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Table of Contents

S/N	Title				Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1		Livingstone launches air quality strategy		The air quality strategy launched by London Mayor Ken Livingstone outlines dozens of policies that could be used to improve the air in London.
2		Clean air, but not until 2010		The UK government has proposed tougher limits for particles, benzene, carbon monoxide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to take its air quality policy beyond the current objectives, which end in 2003-2005.
3		The European Parliament tackles pollution from lawnmowers		The European Parliament has agreed to support the Commission's plans to cut air pollution from lawnmowers, hedge trimmers and other non-road mobile machinery but has demanded that loopholes for large manufacturers be closed.
II. Subject Area: Waste Management and Green Energy
4		Virginia promotes recycling of electronics		Virginia has joined up with other mid-Atlantic states, the USEPA and the electronics manufacturing industry to promote the recovery and recycling of consumer electronics.
5		Reports show success of ENERGY STAR programme		A report from the USEPA outlines the success that the ENERGY STAR programme has seen in terms of both energy savings and reduced emissions to the environment.
6			Economic benefits of recycling at all-time high	Despite a nationwide economic slowdown, the financial and employment benefits of the recycling industry appear to be at all-time high, according to a new study released by the National Recycling Coalition.
7			First German offshore wind farm gets green light	The federal German Office for Maritime Navigation and Hydrography announced approval for Germany's first offshore wind farm.

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
1	Careless emissions trading may make pollution worse	US researchers warned that trading of emissions credits among power plant operators could make pollution worse unless the trading is carefully monitored.
II. Subject Area: Waste Management and Green Energy
2	World's greenest gas station planned	BP claimed that its new Connect retail site in Hornchurch, Essex would be the world's most environmentally friendly station.
3	Britain eyes undersea power cable for green energy	Britain is looking at laying a 640km long undersea power cable to link offshore wind farms and other renewable energy projects to the national electricity transmission grid.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulations
4	British auto makers propose to make owners responsible for car recycling	Britain's Department of Trade and Industry (DIT) proposed to introduce the EU's new 'end-of-life' vehicles (ELV) directive in 2002 that will make manufacturers responsible for recycling old cars and pay the cost for disposing vehicles.
5	USEPA unveils a rule on industrial cooling water	USEPA introduced a rule to reduce the effects of cooling water from industries on underwater life near the facilities.
IV. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
6	Artificial barrier to treat waste dumped into water bodies	Researchers of the Genoa-based National Research Center (CNR) discovered an artificial barrier called the Marine Underwater Depurator System (MUDS) can be a low-cost and ecologically low-impact alternative to treat waste, as opposed to chemical treatments.
V. Subject Area: Environmental Management
7	European Union adopts plan to establish environmental monitoring security system	European Union member states adopted a plan to set up a global environmental monitoring and security called the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security Systems (GMES) by 2008.
VI. Subject Area: General Environmental News
8	Asbestos made safe by cloves		Italian chemists from the University of Turin discovered that lethal asbestos fibres could be neutralised using a combination of hydrogen peroxide and eugenol, a phenol-like chemical found in cloves.
9	Garlic and onions combat malaria parasite		Researchers from the University of Toronto discovered that a group of compounds found in garlic and onions might be an effective treatment for malaria.
10	Carbon dioxide emissions up 3.1 % in 2000		The US government reported that the carbon dioxide emissions jumped 3.1% last year.
11	UPS field tests hybrid energy vehicle		United Parcel Service (UPS) is field-testing a hybrid truck that uses a combination of diesel fuel and batteries.

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	Directions on pesticide containers in the US to highlight responsibilities		A new labeling requirement will be imposed by the USEPA and NAHMMA on pesticide manufacturers after 1 Oct 2003.
2	UK emissions allowance auctions to start in Feb 2002		Britain will start auctioning emissions reduction allowances and incentives in late Feb 2002.
3	UK failing to back efficient energy		Britain's energy-efficient combined heat and power industry is facing a collapse because the government has failed to back its ambitious targets with policies.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
4		US scientists produce plastic solar cells	Scientists in Arizona are using screen-printing, a technique developed for patterning fabrics, to produce plastic solar cells.
5		USC and JPL researchers develop methanol power	Researchers at the University of Southern California and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have developed a methanol fuel cell that can generate 1.5 watts of electricity, adding to hopes that fuel cells can be developed for wide-scale use.
6		Pyromex PLC - Waste to Energy process	Pyromex PLC, a UK based company has signed an MOU to market the Pyromex process in Australia and New Zealand. The Pyromex process utilizes a patented ultra high temperature process to safely treat wastes to re-usable inert solids and an energy rich fuel gas.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
7		Catalytic converters are polluting roadsides	Catalytic converters in cars that remove gaseous pollutants are spewing out some other potentially toxic elements that are polluting roadsides, according to a study by researchers in the US.
8		Asthma sufferers may be ailing because of what they are exposed to at work	According to a panel of respiratory specialists as many as 5% of all adult asthma cases can be linked to workplace allergens and irritants.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
9		Lower price and less pollution to spur coal use in US industry	Many US power plants that use natural gas to generate electricity will slowly shift to coal as a cheaper, more reliable fuel source.
10		Australian plan proposes producer responsibility for appliances	According to a study commissioned by Environment Australia, appliance producers should be made legally and financially responsible for managing waste white goods.
11		Nations agree to cut gas emissions	Kyoto Protocol would require 40 industrialized countries to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases.

