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Table of Contents

S/N	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1.	Laws To Prevent, Limit Shipping Accidents	The Europeans Parliament approved three draft measures designed to curb shipping accidents and their environmental impact.
2.	Sulfur-Free Gasoline, Diesel by 2009	The European Union's council agreed to introduce "Sulfur-free" gasoline and diesel fuel starting in 2005 and mandating its use by 2009.
3.	EPA tightens microbial standards for small drinking water systems	USEPA tights its requirements on disease causing microbes for small drinking water systems.
4.	EU tries to reduce ozone pollution by law	European Union (EU) has adopted a law requiring countries to ensure ozone levels do not exceed World Health Organization (WHO) standards by more that 25 times annually.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
5.	Promotion of methane-fuel vehicles	Metan, an Icelandic firm, aims to construct a viable methane-fuel industry for vehicles.
6	Researchers discover PCB-degrading microbes	Scientists have discovered a PCB-degrading bacterium, which is able to catalyze the dechlorination of PCBs.
III. Subject Area: Waste Management and Green Energy
7	New guidelines will reduce hazards posed by plastic wastes	Experts have adopted a set of technical guidelines for protecting human health and the environment from the improper management and disposal of plastic wastes.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
8.	GHG could cause Climatic Shifts	Researchers from the National Academies claim that Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and other human activity may increase the possibility of significant, abrupt and unwelcome regional or global climate change effects.
9.	Recycling frees imposed at point of sale.	Japanese personal computer manufacturing industry to add prepaid PC recycling fees on sale prices.
10.	Developing countries funded to build biosafety skills	UNEP is carrying out a US$38.4 million capacity building project to help developing countries prepare for the entry into force of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
V. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
11.	Emissions control goes to the smog dogs	Washington has resorted to using 'smog dogs' to help track down gross polluters.

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	UK faces difficulty to meet new EU law on scrap vehicles		UK struggles to meet new EU law on scrap vehicles as recyclers and carmakers debate over the cost of processing the vehicles.
2	Australian state to fine for greenhouse gas emissions		Companies in New South Wales that are not sufficiently cutting their greenhouse gas emissions will be fined under a new plan launched by Premier Bob Carr, who accuses power companies of not doing enough to reduce their emissions.
3	Commission publishes proposal for environmental liability directive		The European Commission has adopted a proposal for a directive on environmental liability, intended to prevent and restore environmental damage, such as water pollution, damage to biodiversity, and land contamination.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
4		Microbes make electricity from harbor sediment	Research conducted by University of Massachusetts' microbiologists found that certain microorganisms can transform organic matter commonly found at the bottom of the ocean into electricity energy.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
5		Toxic waste landfills pose birth defect risks	Women living within three kilometers of a hazardous waste landfill site have a 40 percent greater risk of conceiving a child with a chromosomal birth defect, such as Down's syndrome, concludes a new study published in the medical journal "The Lancet".
6		Pesticides and herbicides linked to the onset of Parkinson's Disease (PD)	The same herbicides and pesticides many people trust enough to spray on their gardens and crops have been increasingly linked to the onset of Parkinson's Disease (PD) according to a study at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Mich.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
7		The Netherlands signed the first clean energy deal with World Bank	The Dutch government signed the first international contract with the World Bank to develop clean energy projects in developing countries to help slow global warming.
8		Water reclamation project to filter drugs and pathogens	Officials involved in a large water reclamation project at Orange Country are taking steps to ensure all pathogens and residue of pharmaceutical drugs in recycled water are eliminated.
9		EU passes laws to set up new food safety body	European Union is setting up a new European Food Safety Authority to boost public confidence in the wake of alerts such as mad cow disease and dioxin poisoning.

S/N	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	Water companies may be forced to clean up everyday pollutants	Under EU directives, water companies could be forced to install expensive new equipment to remove the contaminants.
2	California to be first state to regulate carbon dioxide emissions	California could become the first state to try easing global warming by limiting carbon dioxide emissions from cars if a bill approved by the State Assembly becomes law.
3	Swedish rule bars combustible waste from landfills; promotes recycling, reuse	A Swedish regulation that entered into force on 1 January 2002 bans combustible wastes from landfills in an effort to increase recycling and reuse efforts.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
4	Old sewage systems spewing raw sewage into waterways each year	USEPA reported that more than 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage pours into waterways each year from aging sewer systems designed to overflow when it rains.
5	Air pollution linked to asthma in young athletes	American scientist said that children who play sports in area with high levels of air pollution are three to four times more likely to develop asthma than other youngsters.
III. Subject Area: General Environmental News
6	Soil bacteria can reduce residual pesticides	Scientists with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) have conducted field trials with a bacterial enzyme that showed it could reduce organophosphate residues by 90 percent.
7	Germany aims for one-quarter windpower by 2030	The German government announced plans for a massive increase in wind generation capacity over the next 25 years.
8	Fuel cell project underway in New York	The Long Island Power Authority is well under way with its first-of-a-kind programme that will use a total of 75 fuel cells to generate electricity for Long Island consumers.

