Culture & Celebrity

A recent report released by the Italian enviro-org. Legambiente describes a beach on Lake Como near George Clooney’s villa as “one of the worst polluted beaches in the country.” Although the famously beautiful lake is a clear azure blue and does not look like an unhealthy microbe-infested danger zone, according to Legambiente’s scientific director Stefano Ciafani the lake is unsafe for swimming. “On Lake Como this year we have found a worrying situation from the point of view of microbiological pollution. The problem of purification has not been resolved (over the last 20 years), and this applies to all the municipalities that border the lake, and also those at some distance from it, which use the rivers that discharge into the lake as sewage pipes." Legambiente warns that along with sunny memories and a golden tan, beachgoers may also bring home much less pleasant skin infections, dermatitis and salmonella.

The sorry state of the lakes is caused by a number of environmental abuses including: unsustainable agriculture and toxic runoff, discharge from illegal home and building construction, reduced rainfall and a dramatic increase in water demand from the lakes. The EU has mandated that lakes within member countries should be of good quality by 2016, but regional governments in Italy have expressed skepticism about their ability to comply with the clean water goals.

Wonder if George could lend a hand? Via ::Belfast Telegraph