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	The Diesel Dilemma		The present US clean air regulation imposed tighter emission standards on diesel vehicles that would take effect in 2004. However, oil refiners were given up to 2006 to lower the sulphur in diesel fuel. The different effective dates would stall large-scale adoption of diesel vehicles, which were claimed as they are more fuel efficient than gasoline vehicles, in the US until the 2007 model year.
2	EU Approves UK Pollution Trading		EU approves UK pollution trading but said that it might have to change when a compulsory European emission trading scheme starts in 2005.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
3		University Of North Carolina Study Shows Toxicity Of Particulates Emissions	A recent study by the USEPA established for the first time that particulates damaged healthy lung tissue in a clinical experiment. The study revealed the toxicity of particulate emissions from a steel mill by injecting the particles into the lungs of research volunteers.
4		Technology Could Make For More Fuel Efficient Cars	The development of a device known as thermionics converter could pave the way for a new generation of significantly more fuel efficient and quieter automobiles, generators and power plants.
III. Subject Area: General Environmental News
5		Vehicle Emissions Programs Should Target Worst Polluters	The National Academies of Sciences questioned USEPA about the present vehicle emission test program. It said that the program targeted cleaner vehicles instead of the older and more polluting ones. The program incurred very high cost in finding vehicles that fail to meet the emission requirements.
6		Sea-Going Water Bags To Quench World Thirst	A Norwegian company, Nordic Water Supply is soliciting water shipment service using sea-going polyester fabric water bags from countries facing fresh water shortage problem. Under a current contract, a moderately powered boat of 800 horsepower is used to tow a 200-m long sausage-shaped grey bag with a holding capacity of 35,000 tonnes of water, from Turkey to northern Cyprus.
7		EPA Launches New Energy Star Rating Tool For Hospitals	USEPA has officially launched a new energy performance rating tool for hospitals. For the first time, hospitals in the US can now compare their energy performance to others nationwide and are eligible to display the ENERGY STAR for highest achievements in adopting energy efficient products and practices.
8		Recycling Group Warns Against Emerging Plastic Technology	A Madison recycling organisation has warned that the new technology adopted to make colored plastic bottles with barrier layers so as to keep their content fresh, could cause problem to plastic recyclers.
9		Billions Needed To Avert Environmental Disaster In Asia	Asia, which is suffering from an annual shortfall of US$30 billion, needs more funding from developed nations to turn the tide of environmental degradation.

S/N	Title			Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Management
1		Air pollution trading can be done on Internet	The US Bush administration has unveiled an internet system for utilities and other companies to trade air pollution allowances electronically instead of submitting paper documents to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
2		Global commitment to marine environment protection renewed	Government from around the world, in a meeting held in Montreal under the auspices of the UN Environment Programme, renewed their commitment to fight pollution and destruction of the marine and coastal environment that results from activities on land
3		EU states agree on building power efficiency rules	European Union energy ministers have endorsed plans to improve energy efficiency of buildings by requiring property owners to show how expensive it is to heat, cool and light buildings they sell or let.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
4		Chemical pollution and human sewage could be killing corals	Researchers at the University of Illinois say that a combination of human sewage and shipyard discharge may be responsible for the development and spread of the deadly black band disease in corals.
5		Study calls for research into quality of in-flight cabin air	In US, the increasing cases of complaints by airline passengers and cabin crew have prompted the National Research Council to study the in-flight cabin air quality.
IV. Subject Area: Environmental Technology and News
6		Cooking oil and chicken waste to power UK supermarket trucks	British market chain, Asda will be using chicken waste and used cooking oil to power its delivery trucks
7		EU set to double packaging recycling targets	European Union (EU) countries will need to double the proportion of packaging waste they recycle over the next five years under the new rules proposed by the European Commission.
8		Dutch sign CO₂ cutting agreement with Panama	The Netherlands has entered into agreement with Panama as part of Kyoto's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), to invest in the construction of cleaner power sources, in return for 20 million tonnes of CO₂ credits.
9		New breakthrough could aid production of electricity and efficiency of engines	The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in collaboration with ENECO Inc has developed a thermionics converter, which can aid production of electricity and increase the efficiency of engines.
10		Aerosol pollution could drain earth's water cycle	A study conducted by researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California, suggests that aerosol pollution could affect the planet's hydrological cycle.

