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Table of Contents

S/N	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Regulations and Policies
1	Italy prepares to "boost incineration"	Italian environment ministry has indicated that the issuance of new policy guidelines is needed to boost Italy's incineration and to meet the medium term target of sending 27% of the waste for incineration.
II Subject Area: Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation
2	Origin Energy blown over by wind power	Australian power company Origin Energy said yesterday it will buy the entire electricity output from Australia's largest wind farm Challicium Hills.
3	UNEP and US National Renewable Energy Laboratory join forces.	A new collaboration between UNEP and US National Renewable Energy Laboratory further boost international effort in green energy research.
4	DOE backing automotive, stationary fuel cell research.	The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a US$70 million programme for the research and development of stationary and automotive fuel cell technology.
5	US's largest electric vehicle fleet	The US Postal Service, in partnership with numerous environment agencies, has launched the largest fleet of electric vehicles in the US. The fleet numbers nearly 400.
III. Subject Area: Recycling and Waste Management
6	Scientists develops "green" solution to plastics waste	The research team at Cornell University has found a green solution to replace non-biodegradable plastics with new fully biodegradable, environmentally friendly green composites.
IV. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
7	Fuel and solvent chemicals may pose greater health risk than previously thought	Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) have discovered that the chemical derivatives of benzene found in fuels and solvent chemicals are highly hazardous and damaging to the nervous system.
8	Use biotech to help poor, not rich, scientists say	A survey of 28 leading scientists concludes that using biotechnology to produce simple nutritional and hygienic improvements and cheap vaccines would do more to improve global health than the development of high-tech treatments.
V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
9	US grain group seeks methyl bromide ban exemption	The North American Millers' Association has requested the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USPEA) to exempt ban on methyl bromide for grain fumigations as the ban would cost the industry more than US$60 million annually.

S/N	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Regulations and Policies
1	European Commission proposes new car taxation strategy	The European Commission has recommended that cars be taxed based on carbon dioxide emission.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
2	US green group says diesel soot is big cancer risk	Tiny soot particles emitted by diesel-fueled cars, trucks, and construction equipment are a major contributor to the cancer risk from air pollution, the US Public Interest Research Group said.
3	Study shows new car reduce air pollution problem	A University study shows that new car equipped with advanced internal combustion engines cut pollutant emissions to levels that were previously unthinkable for gasoline engines and are helping improve air quality
4	Herbicides may complicate pregnancies	A Midwest researcher has found the combination of chemicals in some common weed killers may threaten human fetuses.
III. Subject Area: General Environmental News
5	Environmental programme feel pinch as states tighten belts	In the face of a prolonged economic slump that has flipped their budgets from black to red, states are scrambling to keep their environmental programmes afloat with diminished resources.
6	Power plant purchases will contribute to double digit growth in the fabric filter business	Power plants have traditionally captured fly ash stack emissions with electrostatic precipitators. They are now switching to fabric filters.
7	Aquazole water-diesel fuel emulsion to enter North American Market	An oil company announced that California Air Resources Board has verified a water-diesel fuel emulsion as an Alternative Diesel Fuel.
IV. Climate Change
8	Land use rivals greenhouse gases in changing climate	Changes in land use may rival greenhouse gases in their contributions to global warning, suggest a new international study.
9	Scientist says ice meteors a sign of climate change	A Spanish scientist says global warming may be to blame for giant ice blocks of ice that fall from clear skies.

S/N		Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution
1	Environment's New Menace - Discarded Cellphones		Hand-phone waste is becoming a serious problem. By 2005, some 65,000 tonnes/year of phones, batteries and chargers will be discarded in the US alone.
2	Municipal Incinerators In France To Be Closed By Year's End		France plans to close all municipal incinerators that fail to comply with stringent air pollution standards by end 2002.
II. Subject Area: Waste Management
3	Clear 'Fridge Mountain' Or Face Fines - British Government		UK's Environment Agency has given 60 days to local companies to destroy ozone-depleting substances from a stockpile of fridges by an environmentally acceptable technology.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
4	Honda Unveils At-Home Natural Gas Refueling System		American Honda Motor Co. will be the first US company to mass-market a system that connects to a home's natural gas supply line to refill natural gas vehicles.
5	Carbon Sequestration Seen As An Effective Way To Fight Against Global Warming		The British Geological Survey has found a practical way to fight global warming by burying industrial carbon dioxide in spent undersea gas and oil fields.
6	University Of Florida Develops New Desalination Method		A University of Florida mechanical and aerospace engineering professor has devised a low cost method for producing freshwater from the waste heat given off by fossil fuel power plants.
7	Food Scraps To Power Bacteria-Driven Battery		Researchers at the University of the West of England (UWE) have developed a microbial fuel cell that can be powered by organic household waste.
I V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
8	Climate Change Is Estimated To Cost $150 Billion A Year If Unabated		A US research firm reported that more frequent and devastating storms caused by climate change could cost US$150 billion a year within the next ten years.
9	Dirty Air Fuels Global Warming		Fine suspended particles from burning of coal, wood and diesel may be the biggest single contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide.

