Over 100,000 Alabama residents have been told not to drink their tap water after chemical contamination has left it in a state unsafe for human consumption. The West Morgan-East Lawrence Water Authority have advised residents that their water will be unsafe to drink until at least the fall. The water has been contaminated with chemicals that may cause cancer, birth defects, and developmental problems in children.
A controversial bill that would allow for the prosecution of climate change deniers in California was postponed on Thursday by the California Senate. The California Climate Science Truth and Accountability Act of 2016 (Senate Bill 1161) would have authorised to prosecute fossil fuel companies, think tanks and members of the public who denied man-made climate change.
FEMA are to conduct a massive military drill named ‘Cascadia Rising 2016’, in the event of an earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) on June 7-10. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, “A 9.0 magnitude earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) and the resulting tsunami is the most complex disaster scenario that emergency management and public safety officials in the Pacific Northwest could face.
France are to ban all cars registered before 1997 from July 1st, under new rules aimed at curbing smog and traffic problems in Paris. Old cars are to be banned from Paris during weekdays, and all motorcycles registered before 1999 are to be barred from the roads too. Theverge.com reports: The ban was announced last year as part of an anti-pollution measure that will become progressively stricter in coming years. By 2020, the ban will extend to cover cars that were registered prior to 2010. Those who violate the rule can face a fine of up to €35 ($39), or €78 as of January 1st, 2017.
Russia has given away free hectares of land to three families in the country’s Amur region. In an initiative to develop the country’s remote Far East the Russian government has approved the first applications under the country’s free land scheme. The region’s Arkharinsky district which borders China was chosen as the pilot area for the scheme where any Russian citizen could apply for a free tract of land. RT reports: “The first three applications were received from residents in the area, which for many years engaged in beekeeping.