S/N	Title	Synopsis
II. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution & Health
1	EPA funds university research efforts on particulate matter	USEPA is giving more than US$3.8 million to four universities to study the effects of airborne health particulate matter on human health.
2	New Hamphire to use BioReactor to reduce VOC pollution	New Hamphire plans to use BioReactor, an award-winning biofilter technology, to reduce pollution from the state's three fossil-fuel plants.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Policy
3	California high court allows suits against water companies	California's supreme court ruled that people harmed by drinking contaminated water could legally sue their water utility for failing to provide clean drinking water.
4	Criteria for classification of solid waste disposal	The US Environmental Protection Agency proposes to amend legislation to allow residential lead-based paint waste to be disposed of in construction and demolition landfills.
5	Northern Italy plans phase-out of gasoline cars	Italy's northern Lombardy region is combating its air pollution problems by planning to phase out gasoline and diesel vehicles.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
6	Coal ash used for building	Oak Ridge National Laboratory is testing a new construction material made from recycled flyash from coal-fired power plants.
7	Researchers pit soybean oil against styrofoam waste	Researchers have harnessed soybean oil to dissolve polystyrene foam, a development that could reduce the volume of packaging waste sent to landfills and yield valuable scrap material.
8	UK emission trading moves a step closer	The UK announced that 46 companies had registered to take part in the country's greenhouse gas emission trading scheme.
9	Road tests for fuel cell bus begin	DaimlerChrysler announced that 30 fuel cell powered Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses would be on road tests across Europe.
10	Dutch CO₂ trading system proposed	A multi-stakeholder Dutch panel has recommended a national carbon dioxide trading scheme which is very different from that proposed by the European Commission (EC).

S/N	Title				Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulations
1		Pesticides and asbestos slated for trade controls				Potentially dangerous pesticides and asbestos were set to be subjected to trade controls under a UN treaty that aims to protect workers in poor countries from hazardous exports.
2		EU proposes curbs on toxic chemicals by 2003				EU has approved plans to restrict the public use of 43 chemicals by 2003.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
3	Cape Town to use garbage to power the city		Two companies combine efforts to turn Cape Town's sewage and garbage into electricity, fuel and bricks for low-cost housing.
4	Fighting global warming with winds of change		The Timberland Company has announced an innovative new plan to fight climate change by offsetting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to help finance construction of new wind farms.
5	New miniature fuel cell rechargeable battery developed		US scientists have demonstrated a prototype miniature thin-film fuel cell power source capable of providing a typical cell phone battery with power up to three times as long as current technologies.
6	Volkswagen successfully completes testing of new fuel cell system		Volkswagen AG announced the successful completion of a test drive of a new low cost fuel cell vehicle.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
7	Pollution report card finds US school buses delinquent			A national report card analyzing pollution threats from school bus fleets in the US found that only six states and the District of Columbia had ranked "head of the curve".
8	Indoor pollution can affect health			Studies have found that indoor air pollution levels may be 2 - 5 times higher than outdoor levels, with the main pollutant being VOCs.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
9	Trees as groundwater cleanup solution			A research team from the University of Missouri, US, is exploring the idea of using trees to clean groundwater by a process called phytoremediation
10	USEPA to fund research efforts on particulate matter			Four US universities were gearing up to study the effects of airborne particulate matter on human health thanks to USEPA research grants totaling more than $3.8 million.
11	Three Volvo models pose electromagnetic risk			A study has found that three Volvo car models have electromagnetic fields of up to 80 times higher than levels considered safe.
12	UN seeks crackdown on hazardous chemicals			World environment ministers met in the Caribbean to plan a global crackdown on the manufacture, dumping and rampant smuggling of banned substances.

