The Know Daily - Thursday 23 January 2025

_{Read in 4m 32s ∙ Listening to Donna Summer ∙}

Free defibrillators were sent to Jersey and Guernsey fishers, in an effort to tackle rising heart disease in coastal communities. The programme will “make a significant difference” in the lives of fishermen, said a spokesperson from Community Heartbeat, the charity behind the initiative.

🧪 PFA protection

The usage of PFAs needs to be controlled, a new investigation has suggested.

Hold up. What are PFAs?
PFAs stand for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” because they can take thousands of years to break down in the environment. They’re man-made chemicals used in a wide range of products, like non-stick cookware and cosmetics, to make them water-resistant. Eating food and drinking water where the chemical is present is the main way in which we consume PFAs. When humans ingest them, they can cause some harmful health effects.

What did the report find?
Delaying the clean-up of forever chemicals will be costly. If emissions remain uncontrolled, the remediation could cost £9.9bn a year, according to the investigation by cross-border journalist team The Forever Lobbying Project. The report also found that PFAs were present everywhere, particularly in waterways across the UK.

The solution is to restrict the chemical’s use from the get-go, according to one of the research leads. It’ll be “more cost-effective” to not use PFAs at all, rather than treating them once they’re in the environment.

But here’s the good news…
Brits are keen to get PFA expansion under control. A recent YouGov survey found that more than 75% of respondents said PFAs should be subject to increased regulation. Studies like these have been helpful in raising awareness of potential risks. While avoiding them completely is hard to do, there are some easy ways to reduce exposure, like avoiding food in plastic containers, using greaseproof paper and non-stick cookware, stain-proofed carpets and sofas, as well as choosing PFA-free cosmetics and waterproof outdoor clothing.

The UK Department for Environment Affairs said it’s “taking action” by investigating PFA restriction, and that they’re committed to “protecting the environment from the risks posed by chemicals”.

Automate your meeting notes

Get the most accurate and secure meeting transcripts, summaries, and action items.

Never take meeting notes again: Fellow auto-joins your Zoom, Google Meet, and MS Teams meetings to automatically take notes.

Condense 1-hour meetings into one-page recaps: See highlights like action items, decisions, and key topics discussed.

Claim 90 days of unlimited AI notes today.

Get started free

💷 Fraud crackdown: The UK government plans to withdraw people’s driving licences for two years if they’re found to be claiming benefit allowances unlawfully.

• The bigger story: It’s part of the government’s 5-year plan to save nearly £9bn from welfare fraud.

🐑 Solar sheep: 80,000 sheep have made solar energy farms their home, which could benefit both climate and agriculture.

🪐 Spectacular skies: A rare parade of planets will be visible for the rest of the month – here’s how to see it.

🛒 Diverse produce: The UK’s first ever supermarket tailored to the needs of Black, Asian, and ethnic communities is set to open next month. 

🎥 Momentous movies: The 2025 Sundance Film Festival kicks off today.

🎨 British art: To mark the 250th birthday of influential artist JMW Turner, museums across the UK have announced a year of exhibitions and events.

🧒 Language lessons: The Children’s Word of the Year has been announced - and it will make you smile.

Help your friends feel better about the news. Get them to sign up using your personalised code 👉 https://theknowmedia.beehiiv.com/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER

⭐ Get clicking - this tells our partners that readers are interested in The Know. Let’s get started with this one!

⭐ Donate to The Know - to make sure we can continue to publish throughout 2025. You can make a one-off or monthly contribution. We’d be very grateful ❣️

⭐ Add us to your contacts or primary inbox - this makes sure we reach your inbox (and everyone else’s) each morning.

The Know is on a mission to help everyone start their day feeling informed and hopeful. We only recommend things we genuinely love but sometimes we make money from the links and content we share. This directly supports keeping our journalism free for all.

Trivia answer: C) Melania Trump’s cryptocurrency $Melania is live.

How did you find today’s email?
😍 Loved it! | 😕 Could be better…

Need fewer emails? Click here to hear from us once a week.