S/N	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	EU assembly backs climate emissions trading plan	The European Parliament gave its backing to a plan that will limit the amount of greenhouse gases firms can emit and encourage them to buy and sell the right to emit.
2	European Parliament to require introduction of sulphur-free gasoline and diesel by 2009	The European Parliament voted to approve a legislative compromise with EU governments on the timing of a mandatory introduction of sulphur-free gasoline and diesel fuel.
3	Swiss government proposes tax on gasoline and diesel fuels containing sulphur	The Swiss government has sent a proposal to the Parliament for a new tax on gasoline and diesel fuel containing sulphur levels of more than 10 parts per million.
4	Hong Kong drafts plan to impose landfill fees for construction firms	The Hong Kong Environment, Transport and Works Bureau is developing a plan to charge construction companies for use of the government-run landfills.
5	EU to permit new GM crops	After years of deadlock, the European Union has adopted new rules to permit the development and sale of new GM products.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
6	Clean coal power plant comes on stream in Florida	A new clean coal power plant that will remove more than 90 percent of the sulphur dioxide and 60 percent of nitrogen oxides when compared to traditional technologies is fully operational in Jacksonville, Florida.
III. Subject Area: Recycling and Green Energy
7	Firms to pay for EU electronic waste clean-up	A new law to make companies meet the cost of recycling their own electronic goods from refrigerators to hairdryers has won approval from EU parliamentarians and governments.
8	New German government sticks to can recycling law	The new German government committed itself at coalition talks to introduce deposits on non-refillable cans and bottles next year.
9	Wind power fuels PNNL	The US Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will purchase and use 8.8 million kilowatt hours of wind power in an effort to spur clean energy use in the region.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
10	European Commission unveils two projects to monitor & assess impact of pollutant emissions	The European Commission launched a new satellite-based air pollution monitoring system designed to help determine levels of fine particulate matter in some of the EU's largest polluted cities.
11	Researchers warn water crisis looms as countries mis-manage water	Researchers at the International Food Policy Institute and International Water Management Institute US, warned the world would face a crisis if countries mis-manage water.
12	Airport noise damages children's reading	A new study of children living near airports has shown that the noise from nearby airports impairs children's reading ability and long-term memory, according to environmental psychologists who took advantage of a switch of airports in Munich, Germany. But the effects are reversible.

S/N		Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environment Policy & Regulation
1	BLM Announces New Wind Energy Policy		The U.S. has announced new guidelines for wind energy projects on public lands in response to growing commercial interest in renewable energy resources.
2	EU Presses 10 States To Adopt Car Recycling Laws		The European Commission had issued warning to 10 EU states for failure to adopt the European Union (EU)'s end-of-life vehicles law due since Apr 2002
3	California Smog Agency Seeks Ban On Dry Clean Chemical		The South Coast Air Quality Management District has proposed to ban the use of perchloroethylene used in dry cleaning that makes cleaners a greater cancer risk than oil refineries or power plants.
4	World May Fail To Meet Greenhouse Targets		The world may not meet its target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions under the Kyoto Protocol unless the United States reduces greenhouse gases.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
5	Cooking Oil Added to Low Sulphur Diesel to Improve Performance		U.S. engineers have found that a specially treated cooking oil added to low sulphur diesel could reduce friction and wear when cleaning engine emissions.
III. Subject Area: General Environmental News
6	People Near Freeways are Exposed to 30 Times The Concentration of Dangerous Particles		People who live, work or travel within 165 feet downwind of a major freeway or busy intersection are exposed to potentially hazardous particle concentrations up to 30 times greater than normal background concentrations found at a greater distance.
7	High Mercury Exposure In 10 Percent Of HK Students		A survey has found that as many as 10 percent of high school students in Hong Kong may be at risk of mercury poisoning because of their high consumption of fish.

8

Diesel Car Emissions May Increase Global Warming

Diesel-driven cars which emit less carbon dioxide than gasoline-driven cars may still encourage global warming.