S/N	Title				Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulations
1		Irish plastic bag levy becomes law				Ireland's 1p environmental levy on plastic shopping bags becomes law with effect from March 2002.
2		Germany adopts new rules for elimination and recycling of old wood				The German Cabinet adopted an ordinance regulating the elimination and recycling of used wood and wood products, expected to go into effect in early 2003.
3		Draft law approved to set EU-wide speed restrictions to curb vehicular emissions				The European Parliament approved a legislative draft for further European Union-wide restrictions on the speed of commercial vehicles to reduce emissions.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
4		Japan's NKK tests new generation fuel	Japanese steel maker NKK Corp said it would begin road testing a truck that runs on a new generation fuel dimethylether (DME).
5		Electrokinetics may be used for more effective degradation of organic contaminants in soils	The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) carries out a research on the use of soil electrokinetics to improve the effectiveness of the remediation method for degradation of organic contaminants in soils.
6		'Global warming' satellite launched	Envisat, one of the largest and most advanced satellites ever built has been sent into orbit to gather information on environmental concerns.
III. Subject Area: Clean Technology
7		Japan considers changing law to promote fuel cells		The Japanese government is moving towards changing the existing energy law that only allowed the use of fuel cells for business purposes in Japan.

S/N	Title	Synopsis
III. Subject Area: General Environmental News
8	OECD Governments look to buy 'Green'	Governments within the OECD are leading the effort to buy more environmentally friendly goods and services, with the objective of encouraging businesses and households to follow suit.
9	Grants give rise to green schools	Grants have been awarded to promote the design and construction of a new generation of resource- and energy-efficient green school buildings under the Massachusetts Green School Program
10	UK firms paying more attention to environment - survey	A survey conducted by Business in the Environment (BIE) indicated that British companies and investors are paying greater attention to the environment.

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
1	Toyota to sell fuel cell-powered cars in 2003	Toyota Motor Corp. will begin selling fuel cell motor vehicles in June next year.
2	"Buried dams" help clean recycled water	CSIRO researchers found that disease-causing microbes can be effectively eliminated from recycled water by storing it in aquifers.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
3	US study indicts particulate air pollution	According to an on-going U.S. study, long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution common in many metropolitan areas increases the risk of death from lung cancer and other cardiopulmonary diseases.
III. Subject Area: Waste Management and Green Energy
4	UK pushes wind, solar power for local communities	In a move to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the UK government will spend £1.6 million to advise local communities on the use of 'green' energy from renewable sources.
5	Massachusetts enacts energy efficiency law	Massachusetts enacted a new bill, "An Act Promoting Energy Efficiency and Conservation" on 28 Feb 2002.
6	Biodiesel - A solution to pollution	Advocates in the UK say that biodiesel is the solution to fuel shortages, pollution, global warming and farming problems.
7	Scientists aiming to turn scrap tyres into environmentally friendly products	Researchers from the University of Massachusetts are working on projects to recycle used tyres to reduce the number of used tyres piled in U.S. landfills.
IV. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulations
8	Japan to tighten PM, NOx emission rules	Japan will impose stricter regulations on automobile emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides from 2005.
9	Netherlands bans flame retardant chemical	The Netherlands has announced that it is banning TetrabromobisphenolA, Bis, a type of brominated flame retardant.
10	Experts group urges adding pesticides, asbestos to Rotterdam Convention's PIC list	Government-appointed experts have agreed to propose the addition of three pesticides and five forms of asbestos to the Rotterdam Convention's list of chemicals subject to prior informed consent (PIC) procedures.
11	Britain sets cash incentive for emissions trading	Britain has announced an indicative budget of 150-200 million pounds over five years as incentives for its pollution trading scheme to be launched in April.
V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
12	Rules needed to spur development of emissions trading system	The Executive Director of the International Emissions Trading Association said that the rules of an international trading system for greenhouse gas emissions need to be defined soon for industry to be convinced to participate in such a scheme.

S/N		Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
1	Pollution constricts blood vessels		Researchers have shown that air pollution can cause the blood vessels of healthy people to close up.
2	PCBs in farm sludge		A chemical linked to cancer and other health problems has been discovered in sludge spread on farm fields in Wisconsin in the US.
II. Subject Area: Waste Management and Green Energy
3	California puts more recycled material into playgrounds		Playgrounds in numerous California neighbourhoods are not only becoming safer and more accessible to a wider range of kids but are also providing a second chance for many materials.
4	California looks to tap into the ocean's energy		Scientists at San Diego State University (SDSU) are hitting California's beaches in search of waves that can be a source of renewable energy.
5	Japan in race to commercialise new fuel by 2006		Japan is racing to commercialise a new generation of fuel by 2006 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to rely less on Middle East energy imports
III. Subject Area : Environmental Technology
6	Nanoparticle Technology could save more than US$100 billion in groundwater clean-up efforts		A team of environmental engineers in Lehigh University have pioneered and tested a new technology using nanoparticles that can cleanse polluted underground aquifers.
7	Industry coalition announces plans for a Canadian 'clean coal' power plant		The Canadian Clean Power Coalition (CCPC), announced plans for a Canadian clean coal demonstration power plant.
8		Zero emission bus rides into Washington	A zero emission, zinc-air fuel cell bus made its way to the nation's capital on 13 Mar 02, in a high-profile demonstration attended by government officials and journalists.
IV. Subject Area : Environmental Policy and Regulations
9		Japan to introduce legislation to cleanup contaminated sites	New Japanese legislation mandating the cleanup of toxic sites is a triumph for environmental responsibility.
V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
10		Senate rejects proposal to require utilities to use more renewable energy	The US Senate rejected a proposal to require utilities to produce as much as a fifth of their electricity from wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources.
11		BP reaches climate goals eight years early	BP has reached its self-imposed greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets eight years ahead of schedule.

