordable, not environmentally sustainable, and could be made unsafe by its bottle's plastic, which can break down and wind up in the water. Finally, consumers can advocate for stronger tap water regulations. 'Certainly, people can call their legislators,' says Benesh, who advises letting them know you believe in stronger limits—as well as preserving the in-limbo PFAS limits enacted by the EPA last year. 'That's certainly something that consumers can and should do." More on drinking water: The new fluoride study dividing the public health world as RFK Jr. calls for a ban on adding it to water Americans drink more water than almost every other country. Here's why More than 113 million people are drinking tap water that contains a newly identified chemical—and nobody knows if it's toxic or not This story was originally featured on
