https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The north of Italy is among the worst areas in Europe for polluted air, according to new data from the European Environment Agency. https://www.thelocal.it/20210618/italys-northern-cities-among-the-worst-in-europe-for-air-pollution Fri, 18 Jun 2021 17:37:12 +0200 italys-northern-cities-among-the-worst-in-europe-for-air-pollution As World Ocean Day was marked across the globe on Tuesday, how is Italy responding to the threats of plastic pollution and global warming? We look at what's really being done to preserve the country's spectacular seas and 7,600 kilometres of coastline. https://www.thelocal.it/20210608/world-ocean-day-what-is-italy-doing-to-protect-its-seas Tue, 08 Jun 2021 19:12:34 +0200 world-ocean-day-what-is-italy-doing-to-protect-its-seas A ban on smoking in many outdoor public places came into force in the Italian city of Milan on Tuesday. But some residents said they were not aware of the rules, or that it won't change their habits. https://www.thelocal.it/20210120/what-do-people-in-milan-think-of-the-citys-new-outdoor-smoking-restriction Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:05:41 +0100 what-do-people-in-milan-think-of-the-citys-new-outdoor-smoking-restriction Local authorities in Florence are preparing to restrict smoking outdoors as well as inside. https://www.thelocal.it/20210111/florence-wants-to-ban-smoking-in-parks-and-at-bus-stops Mon, 11 Jan 2021 13:52:10 +0100 florence-wants-to-ban-smoking-in-parks-and-at-bus-stops Local authorities in Milan have approved a ban on smoking at bus stops as well as in other outdoor public places as part of new measures to improve the city's air quality. https://www.thelocal.it/20201120/milan-set-to-ban-smoking-outdoors-in-public-from-january Fri, 20 Nov 2020 18:22:56 +0100 milan-set-to-ban-smoking-outdoors-in-public-from-january Italy has "persistently and systematically" breached EU rules against small-particle air pollution, the European Court of Justice found Tuesday in a ruling supporting legal action by Brussels against Rome. https://www.thelocal.it/20201110/pollution-levels-in-italy-persistently-break-eu-law-court-rules Tue, 10 Nov 2020 12:10:49 +0100 pollution-levels-in-italy-persistently-break-eu-law-court-rules In the EU, 13 percent of deaths are linked to pollution, said a new report published on Tuesday by the European Environment Agency (EEA), which stressed the current pandemic put environmental health factors in the spotlight. https://www.thelocal.it/20200908/pollution-linked-to-1-in-8-deaths-in-eu-countries Tue, 08 Sep 2020 15:12:55 +0200 pollution-linked-to-1-in-8-deaths-in-eu-countries A controversial tax on plastic in Italy supposed to come into effect this year will be pushed back to 2021, La Repubblica daily reported on Monday. https://www.thelocal.it/20200511/italy-delays-tax-on-plastic-due-to-coronavirus-crisis Mon, 11 May 2020 20:13:37 +0200 italy-delays-tax-on-plastic-due-to-coronavirus-crisis Many people in Italian towns and cities now say they're breathing cleaner air after lockdown. But just how much has pollution really dropped - and will this help improve the environment in the long term? https://www.thelocal.it/20200326/heres-how-much-pollution-has-fallen-in-italy-since-quarantine-began Thu, 26 Mar 2020 12:12:00 +0100 heres-how-much-pollution-has-fallen-in-italy-since-quarantine-began Milan will ban cars from driving within the city on Sunday, a measure aimed at tackling high pollution levels, and is considering new measures such as banning smoking at bus stops. https://www.thelocal.it/20200130/milan-is-banning-all-cars-this-sunday-in-attempt-to-lower-smog-levels Thu, 30 Jan 2020 10:09:58 +0100 milan-is-banning-all-cars-this-sunday-in-attempt-to-lower-smog-levels Rome authorities on Wednesday announced that a ban on diesel cars in the city at certain times of day has been extended. https://www.thelocal.it/20200115/rome-extends-diesel-car-ban-as-smog-emergency-continues Wed, 15 Jan 2020 10:16:16 +0100 rome-extends-diesel-car-ban-as-smog-emergency-continues Italy is negotiating a new plan to save the Taranto steel plant, involving partial state ownership, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said. https://www.thelocal.it/20191210/italy-proposes-new-plan-to-rescue-tarantos-arcelormittal-steel-plant Tue, 10 Dec 2019 10:46:22 +0100 italy-proposes-new-plan-to-rescue-tarantos-arcelormittal-steel-plant Workers at the Taranto steelmill faced an uncertain future on Friday as global giant ArcelorMittal decides if it will walk away from Europe's biggest integrated plant. https://www.thelocal.it/20191109/workers-disillusioned-as-arcelormittal-mulls-taranto-exit Sat, 09 Nov 2019 08:32:09 +0100 workers-disillusioned-as-arcelormittal-mulls-taranto-exit ArcelorMittal said on Monday it was pulling out of the purchase of Italy's struggling steel firm Ilva after parliament scrapped a legal protection deemed necessary to undertake crucial environmental work without criminal liability. https://www.thelocal.it/20191104/arcelormittal-pulls-out-of-deal-to-buy-ilva-italy-toxic-steel-plant-taranto Mon, 04 Nov 2019 18:18:34 +0100 arcelormittal-pulls-out-of-deal-to-buy-ilva-italy-toxic-steel-plant-taranto Venice's gondoliers have been swapping boating hats for scuba helmets and diving into canals in a clean-up operation of the Unesco city that has turned up everything from washing machines to bicycles. https://www.thelocal.it/20191104/gondoliers-scuba-diving-to-clean-rubbish-venice-canals Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:40:12 +0100 gondoliers-scuba-diving-to-clean-rubbish-venice-canals An environmental study has revealed the greenest Italian towns and cities to live in – as well as those with the biggest problems with smog, traffic, water pollution, and waste management. https://www.thelocal.it/20191029/these-are-the-most-and-least-eco-friendly-towns-in-italy Tue, 29 Oct 2019 12:01:30 +0100 these-are-the-most-and-least-eco-friendly-towns-in-italy Italian authorities may not be doing much about plastic pollution, but one American reader has taken matters into her own hands. https://www.thelocal.it/20190813/how-one-american-is-fighting-plastic-pollution-in-sicily Tue, 13 Aug 2019 14:17:15 +0200 how-one-american-is-fighting-plastic-pollution-in-sicily In Taranto, steel giant ArcelorMittal is attempting to clean up Italy's most polluting plant. But is it a case of too little, too late? https://www.thelocal.it/20190812/the-towering-task-of-cleaning-up-tarantos-toxic-steel-plant Mon, 12 Aug 2019 10:49:14 +0200 the-towering-task-of-cleaning-up-tarantos-toxic-steel-plant Should smoking be banned on Italy's beaches? A consumer rights group is preparing to launch a legal battle to demand just that. https://www.thelocal.it/20190610/ban-smoking-on-italian-beaches-consumer-watchdog Mon, 10 Jun 2019 15:17:37 +0200 ban-smoking-on-italian-beaches-consumer-watchdog After the release of alarming new figures showing the extent of plastic pollution on Italian beaches, and the sad news that another whale has washed up in Italy with a stomach full of plastic, we look at what Italy is doing to clean up its coastline. https://www.thelocal.it/20190521/what-is-italy-doing-about-the-shocking-level-of-plastic-pollution-on-its-coastline Tue, 21 May 2019 12:59:15 +0200 what-is-italy-doing-about-the-shocking-level-of-plastic-pollution-on-its-coastline