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Table of Contents

S/N	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	Irish plastic bag levy becomes law	Ireland's environmental levy on plastic shopping bags has been signed into law.
2	Philippines to regulate import of GMOs	The Philippine government has approved guidelines to regulate imports of genetically modified plants and plant products by 1 Jul 2003.
3	Canada to reduce sulphur level in diesel	Canadian Environment Minister announced a plan to reduce the sulphur content in diesel fuel by 95 percent.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
4	Japan power body invents device to measure airborne pollutants	The Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) has developed a laser radar system that can measure trace pollutants in the atmosphere with high precision from the ground.
5	New product for testing safety of public drinking water receives US EPA approval	A testing product, Colitag, manufactured by CPI International, has the ability to detect small amounts of E. coli bacteria in water samples.
III. Subject Area: Recycling and Green Energy
6	Scrap fridges to go to Germany	Thames Waste Management (TWM) plans to export up to 100,000 scrap refrigerators a year to Germany for reprocessing.
7	Programme brings together producers and users of recyclable waste	Civil engineers from Purdue University are creating a website that will display the names and locations of Indiana companies producing wastes that could be reused as raw materials for construction and transportation projects.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
8	Warmer water changing Portugal fish species	A researcher from the University of Lisbon said that rising water temperatures have dramatically changed the species of fish in Portugal's Tejo River estuary.
9	UV and PCBs can cause tumors even at sites not exposed	The combination of sunlight and PCB exposure enhances the development of non-melanoma skin cancer on parts of the body not directly exposed to the sun, according to a University of Illinois study.

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1.	New electroscrap laws	The European Parliament iis working to ban consumers from discarding used electrical equipmentthrowing out their electroscrap, and make producers of equipment responsible for theirits safe disposal.
2	New diesel emission standards in Japan	Japan's Environment Ministry is recommending stricter regulations on emissions from diesel-powered vehicles to be sold from 2005.
3	EPA adopts hazardous air pollutant emission standards for petroleum refineries	U.S EPA has adopted a rule which calls for national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) from sources at petroleum refineries.
4	Transport the focus of UK green fiscal package	The UK has introduced a package of fiscal incentives for green transport measures and green technologies.
II. Subject Area: Greener EnergyEnvironmental Technology
5	Carbon sequestration R&D program.	The USA is carrying out research on cTo stop the threat of global warming, changes are needed to how energy is produced. Carbon sSequestration as a is one way to make it means by which an easier to transition can be made from "conventional" power generation to a system that utilizes renewable alternatives.
6	Extracting CO₂ directly from air	The USA is studying aA simple and cost effective method to for removeing CO₂ directly from ambient air is being studied the US Department of Energy (DOE)..
III. Subject Area: Waste Management and Green Energy
7	More recycled materials into playgrounds	California Integrated Waste Management Board is giving provides grants totaling more than US$2.5 million in an effortto upgrade playgrounds by using recycled materials.
118	Dutch crack down on packaging litter	Dutch fFirms in the Dutch packaging firm have voluntarily committed themselves to a tighter packaging covenant proposed by the Netherlands government