S/N		Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulations
1	California plans boost in renewable portfolio		California governor supported the legislation that requires the state's three investor's owned utilities to increase the percentage of energy generated from renewable sources to 20 percent by 2010.
II. Subject Area: Recycling and Green Energy
2	Germany introduces deposit on one-use cans and bottles		The German government passed a measure that calls for compulsory deposits on disposable drink cans and bottles starting from 1 Jan 2003. Users can earn their money back if they dispose of the bottles and cans in special recycling machines.
3	Automaker tests parts from recycled plastics		DaimlerChrysler, one of the car manufacturers in Europe, used recycled plastics to make vehicle parts.
4	DOE seeks alternative energy at federal sites		The US Department of Energy awarded contracts to five energy service companies to promote renewable energy use at federal facilities.
5	Cooking oil to fuel buses and heat homes		The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is working with private company and transportation agency to promote environmentally friendly alternatives to diesel and home heating oil in the Buffalo Niagara Region.

III. Subject Area : Environmental Pollution and Health
6	Fetuses take air pollution to heart	Epidemiologist from the University of California at Los Angeles found that pregnant women exposed to carbon monoxide and ozone have a higher risk of giving birth to babies with heart deformities.
IV. Subject Area : Climate Change and Global Warming
7	Climate change costs southern ocean oxygen	Scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia found that climate change has caused the oxygen content in the southern ocean to decline.
8	Western Canada warmer and ocean level rising	Researchers from the University of Victoria warned that global warming could result in the loss of glaciers in British Columbia, Canada's western province, and also changes the fish breeding habits.
V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
9	Group requests permit for oceanic carbon injection project	An international consortium petitioned the US Environmental Protection Agency for a permit to test a marine carbon sequestration process.
10	BP says to cut UK emissions of greenhouse gases	BP, one of the major oil companies, pledged to cut its UK emissions of greenhouse gases by over 350,000 tonnes over the next five years.

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	Norway to start emissions quota trading in 2005		The Environment Ministry of Norway will start a limited scheme for trading the right to emit greenhouse gases by 2005.
2	Britain earmarks funds for solar power		The British government announced that it was providing £20 million to promote the installation of solar power cells on the rooftops throughout the nation.
3	Japan to require recycling of PCs starting in summer 2003, METI says		Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry is preparing to launch a compulsory recycling system for personal computers in 2003.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
4		New furnace technology aims to save energy and cut emissions	The University of Toronto has developed a new laser sensor that detects wasted energy in an industrial furnace.
5		Nitrogen oxide detector helps scientists answer pollution questions	The University of California has developed an advanced detector capable of measuring all types of nitrogen oxide (NOx) compounds in the air.
6		First fuel cell-gas turbine hybrid up and running	US Department of Energy announced a new technology that successfully combined a fuel cell with a micro-turbine to produce 190 kW of electricity.
7		European space agency satellite expected to relay environmental data	The European Space Agency successfully activated the first scientific instrument on board Europe's largest environmental satellite ever built on 6 Mar 02, marking the beginning of an unprecedented global data collection mission.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
8		Pollen production - and allergies - may rise significantly over next 50 years	Harvard University's researchers reported that rising carbon dioxide levels could lead to an increase in the incidence of allergies due to ragweed and other plants by mid-century.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
9		European motorcycle emissions cut by 70 percent	The European Commission Pollutant announced that emissions from new motorcycles would be reduced by 65 to 70 percent from today's levels across the European Union within four years.
10		Plastic solar cells developed in lab	The University of California is developing the first generation of plastic solar cells, which may one day provide a cheap substitute to silicon cells currently in use.

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