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UK bans disposable barbecues amid wildfire fears; climate activists urge PM to speak out
🇳🇱 Netherlands /Environment & Climate

UK bans disposable barbecues amid wildfire fears; climate activists urge PM to speak out

From NRC Handelsblad · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The UK has temporarily banned disposable barbecues due to their significant risk of causing serious wildfires during the ongoing drought and high temperatures.
  • Shops and webshops are prohibited from selling these barbecues immediately, with potential criminal sanctions for non-compliance.
  • Scientists and climate leaders are urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to publicly acknowledge the scale of the climate crisis, criticizing his "silence on climate change."

The United Kingdom has implemented a temporary ban on disposable barbecues, citing their significant risk to people and nature amid persistent drought and extremely high temperatures. The government website states that the small aluminum grills pose a "significant risk" during the current dry conditions.

significant risk

— UK government websiteDescribing the danger posed by disposable barbecues during dry weather.

The Bureau for Product Safety and Standards has declared disposable barbecues unsafe, as they have caused "a number of serious wildfires" in recent summer months. Retailers and online shops must immediately cease sales, with non-compliance potentially leading to criminal sanctions. The duration of the ban is not yet specified but will be lifted once weather conditions improve and the wildfire risk decreases.

This measure follows a non-binding appeal by Prime Minister Andy Burnham to retailers to stop selling disposable barbecues, with the government considering a potential ban during summer months in the long term. Some retailers had already voluntarily stopped sales due to the extreme weather.

a number of serious wildfires

— Bureau for Product Safety and StandardsExplaining the reason for banning disposable barbecues.

Meanwhile, the number of wildfires in England and Wales has reached a record high this year, with 1,017 registered between January 1 and August 12, compared to 869 during the same period last year. Approximately 70 percent of the UK is experiencing drought, leading to water usage restrictions for millions.

not considered to be safe products

— Bureau for Product Safety and StandardsJustifying the immediate ban on disposable barbecues.

A group of over fifty scientists and leaders from climate and energy organizations have penned an open letter to Prime Minister Burnham, arguing that the measures regarding disposable barbecues are insufficient. They criticize Burnham for not adequately addressing the root cause of the extreme weather: climate disruption. The signatories urge him to break his "silence on climate change" and "publicly acknowledge the scale of the crisis," emphasizing that climate change is a major concern for the British public with broad and catastrophic effects.

on the longer term

— Andy BurnhamReferring to the government's consideration of a potential ban on disposable barbecues during summer months.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by NRC Handelsblad in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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