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
1	Study finds link between air pollution and birth defects	A University of California study found that birth defects were linked to the harmful effects of dirty air.
II. Subject Area: Waste Management and Green Energy
2	San Francisco steps up its recycling efforts	San Francisco is putting in more effort to recycle waste by introducing a 'Fantastic Three' and continuing its commercial food scrap and organic waste collection programs.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
3	New technology converts landfill gases into energy	Acrion Technologies Inc. has developed a technology process called the "CO₂ Wash" to capture the carbon dioxide and methane released from landfills and converts them to energy to create significant reductions in pollution and air emissions.
4	Scientists develop bacteria that can produce cleaner coal	Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed and received a patent for new bacteria that could create cleaner and more efficient coal for use in power plants.
5	Zeolites could act as pollutant sponges	Researchers are investigating the possibility of using zeolites that could expand under pressure and regain their original shape once the pressure is removed, as sponges for soaking up pollutants and even radioactive waste.
6	Cars that use gas but produce half the pollution at low costs	Cars that run on gasoline but cut air polluting chemicals by half could be on the road next fall - for an additional cost of less than US$100.

IV. Subject Area: Environmental Management
7	Canada invests in new clean vehicle technologies	The Government of Canada is looking to reduce its climate change liability by investing in cleaner vehicles; specifically vehicles that would use advanced propane and natural gas control systems.
V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
8	Asia needs big investments for clean fuels		Shutdown or upgrade. That's the advice oil experts will dish out to Asian oil refiners for the next decade as growing insistence for cleaner air standards and intense market competition generate demand for more complex plants.
9	HK people want more action on environment - survey		Most Hong Kong people want the government to urgently tackle environmental problems such as pesticides in vegetables, contaminated seafood, and water and air pollution, a survey released last week showed.

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	Southern California considers stricter smog checks	The Air Quality and Management District, the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, proposed stricter emissions checks for motor vehicles in some Los Angeles suburbs as part of the efforts to reduce air pollution.
2	Ontario to shut outdated hospital incinerators	The Ontario Ministry of the Environment plans to tighten regulations governing the handling of hazardous waste in the province and shut down more than 40 outdated hospital incinerators that have become a source of toxic emissions.
3	Commission seeks tighter ballast water rules	The Pews Ocean Commission is seeking tighter ballast water rules for all ships docking in the ports in United States.
4	Canada to cut sulphur content in diesel fuel	The Government of Canada proposed new regulation to reduce the level of sulphur in on-road diesel fuel from the current average of 500 ppm to 15 ppm.
II. Subject Area: Green and Renewable Energy
5	Telecommunications facility to be powered by fuel cell	The public and private organisations in Massachusetts, United States, are working on a project to get the nation's first telecommunications site to be powered by fuel cells.
6	Winds over European waters harnessed for electricity	The Belgian Energy Minister announced at a conference held in Brussels that the government plans to support wind farm construction off Belgium's North Sea Coast.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Management
7	Researchers develop new way to keep carbon dioxide from atmosphere	Researchers from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in San Francisco found a new method for removing carbon dioxide from power plants and storing it in the ocean.

IV. Subject Area: Environmental Public Health
8	Kids lungs stunted by air pollution	A study conducted by the researchers from the Keck School of Medicine in California showed that air pollution would affect the growth and development of children's lungs.
V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
9	Water could be used as a safe and inexpensive solvent		Researchers from the University of Arkansas in United States developed a new water-based process for extracting active ingredients from a plant that has medicinal properties. This new method is less toxic compared to the current industrial processing technique which uses solvent.

S/N	Title			Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
1	Detergent-free washing machine invented	A Chinese company has developed an environment friendly washing machine that needs no detergent.
2	IBM creating super-computer for weather prediction	IBM is creating a new supercomputer that will be one of the fastest of its kind for weather forecasting for the next several years.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
3	Athens fights fluoride plan		While dentists in Athens favour fluoride in drinking water, opponents argued that fluoride is poisonous and contributes to cancer.
4	Traffic fumes may cause babies to be born with heart defects		A study by researchers from the University of California revealed that women exposed to traffic fumes during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to babies with heart defects.
5	Nine European cities to get fuel cell buses		The European Commission is introducing fuel cell buses powered by hydrogen in 9 European cities.
6	Old pesticides pose new problems for developing world		Efforts are being made by the World Wildlife Fund and Pesticide Action Network UK to clean up obsolete pesticides that pose significant health hazards to people in developing countries.
III. Subject Area: Waste Management and Green Energy
7	Australian EPA panel urges re-use of wastewater in Melbourne		Australian EPA said that Melbourne needed to recycle its wastewater or face the prospect of building another dam to provide drinking water in the future.
8	Grant to develop marketable energy from landfills		The US EPA has awarded $50,000 to develop marketable energy from seven landfills in North Carolina.
9	International effort to pinpoint some of the world's best solar and wind power sites get underway		The United Nations Environment Programme has launched a project to map the solar and wind resources of 13 developing countries so that potential investors will be able to make informed decision.
IV. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulations
10	US EPA will not regulate dioxins in landfills		The US EPA will not regulate dioxins in sewage sludge that is incinerated or placed in sludge landfills or containment ponds.
11	US EPA eases clean gasoline rules for US refiners		The US EPA has allowed conventional gasoline to be converted and reclassified as reformulated gasoline (RFG) if necessary steps are taken to control volatile organic compounds in certain areas of the country.

