Yesterday afternoon, two parachuters collided over the paracentre in Texel. After the collision, the men fell to the ground and were left injured.

The men were found in the grass of the landing field and given first aid by the centre’s employees. A trauma helicopter then rushed them to hospital in Amsterdam, reports NOS. The severity of their injuries has not yet been revealed, but the men were in stable conditions when being transported to hospital.

Parachutisten neergestort op Texel https://t.co/WBmeVqFZ6h

— John Janssen (@Johnrambo497) September 15, 2020

It is unclear what caused the collision, but according to AD.nl it happened only a few metres above the ground during landing. The parachuters were both beginners so it’s possible that the collision was caused by a simple mistake or lack of control.

Police are currently deciding whether to launch an investigation into the incident. If they choose to do this, it will be conducted by aviation police.

Do you think an investigation into the collision should be launched? Let us know in the comments below.

Feature Image: Miriam Espacio/Pexels

For the first time in the Netherlands, a woman was buried in a fully compostable coffin. The Dutch company, Loop-of-Life, says their coffins offer a way to “truly become one with the earth.”

On Saturday, a woman was buried in a ‘living coffin,’ called a Loop Cocoon, at the Westduin cemetery in The Hague. The coffin is designed to close the loop of life, enabling the body to return to nature and contribute to future growth.

Two major funeral cooperations in The Hague and Delft collaborated on the model and put it through extensive testing. “After months of development, it was a really impressive moment to be finally able to mark someone’s passing in this extraordinary way,” says Bob Hendrikx, TU Delf researcher and developer of the Loop Cocoon.

Living organisms

The coffin is made from mycelium (a network of fungal threads), which helps the body decompose more efficiently. The company anticipates the entire ‘composing’ process to take between two and three years — much faster than the average 10 years in a traditional coffin.

“We are currently living in nature’s graveyard. Our behaviour is not only parasitic, it’s also short-sighted. We are degrading organisms into dead, polluting materials, but what if we kept them alive?” says Hendrikx. The company will be monitoring soil conditions to evaluate the coffin’s impact on the natural environment, with the goal of increasing biodiversity.

What do you think of this coffin design? Would you be buried in a compostable coffin? Let us know in the comments.

Feature Image: Loop-of-Life/Press release

Greenpeace is calling for government aid to KLM to be completely withdrawn, arguing that no climate conditions are attached to the aid.

KLM received a €3.4 billion support package to help them survive the drastic dip in passengers that the coronavirus caused, reports RTL Nieuws. €1 billion of this was a direct loan from the state and the remaining €2.4 billion from banks guaranteed by the state.

Greenpeace argues that by supporting KLM, the Dutch government is supporting the massive amount of pollution caused by the company. “With extra money you keep it going and you take responsibility for the pollution,” a Greenpeace spokesperson said.

The Urgenda case

In 2015, Greenpeace won a court case which sued the Dutch government for their role in climate change, known as the Urgenda case. The court ruled that the Dutch government had to reduce emissions by 25% by 2020. Greenpeace is now hoping to link this case against aid to KLM to the Urgenda case.

Climate agreements

The support packages do, however, have some climate agreements in them. For example, by 2030 the flight company must reduce emissions per passenger kilometre by 50%. However, Greenpeace is pushing for strict agreements on how much CO2 the company emits every year. This amount, says Greenpeace, should be reduced each year.

Today Greenpeace will submit a summons to the state in order to try and resolve the issue outside of court. Summary proceedings will follow.

Do you think government aid to KLM should be cut? Is KLM doing enough to reduce their CO2 emissions? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Feature Image: Michael Fousert/Unsplash

Minister of Health Hugo de Jonge has decided to close Schiphol’s coronavirus test street. As demand for testing increases, education and healthcare staff are given priority.

In a decision intended to free up capacity in other testing centres, Schiphol airport authorities have closed the internal test street. Minister De Jonge says it was a trial which has now been completed.

In a letter to the House of Representatives, De Jonge says the decision is based largely on “the increasing bottlenecks in the test capacity at laboratories.”

The results of the experiment will now be evaluated to determine how to best move forward with testing at airports. 

In their live blog, Schiphol authorities say they hope to bring back the testing centre as soon as possible.

Prioritised testing

Minster De Jonge also announced that by the end of this week essential health care workers and educational staff will be given testing priority. GGDs will be responsible for deciding how exactly to go about it. 

De Jonge emphasises that “just as I mentioned for healthcare workers, the priority regulation for teaching staff is only justified if it is not unnecessarily at the expense of the testing capacity for other people with complaints.” He adds, “this priority for care workers and teachers is a temporary measure.”

Do you think airport testing is necessary? Let us know in the comments.

Feature Image: Schiphol/Supplied

McDonald’s Netherlands is introducing a new ban on plastic straws and lids. Starting in mid-October, guests will receive paper straws and a new folded-edge McFlurry cup.

The company’s new effort is expected to save 17 million plastic lids and 100 million plastic straws per year in the Netherlands. It’s part of a larger sustainability initiative geared toward reducing the use of plastics. By 2025, McDonald’s aims to have all product packaging made from renewable or recycled materials.

Aouatif Tawfik, McDonald’s Netherlands Sustainability Manager, says that the new changes will be implemented next month, reports duurzaam-ondernemen.nl. “Our goal is to eventually switch to an alternative where we no longer have to give a straw at all for soft drinks,” says Tawfik.

McDonald’s is the largest restaurant chain in the Netherlands, with 254 Dutch locations. Each of these locations will be participating in the new measures.

Further plastic reduction

Sustainable alternatives to the other commonly used plastics are currently in development and being tested. “For example, we continue to look at alternative solutions to reduce the use of plastic in our restaurants. In 2021 we will also come up with an alternative to the plastic cutlery and the cup of the Ice Cream Sundae,” says Tawafik.

According to Tawafik, they’re also working on improving Happy Meal packaging, which will no longer include plastic packaging or plastic toys.

What do you think of McDonald’s new sustainability efforts? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: ©McDonald’s