S/N		Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environment Policy & Regulation
1	EC Proposed New Air Quality Guidelines		The European Commission has proposed new air quality guidelines for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals.
2	Parliament Approves Building Energy Standards As Part of EU Climate Strategy		The European Parliament has approved a new legislation on the energy performance of buildings as part of the efforts to lower the European Union's carbon dioxide emissions.
3	South Korea To Step Up Regulation Of 'Potentially Hazardous' Substances		The South Korean government has announced a comprehensive plan to review and tighten the regulation of some toxic chemicals, with new restrictions on the release and volume of these substances.
4	Japan Set To Streamline, Strengthen Rules Governing Disposal Of Dangerous Wastes		The Japan Ministry of Environment plans to streamline and strengthen its Waste Disposal Law in 2003.
5	New Zealand Unveils New Policies To Combat Climate Change, Sets Renewable Energy Goal		The New Zealand government has approved a new climate change policy package and has set new targets to increase renewable energy production by 2012.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
6	Researchers Find Microbe That Converts Toxin To Less Hazardous Chemical		Researchers from the Michigan State University in the US have found a microbe that can convert trichloroethane, a hazardous industrial chemical, into a benign compound that other microbes can render harmless.
III. Subject Area: Recycling and Waste Minimisation
7	Dell Offers Recycling Option To Consumers		Dell Computer Corporation has launched a new programme to recycle used desktop and notebook computers.
IV. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
8	Wood Stove Pollution Is A Burning Issue		Burning Issues, a non-profit organisation focusing on wood smoke pollution in the U.S, found that the burning of low-energy materials like wood and charcoal released more pollution than high-energy fuels like propane and natural gas.
9	Californians Alerted to Water Contamination		The US Natural Resources Defence Council found that drinking water in four of California's largest cities might pose health risks to residents.
V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
10	Study Quantifies Reliability, Low Emissions of CNG Trucks		The National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy found that vehicles fuelled by compressed natural gas produced lower emissions of air pollutants compared to their diesel counterparts.
11	Renewable Energies Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Developing Countries		The Pew Centre for Climate Change in the U.S. (a non-profit independent organisation dedicated to providing credible information and innovative solutions to address global climate change) found that the increased use of renewable energy in six developing countries had contributed to significant reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions.
12	Impact Of Aircraft On Global Warming Reduced By Flying At Lower Altitudes		Researchers from the Imperial College, London, found that flying aircraft at lower altitudes could reduce the impact of commercial aviation on global warming.

S/N	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Regulations and Policy
1	UN seeks to cut risks from pesticides in poor nations	The United Nations has revised guidelines for the use of pesticides, which it believes should reduce health and environmental risks in poor countries where thousands die from poisoning by the toxic chemicals every year.
II. Subject Area: Climate Change and Renewable Energy
2	UK green power boost will raise costs sharply	Boosting the amount of power Britain generates from renewable energy could add hundreds of millions of pounds a year to electricity system costs.
3	Scientists warn of environment danger of wildfires	Wildfires like those that ravaged Indonesia five years ago fuel global warming by increasing emissions of greenhouse gases.
III. Subject Area: Recycling and Waste Management
4	Ford launches close-loop aluminum recycling programme	Ford Motor Company and Alcan Inc have launched the North American automotive industry's first "closed-loop" recycling programme for aluminum sheet scrap.
5	Researchers on the trail of a bioremediation solution for PCBs	Researchers have identified the key reasons that prevented microorganisms from decomposing PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), a persistent and potentially hazardous industrial chemical.
IV. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
6	Impacts of particulates on health assessed	An EU-funded research programme has released the first results of what researchers claim is the most thorough study of the impacts on health of fine particulate pollution.
7	EPA releases butadiene health assessment	U.S. EPA has released the final health assessment of 1,3-butadiene describing the potential health hazards associated with environmental exposures to butadiene.

V. Subject Area: General Environmental News
8	Control phthalates in older kids' toys	Danish retailers and toy importers have been given one year to suggest how phthalate plasticizers could be removed from toys for children aged three to six. This action keeps Denmark at the forefront of European moves to restrict the use of phthalates, which can leach into children's saliva if toys are sucked.

S/N	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	UK Urges More Action on Chloro-paraffins	The UK has called on industry to address risks from the use of medium-chained chlorinated paraffins.
2	Icelandic Government Preparing Bills on Landfill Monitoring, Recycling of Goods	Iceland has introduced bills to require landfill sites be monitored for 30 years after closure and to impose recycling fees on producers and importers of certain consumer goods.
3	UK to Tighten Regulations on Sewage Sludge Recycling	The UK has proposed to tighten sewage sludge treatment regulations to help reduce the risk of pathogens entering the food chain of grazing animals.
4	Future of Transportation Includes Hydrogen	The U.S. has unveiled a "National Hydrogen Energy Roadmap" which indicated hydrogen to be a fuel for transportation in future.
II. Subject Area: Recycling and Green Energy
5	California City Turns Old Diapers to New Uses	California launched a programme to convert used diapers into oil filters, roof shingles and vinyl siding.
6	Zero Energy Home Supported by US DOE	The U.S.' Department of Energy is funding a Zero Energy Home (ZEH) initiative to launch the concept of zero energy homes into the mainstream home building industry.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
7	Air Pollution, Medical Costs Linked	A Stanford University study showed that older Americans in polluted parts of the country were significantly more likely to need medical treatment, and that reducing pollution could cut medical spending.
8	Diabetes Linked to Environment	Studies in the U.S. suggest that exposure to dioxins may be the most significant environment risk factor to diabetes.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
9	Austria Promotes Chemical Leasing Model	Austria's environment ministry has called for chemical companies to lease, instead of sell, chemicals to industrial customers to improve handling safety and usage efficiency.
10	Greece has Highest Particulate Levels in European Union	A European Union study shows that 2 Greek cities, Athens and Thessaloniki, have the highest levels of airborne particles in Europe and that Greece has the worst ozone pollution.