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
1	Research leads to strong, eco-friendly plastic foams	Researchers at the Ohio State University have made a breakthrough to replace solid plastic with dense plastic foams, eliminating the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCS) in the process.
2	New plant uses corn to make plastics and fibres	NatureWorks^TMPLA and NatureWorks Fibers, a facility in Nebraska, is turning field corn into plastics, resins, fabrics and food packaging materials.
3	The magnet refrigerator	Milwaukee-based Astronautics Corporation of America unveiled the world's first room-temperature refrigerator, which uses gadolinium and a magnet to achieve chilling.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
4	Chemicals used on salmon may hurt food chain	A report by the New Scientist said that toxic chemicals used by salmon farms could be killing tiny creatures that are vital to the marine food chain.
5	Could a weed killer that harms frogs' sexual development be disrupting to humans' too?	Atrazine, a weed killer, has been found to be disrupting frogs' sexual development at levels 30 times lower than the levels allowed by the US EPA.
III. Subject Area: Waste Management and Green Energy
6	US enacts new energy bill	US passed an energy bill on 25 Apr 2002 in an effort to wean the US from imported fuels to domestic sources including natural gas, renewable energy and energy efficiency.
7	Wet wastes could become fuels	Scientists at the University of California at Riverside (UCR) said that wet biological wastes, including sewage sludge and grass clippings, could be turned into a synthetic diesel fuel.
IV. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulations
8	Noise abatement laws on the horizon in the EU	The European Parliament is expected to pass compromise legislation dealing with environmental noise, including binding commitments to set noise limits, this month.
9	New Hampshire passes nation's first CO₂ cap	New Hampshire became the first state in the US to pass legislation aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The bill also targeted reductions in emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury from fossil fuel power plants.
10	Car makers face scrap costs under EU waste law	Carmakers in the European Union must pay for the cost of recycling scrap vehicles in a new directive, despite intense lobbying.
V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
11	Taking the high road on diesel engine emissions	According to a special diesel emissions forum held in Las Vegas, contractors would have to control the diesel emissions from their off-road equipment in the near future.
12	Carbon emission trading opens in the UK	Greenhouse gas emissions trading began in the UK this month. The thirty-four organizations that took part in last month's bidding pledged to reduce an equivalent amount of more than 4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over a five-year period.

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
1	Experts seek burial grounds for CO₂	Scientists from 100 nations will meet in Montreal to complete study on various sequestration strategies.
2	New technology answers growing indoor air pollution hazard	A new patented technology which reduces the presence of contaminants of 0.3microns and smaller may offer the first affordable, practical and complete answer to indoor air pollution.
II. Subject Area: Public Health
3	Mercury fillings may be affecting dentists	Researchers have found that dentists had up to four times the normal level of mercury in their urine and nails and suffered more kidney disorders and memory lapses than the general public.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulations
4	EPA proposes to reduce pollution from new large marine diesel engine	EPA has proposed new regulations to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matters (PM) from new US-flagged large marine diesel engines.
5	Hong Kong and Guangdong to clean up bad air	Hong Kong and Guangdong have unveiled aggressive targets to cut growing air pollution.
6	EU halfway to Kyoto target, but emissions are up	The European Union is almost halfway to achieving reductions in greenhouse gas emissions it signed under the Kyoto agreement, but emissions are trending upward.
7	NZ government favours carbon tax to meet Kyoto target	New Zealand government's proposal to tax up to NZ$25 a tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent to meet the Kyoto protocol targets would raise retail petrol, diesel, electricity, gas and coal prices.
8	California Senate committee approves new emission bill	A California state Senate committee approved a bill which require the state's Air Resources Board to adopt regulations that would achieve the maximum feasible reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases from cars and light-duty trucks.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
9	BP to end MTBE use in California	BP announced the switch from using MTBE to ethanol as a clean-air additive for its fuels and intends to phase out MTBE by the end of the year.
10	US aluminum can recycling declined in 2001	Recycling of aluminum cans fell by 11.2% in 2001 resulting in its lowest ever recycling rate in more than a decade.