S/N	Title			Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulations
1	Canada to clear its air with new initiatives	The Government of Canada has committed to clear its air with 2 new initiatives - one that seeks an increase in the amount of renewable energy used for electricity generation and another that would lower emissions from new fossil fuel power plants.
2	Tough emission norms to cost Indian refiners US$7.25 billion	Indian refineries need to invest 350 billion rupees (US$7.25 billion) in the next eight years to improve the quality of fuels to abide by strict emission norms.
3	EU pushes US to label products that impact global warming	European Environment Agency urges the US to show production energy data on its products to benchmark its energy efficiency against European products.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
4	New York spending millions on clean fueled buses	New York State plans to spend US$4.2 million in Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act funds to help purchase 163 new clean fueled buses throughout the state.
II. Subject Area: Waste Management and Green Energy
5	UN to fund Perth University's green research		UN will establish an environmental technology centre at the Murdoch University in Perth and will fund the development and implementation of global projects on waste recycling, renewable energy and alternative transport fuel.
6	New technology helps clean up hazardous waste		The University of Texas-San Antonio, has developed an innovative system to remove a wide range of toxic materials from the ground using a product called cyclodextrin.
7	Promising alternative to waste incineration		The US Department of Energy's Idaho Engineering and Environmental Laboratory has identified a new "Silver II" technology for treating certain waste streams without incineration.
V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
8	UNEP launches freshwater information portal		The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has opened the UNEP.Net Freshwater Portal, an online gateway to information about freshwater.
9	Water Security Summit 2001 discussed terrorist threat		The Water Security Summit 2001 was held in Connecticut recently to discuss security measures to prevent potential bio-terrorist attacks on potable water supplies.
10	Environmental SWAT team targets hazardous waste facilities		Canada's Environmental SWAT Team has ordered 11 hazardous waste transfer and processing facilities to take corrective actions following an inspection sweep of hazardous waste operations.

S/N	Title			Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulations
1	New mercury ban may shut local crematorium	The UK's Department of Environment has decided to crack down on mercury emissions. The 50-year old Breakspear crematorium, which helps to dispose of remains of more than 4,000 people every year, may have to close down because it is unable to meet the new mercury emission requirement.
2	Strict air pollution rules for Ontario's electricity sector	Ontario has introduced new strict air pollution rules to progressively reduce the emission of NOx and SO2, which are the chief contributors to smog and acid rain, from fossil fuel power plants. The power plants will have to cap their NOx and SO2 emission to 53% and 25% of the current emission levels respectively by 2007.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
3	Researchers found a way to lengthen battery life	Researchers at the University of North Carolina in the US have discovered the use of carbon nanotubes could make longer-lasting batteries.
4	The 99-mpg wonder	High-tech diesels are an alternative to electric cars and costly hybrids if emissions standards could be compromised.
5	Idemitsu develops desulfurising agent for kerosene	A Japanese oil refiner, Idemitsu Kosan Co Ltd has developed a desulfurising agent that could lead to the commercialization of fuel cells using kerosene to generate hydrogen.
III. Subject Area: Waste Management and Green Energy
6	Used coffee grounds to produce cheaper lithium batteries		Sony has found an alternative form of graphite to produce cheaper lithium-ion batteries by using the carbon in coffee grounds.
7	A Cuisinart for recycling plastics		A new process has been developed to recycle plastic waste such as discarded computer cases and soda bottles without the use of "compatibilizers", which acts as a chemical glue to link incompatible polymers.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
8	EPA launches new e-commerce portal		U.S. EPA has announced the setting up of a single portal on the Web for all environmental data submission to the agency. The Central Data Exchange offers companies, states and other entities that provide data to EPA a faster, easier and more secure reporting option.
9	Microbe first to break down PCBs		A first strain of bacterium that breaks down tough chlorine bonds of the pollutant polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been discovered.
V. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
10	Water treatment process byproducts may increase risk of health problems		A report by two environmental groups has found that minute byproducts from chlorine treated water may increase the risk of miscarriages, birth defects and cancer for those who drink the water.

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