S/N	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	EU Issues New Ship Emissions Bill	The European Commission has proposed a new bill to reduce the sulphur content of marine fuels from the current 2.7% to 1.5% for all seagoing vessels in designated areas. An even lower, 0.2%-sulphur fuel would be imposed on ships while at berth in EU ports.
II. Subject Area: Recycling
2	New Tyre Devulcanization Technology	An Israeli company, Levgum Ltd has invented a clean and low cost technology for recycling tyres. The process breaks down sulphur links across polymer chains in vulcanised rubber allowing the rubber to be used again.
3	New Technique On Glass Recycling In UK	A UK company, Dryden Aqua has found a new way of glass recycling. Glass bottles and other glassware are ground into tiny particles, which are then used to replace sand in sand beds for water purification.
4	Delaware Starts Pilot Project To Collect Junk Mail For Recycle	The Delaware Solid Waste Authority in the US has recently announced a pilot programme to collect junk mail from its community with an aim to divert the waste to a paper mill for recycling.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Technologies
5	Wireless Transmission In Earth's Energy Future	The Millennium Project of the American Council for the United Nations University is exploring the use of a wireless system for energy transmission. Electricity generated by a power station would be converted to microwaves, beamed over long distance by satellite, and then converted back to electricity.

6	Removal Of Mercury From Waste Incineration Plant Stack Emission	Merck, a leading pharmaceutical products and services company in the US, has developed a new mercury vapour removal technology. The technology has been shown to remove 99% of mercury from stack emissions of waste incineration plants.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
7	World's First Hydrogen Energy Station Opens In Las Vegas	The US Department of Energy has opened the world's first hydrogen energy station featuring the co-production of hydrogen fuel for vehicles and clean electric power using fuel cells, in Las Vegas.
8	Fuel Cell Use Jumps On Car And Building	A study carried out by a London-based organization, "Fuel Cell Today" has found a significant increase in the use of fuel cell technology to power vehicles and buildings. The increase was 58% for vehicles and 12% for buildings.
9	Cosmetics Industry Approves Controversial Chemicals	The US Cosmetics Ingredients Review Panel has approved the continued use of phthalates in cosmetics despite the move in EC to phase out some phthalates in cosmetics. Critics said that the panel's decision would leave women at risk of exposure to chemicals that may be linked to birth defects.

S/N	Title		Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation
1	San Francisco moves ahead on green energy goals		The city of San Francisco awarded the first contract in its efforts to produce solar power from panels atop municipal buildings.
2	More aid to phase out ozone-depleting substances		More than 100 governments meeting in Rome are expected to negotiate more than US$500,000 in aid to developing countries to help them to reduce the use of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-depleting substances.
3	Japan to stiffen curbs on dioxin emission from incinerators		Japan will stiffen regulations on the highly toxic dioxin in gas discharged from incinerators from 1 Dec 2002.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
4		Biological reactor that converts food waste into biodegradable plastic	Scientists in Hawaii have developed a biological reactor that coverts a slurry of food waste into a biodegradable plastic.
5		Coal-based gasoline process to be available in 5 - 10 years	Technology for the conversion of natural gas and coal-based synthesis gas into clean transportation fuels should begin to be commercially available within the next five to ten years, according to professor Gerald Huffman from the University of Kentucky.
6		Electronics firm develops revolutionary plastic recycling technology	Japanese electronics firm Matsushita announced that it has developed a method of recycling the plastic casings for electronic equipment.
7		New silver cell offers revolution in solar power	A joint venture between the Australian National University and Origin Energy has developed a new type of solar cell with the potential to revolutionise the global solar power industry.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
8		Mercury in fish linked to heart attacks	People who eat fish with high mercury content run a greater risk of coronary disease than previously thought, a European study has found.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
9		EPA proposes final air toxics standards	The US EPA has proposed the final 10 air toxics standards as required under the Clean Air Act.
10		Phytoplankton implicated in global warming	Researchers at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego, California, used modeling and satellite imagery to show that solar radiation that would otherwise be reflected back into space was being absorbed by phytoplankton, contributing to global warming.

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