S/N			Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution
1		'Car-sharing' plan to curb vehicular emissions		The Italian Ministry of Environment would be spending $8.6 million on a trial "car-sharing" program to reduce vehicular emissions.
2		France to stiffen indoor air quality		A French study, which finds that concentrations of benzene inside buildings are than outdoors, prompts the French government to consider tougher regulations to improve indoor air quality.
II. Subject Area: Energy Conservation
3	New technology enhances energy efficiency in light bulbs					Scientists at the Sandia National Laboratories developed a new technology to improve the energy efficiency of conventional light bulbs.
III. Subject Area: Waste Management
4		Old mobile phones pose growing waste issue		US environmentalists urged federal and state governments to create more effective ways of recycling old mobile phones to reduce the volume of waste containing dangerous pollutants.
5		German waste recycling programme a success		A study of recycling in Germany revealed that approximately 400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide were saved last year through the recycling of 2.3 million tonnes of packaging waste such as aluminium and plastics.
IV. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
6		New method quickly detects bacteria in water and food		Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology developed a new method that could detect bacteria in water and food samples from a variety of media quickly and accurately.
7		GM demonstrates first gasoline-fed fuel-cell vehicle		GM's fuel-cell research facility demonstrated the world's first drivable fuel-cell vehicle, an altered Chevrolet S-10 pickup.
V. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
8		Canada adds three chemicals to CEPA list of toxic substances		Environment Canada finalised the designation of ethylene oxide, formaldehyde and N-Nitrosodimethylamine as toxic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).
VI. Subject Area: General Environmental News
9		US weather experts predicts weaker El Niño than in 1998		The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that this year's looming El Niño, will be much weaker than it was in 1997-98
10		Canada set to reject Kyoto Protocol		Under heavy pressure from its energy industry, Canada seems set to join the US in reneging on the Kyoto protocol on climate change.

S/N		Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	Recycling law on cars in Japan		The Japanese Economic, Trade and Industry Ministry plans to submit a bill at the forthcoming cabinet meeting to establish an automobile recycling law designed to boost the recycling of scrapped vehicle components and reduce waste.
2	Shanghai tougher on exhaust fumes		The municipal environmental protection bureau is seeking the approval of the national authorities to use the tougher Euro II standards for measuring exhaust fumes in Shanghai from early next year.
3	Canadian agency proposes residue limits for eight chemicals		Health Canada has proposed new regulations that set maximum residue limits for eight additional pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides.
4	US EPA proposes pollution credits to clean up rivers		The United States Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a pollution trading system that would allow farmers, municipal sewage plants and others to swap federal credits awarded for improving water quality beyond what is required by law.
II. Subject Area: Recycling and Waste Management
5	California playgrounds use recycled materials		The California Integrated and Waste Management Board has awarded grants to help local public agencies upgrade playgrounds with recycled content materials.
6	New electro-scrap recycling technology		Researchers from the Cambridge University have developed a new way of recycling electronic components and valuable metals in printed circuit boards which are used in computers and other electronic products.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
7	Incinerator ash treatment technology		Researchers from the Sheffield University in United Kingdom have developed a new energy-efficient process for treating toxic incinerator fly ash.
IV. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
8	Smog particles have killer impact in Los Angeles		A national environmental group claimed in a report that an estimated 3,500 people a year die in Los Angles County from the effects of inhaling fine smog particles.
9	Mercury food alert issued for swordfish, shark and marlin		The United Kingdom Food Standards Agency advised that pregnant women, women who intend to become pregnant, infants and children under 16 years of age should avoid eating shark, swordfish and marlin due to high levels of mercury in these fish.
V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
10	Pacific Islands to phase out ozone depleting substances		A project managed by the United Nations Environment Programme would enable the Pacific Islands to completely phase out the use of ozone depleting substances by the end of 2005.
11	Tap water quality improvements needed in two-thirds of Polish cities		A study conducted by Poland's official government watch-dog agency showed that two-thirds of the nation's urban tap water does not meet the Polish drinking water standards and improvement is needed before Poland joins the European Union in 2004.
12	Carbon sinks cannot keep up with emissions		Researchers from the Duke University in United States found that carbon absorption by natural ecosystem may no longer be able to keep up with manmade carbon dioxide emissions.
13	Altered algae soaks up toxic metals		Bio-remediation researchers from the Ohio State University in United States found that genetically altered algae could be used to clean up toxic trace metals in the contaminated sediments of Lake Erie.

