On Saturday, The Guardian published a report on the “Ulez bomber” case, where a man was found guilty of blowing up a Ulez camera with a homemade bomb. They cited our 2024 story, which revealed how opposition to Ulez became radicalised inside online groups.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
NEW: The Environment Agency has been forced to cancel thousands of water pollution tests over the past three months due to staff shortages
Joint investigation by @unearthednews.bsky.social and @desmog.com out today
unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/07/24/e...
🔴 10k water quality tests have been cut by the UK's environmental regulator since May, designed to monitor the impacts of sewage, farm runoff and other pollution on rivers & lakes
✍️with the brill @ellieodonnell.bsky.social for @desmog.com & @unearthednews.bsky.social
www.desmog.com/2025/07/23/s...
The Environment Agency has dropped 10,000 water quality tests that track the health of rivers and lakes due to staff shortages at their main lab. Latest from me and
@clarecarlile.bsky.social
🔴 NEW - Staff Shortages Have Forced Major Cuts to Environment Agency Water Quality Monitoring, Internal Docs Reveal
Conservationists warn that cancellation of thousands of tests since May will leave a “regulatory and ecological blind spot”
📝 @clarecarlile.bsky.social & @ellieodonnell.bsky.social
Water companies are worried about a “backlash” to sludge fertiliser akin to the public outrage they have faced over sewage released into rivers and seas
unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/06/09/s...
Unearthed obtained an internal Environment Agency briefing which warned that farmers could stop accepting sewage sludge on their land due to rising concern about contaminants
It says this would have "very serious consequences" as water companies have no "Plan B" for the sludge they produce
Dealing with this crisis could push water companies’ costs into the billions — and that may mean unplanned rises in household water bills before 2030 6/6
Another briefing we obtained said that there could be “very serious consequences” as the water industry has “no immediate ‘Plan B’” for the sludge it generates 5/6
Five years on - water companies fear that tightening pollution rules could mean they’re left with “3.4 million wet tonnes” of sludge with nowhere to go, documents obtained under FOI laws show 4/6
People are worried that this could be harming farmland, ever since Unearthed uncovered a secret Environment Agency (EA) report showing that this sludge contained a cocktail of toxic contaminants like microplastics and ‘forever chemicals’ 3/6
Sewage sludge is the poo and other solids left behind after sewage is treated. Right now around 90% of the UK’s sludge is spread on farmland, where it is used as fertiliser to help crops grow 2/6
New investigation out today!
We’ve learned that water companies are freaking out about the prospect of a government crackdown on agricultural pollution. Why? Because it could stop them dumping millions of tonnes of sewage sludge on the fields that grow our food
with @zdboren.bsky.social
1/6 👇
Dealing with this crisis could push water companies’ costs into the billions — and that may mean unplanned rises in household water bills before 2030.
Another briefing we obtained said that there could be “very serious consequences” as the water industry has “no immediate ‘Plan B’” for the sludge it generates.
Five years on - water companies fear that tightening pollution rules could mean they’re left with “3.4 million wet tonnes” of sludge with nowhere to go, documents obtained under FOI laws show
There is rising concern that this could be harming farmland, ever since Unearthed uncovered a secret Environment Agency (EA) report showing that this sludge contained a cocktail of toxic contaminants like microplastics and ‘forever chemicals’. unearthed.greenpeace.org/2020/02/04/s...
Sewage sludge is the poo and other solids left behind after sewage is treated. Right now around 90% of the UK’s sludge is spread on farmland, where it is used as fertiliser to help crops grow.
This is a really important & quite shocking, investigation.
The water industry is worried that in just 3 years time it may have nowhere to send millions of tonnes of sludge.
Sludge is spread on farms but there are now concerning levels of PFAS in it.
unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/06/09/s...
Water companies are panicking that they could be left with a mountain of sludge with ‘nowhere to go’
Latest from me and @zdboren.bsky.social
unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/06/09/s...
Also on the BBC: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
water comanies are freaking out that they're about to have millions of tonnes of toxic sewage sludge with 'nowhere to go'
my latest for @unearthednews.bsky.social
with @ellieodonnell.bsky.social
unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/06/09/s...
A Virgin Atlantic plane lands in New York; the company is one of five that have apparently continued to promote environmental claims that were ruled "misleading" by the Advertising Standards Authority. Photo: Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty Images
🚨 REVEALED: An Unearthed investigation has found major brands continued to promote environmental claims months or years after they were ruled “misleading” by the UK ad watchdog: unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/05/14/m...
What’s the point of banning greenwashing if big brands can just carry on?
Our latest investigation has found major brands have continued to promote green claims, months or even years after they were ruled “misleading” by the UK ad watchdog:
unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/05/14/m...
BREAKING:
More than 100 old landfills across England containing potentially hazardous material have flooded at least once this century.
Experts have raised concerns that dangerous substances could get into the environment through floodwater.
unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/04/26/h...
Experts are worried that floods could create new pathways for dangerous substances to make their way into the environment.