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	Environment management systems officially backed by EPA		The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a formal position in regard to the use of Environmental Management System (EMS), saying that the broader use of these tools would help companies and agencies meet their environmental goals and responsibilities.
2	Deposits a possible solution for container problem		The NSW government is considering introducing container deposit legislation (CDL) which would require manufacturers of drink bottles and cans to take more responsibility for the recovery of their products for recycling.
3	Possible introduction of tax on plastic bags		Friends of the Earth welcomed reports that the UK Government is considering a tax on plastic bags to reduce litter and pollution.
4	Britain in 2.3 million pounds boost for wave energy		Britain this week pledged up to 2.3 million pounds to help develop plants to generate electricity by harnessing the power of waves off the coast of Scotland.
5	US tax credit to help Japanese hybrid vehicles		The U.S. Internal Revenue Service said yesterday it would extend a tax credit of up to $2,000 to buyers of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, but only Japanese automakers are likely to benefit in the near future.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
6		Ansul, DuPont fluoroproducts produced first non-ozone-depleting fire extinguisher for aircraft	Ansul Cleanguard portable fire extinguishers, which contain non-ozone-depleting agent, received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for use on board civilian aircraft.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
7		British Study finds a possible carcinogen in everyday food.	Britain's food watchdog said it had confirmed a Swedish study which found a substance (Acrylamide) that may cause human cancer in everyday food.
8		Biotech foods no riskier than other foods	Genetically modified foods pose no greater health risk than conventional foods, but the U.S. government should scrutinize more closely the safety of new biotech products, the investigating arm of Congress said.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
9		Shell invests in bioethanol production	The Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies has announced that it had invested $29 million in the bioethanol company Iogen Energy Corporation for the development of a commercial-scale plant that will produce ethanol from biomass.
10		Scientists find new use for agricultural byproducts	Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) developed a process that can create high value food, consumer and fuel products from the 14 billion pounds of fiber byproduct produced each year by the U.S. corn milling industry.
11		Sound cleans up water purification filter	Sound waves could provide a greener way to make water cleaner.
12		Vehicles, runoff cause most oil pollution in U.S. ocean waters	A new report says consumers of oil, rather than the ships that transport it, are responsible for the vast majority of man-made oil pollution in U.S. ocean waters.

S/N			Title			Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1		New Basel Treaty Guidelines to Improve Recycling of Old Batteries		The Basel Convention has finalised guidelines to promote environmentally sound recycling of spent lead-acid batteries - the number one source of secondary lead in the world today.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Management
2	Thailand Prepares to Sign ASEAN Haze Pollution Pact				Thailand will next month sign an ASEAN deal on haze pollution, marking the first region-wide attempt to deal with the haze that often envelopes Southeast Asia as a result of forest fires and agricultural burning.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
3		New method to charge batteries		US' The National Renewable Energy Lab's Centre for Transportation Technologies and SystemsLab has developed a method to significantly extend the life of lead-acid batteries used in electric and hybrid vehicles
4		Scientists develop algae to clean metal		Researchers at Ohio State University are working to enhance genetically altered algae to improve its ability to clean up heavy metals.
IV. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
5		Human Activity Raises Level Of Sulfur Gas That Affects Ozone Layer		New estimates, based obtainon ed from ice core samples collected from the West Antarctica, suggest that human activities have contributed approximately 25 percent of the modern carbonyl sulfide in the atmosphere.
6		Steroids, Hormones, and other Drugs in Rivers Raise Concern		The US Geological survey (USGS) has found pharmaceutical, antibiotics, insecticides, fire retardants, and the organic contaminants in mixtures at low concentrations in streams below urban areas and intensive livestock production operations.
V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
7		Hydrogen puts Iceland on road to oil-free future		Iceland plans to become the world's first society to ditch fossil fuels entirely, relying instead on hydrogen made using the power of its roaring rivers and volcanoes.
8		New EPA study finds elevated cancer risks from toxic air pollution		Breathing air toxics exposes all Americans to a lifetime cancer risk at least 10 times greater than the level considered acceptable by the USEPA.
9		Energy Dept kills Clinton-era air conditioner rule		The Bush administration has struck down a Clinton-era plan to make air conditioners and heat pumps use 30% less energy, saying such strict standards would make the appliances too expensive for low-income families.

S/N	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	Germany To Implement Tougher Noise Standards	Germany is planning to implement a new legislation to tighten the noise standards for out-door equipment and machinery such as road pavement machinery, sledgehammers, street cleaning machinery and garden equipment.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
2	Water Purification Breakthrough	A US company, Aqua Dyne Incorporated is marketing a new 2000,000 gallons per day water purification system known as the JetWater system. The system offers a reliable and ecologically sustainable solution to the problem of purifying water.
3	Power Plant To Harness Waves For Energy	An Australian company, Energetech is building a power plant in New England to harness energy from ocean waves to generate electricity. The proposed power plant is clean and non-polluting but could be aesthetically unacceptable.
4	Making Rain Using Wind Turbines	An engineer from the University of Edinburgh proposes to use a 40-meter-high wind turbine to pump water into the atmosphere in a bid to help hot areas around the world to make enough rain to prevent drought and reduce the number of people who are short of water.
III. Subject Area: Recycling and Green Energy
5	US EPA Aims To Reduce Landfill/Incineration Of Electronic Waste	The US EPA intends to change its existing waste regulations to facilitate the recycling of materials removed from discarded computers, televisions and other electronic equipment so as to prevent them from being disposed of at municipal landfills and incineration plants.
6	Solar-Powered Ferry Enters Uncharted Waters	An Australian inventor, Robert Dane has designed and built the world's first solar-powered ferry driven by both solar and wind power.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
7	US Proposes Trading Program To Control Water Pollution	US has proposed a pollution reduction credit policy to increase the pace of cleaning up polluted rivers, streams and lakes. The proposed policy would use voluntary incentives to maintain high water quality and save the public millions of dollars.
8	Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen Deposition Affect Plant Diversity	Scientist in the US discovered that plant diversity enhances ecosystem responses to elevated carbon dioxide and nitrogen deposition.
9	Tiny Shrimps To Solve South East Asia's Dengue Problem	An entomologist from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research has identified and used a millimeter long crustacean called Mesocyclops to kill and eat mosquito larva.
10	Short Exposure To Tiny Pollution Particles Increases The Risk of Heart Attack	Researchers in the US have found that two hours of exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate air pollution, raises the likelihood of heart attack.
11	BP Sells Virtually Sulphur-Free fuel in Scotland	British Petroleum announced that its latest fuels are the cleanest in Britain - with a maximum sulphur content of 10 parts per million.

S/N	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulations
1	Labeling Law Legislation Will Protect Public Health	Vermont's 1998 Mercury Reduction Act that requires manufacturers to label mercury-added products sold in Vermont, US to stay.
2	Germany To Toughen Rules On The Use Of Biocidal Products	Germany is about to complete the implementation of the European Union's 1998 Biocidal Products Directive (98/8/EC) introducing stricter controls on chemicals such as indoor wood conservation products and disinfectants.
3	US To Relax Air Pollution Rules For Utilities	The Bush administration said that it would relax costly air pollution rules when US utilities are repaired or upgraded.
4	Germany Enacts Scrap Car Law	Germany's "Old Vehicles Act" will come into effect on 1 Jul 2002. to implement the European Union's Scrap Car Directive.
5	Thicker Plastic Bags Now Required To Boost Recycling In South Africa	A new South African regulation to increase the minimum thickness of plastic bags will come into effect in May 2003.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
6	Facility Receives Award For Pollution Prevention	Owens Corning's Delmar Facility has earned the 2002 New York State Governor's Award for Pollution Prevention, in recognition of outstanding efforts in protecting New York's natural resources.
III. Subject Area: Green Energy
7	Green Power Projects Announced By Major Companies	General Motors, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and Kinko's in the US have all announced clean energy projects as part of an effort to develop corporate markets for green energy through the Green Power Market Development Group.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
8	Diesel Seen Overtaking Petrol As Top Motor Fuel	Industry experts say that technological advances and a significant price advantage could propel diesel ahead of gasoline as the favoured motor fuel of the 21^st century.
9	Cleaner Off-Road Diesel Vehicles May Save 8,500 Lives	State and local regulators in the US have urged the Bush administration to cut emissions from off-road diesel vehicles by more than 90 percent.

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