Table of Contents
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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1 |
Britain aims for big CO2 emission cuts by 2050 |
Britain announced that it would seek to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 60 percent by 2050. |
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2 |
Japan looks to boost auto recycling levels |
The Japanese government will require automakers to recycle about 70 percent of crushed waste from automobiles by 2015. |
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3 |
Netherlands, Nicaragua signed an agreement to curb carbon dioxide emissions |
The Netherlands has signed a cooperation agreement with Nicaragua to use Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism to help it reduce up to 5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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4 |
Magnesium could make lightweight, recyclable cars of the future |
Australian scientists have mastered a new magnesium technology that could be used for everyday products such as vehicle engines and body panels for trains. |
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5 |
Turning hog waste into diesel fuel |
US' largest pork producer said that it would build a $20 million facility in Utah that will use waste from 500,000 hogs to make biodiesel. |
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6 |
"Bio-Plastics" for Automobiles |
Toyota Motors Corp will use plastics made from a plant indigenous to India. |
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7 |
Vibration power a new age of appliances |
UK scientists are working to develop appliances that run on power generated from their own vibrations. |
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III. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health |
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8 |
EPA report details environment risks to children |
The USEPA said that children are getting asthma at more than double the rate two decades ago, and one of 12 women of childbearing age has blood mercury levels that could hinder brain development in a fetus. |
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IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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9 |
Synthetic trees could purify air |
A physicist from Columbia University is trying to develop an artificial tree that would remove carbon from the atmosphere. |
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10 |
Australia releases its first comprehensive pollutant inventory |
Australia has released its first pollutant inventory to include all substances on release list. The inventory included data on industry emissions of 90 toxic substances. |
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Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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1 |
Stakeholders Debate Ship Fuel Sulphur Limits |
The European Commission's proposal to limit sulphur in bunkering fuel comes under attack by the shipping industry and oil refiners. |
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2 |
U.S. To Adopt Stricter Cancer Guidelines For Kids |
The final draft of revised U.S. federal guidelines for cancer risk assessment assumes that children are more vulnerable to the effects of certain carcinogens than adults. |
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3 |
EU Proposes Crackdown On Marine Polluters |
The European Commission has proposed a draft directive to provide for criminal sanctions on deliberate discharges of oil and noxious substances at sea. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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4 |
Germany To Recycle Wastewater Phosphate |
A group of researchers led by the German environment agency is looking into methods of increasing phosphate recovery from wastewater streams and converting it into fertilisers. |
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5 |
Jojoba Oil Could Fuel Cars And Trucks |
A research team at the United Arab Emirates University in Al-Ain and the Helwan University in Cairo are testing the potential of jojoba oil as an environmentally friendly alternative motor fuel. |
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III. Subject Area: Waste Management |
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6 |
Canadian Electronics Companies Addressing E-Waste Problems |
A number of Canadian consumer electronics and information technology companies have created the Electronic Product Stewardship Canada (EPSC) to address the problem of e-waste generated by the electronics industry in Canada. |
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7 |
Latest Dutch Waste Plan In Force |
The Netherlands unveiled its four-year (2002 - 2006) waste plan with the aim of achieving national waste recovery rate of 83% in 2012. |
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8 |
Italian Weight-Based Waste Charges Advance |
Italy's weight-based waste charging scheme for collection of municipal waste saw further advancements with its implementation in Rome. |
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IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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9 |
EU Product Policy Could Lay Down Design Rules |
The European Commission has proposed for a European Union (EU) integrated product policy that includes green product design obligations as one of the policy measures. |
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10 |
Study Finds Hybrid Cars Greener Than Hydrogen Cars |
A study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revealed that hydrogen fuel cars would not outpace the environmental benefits of hybrid cars until at least 2020 when technology advancement allows the production of hydrogen in an environmentally friendly manner. |
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Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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1 |
EU Assembly Urges More Biofuels in Road Transport |
The EU assembly recommended that more plant-based biofuels should be used in road transport over the next few years to help reduce dependence on conventional gasoline and diesel. |
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2 |
Prior Informed Consent: Asbestos, Pesticides, Lead |
The list of chemicals that are subjected to trade controls will be expanded to include all forms of asbestos, three pesticides and two forms of lead, if approved under the Rotterdam Convention. |
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3 |
EU Likely to Propose Phaseout of HFCs in Auto Air Conditioning |
The European Commission is likely to propose legislation that would phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in automobile air conditioning systems to help the EU meet its target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. |
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4 |
European Commission to Propose Directive on Eco-Design Rules for End-Use Equipment |
The European Commission will soon propose a framework directive on eco-design rules for end-use equipment such as electrical and electronic equipment. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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5 |
Carbon-Filled Plastic Traps Dioxins Permanently |
A Swedish company, in partnership with a German research centre, has come up with an effective way of using plastic embedded with carbon to capture dioxins. |
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III. Subject Area: Waste Management and Energy |
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6 |
Australia Offers Solar DHW Incentives to Reduce GHG Emissions |
The government of Western Australia has launched an incentive programme for solar water heating systems. |
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IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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7 |
Germans Experiment with Emissions Trading, Prices |
German companies are experimenting with emissions certificate trading ahead of the launch of a Europe-wide scheme in 2005. |
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8 |
First Cooperative Fuel-Cell Test Facility Opens in Japan |
Vehicle manufacturers join forces with energy-supply companies in the opening of the first Japanese fuel-cell testing facility in Japan. |
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9 |
Polar Sea Ice Could Be Gone by the End of the Century |
A study conducted by a team of international scientists reported that much of the Earth's frozen north will have defrosted by the end of the century. |
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Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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1 |
European Parliament Endorses Zero-Sulphur Fuel Directive |
The European Parliament has passed a regulation requiring 'sulphur-free' gasoline and diesel from 2009. |
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2 |
Mercury Bill Introduced By US Senator |
The US has introduced a Mercury Retirement Act to ban the sale of mercury thermometers and increase availability of mercury-free alternatives. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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3 |
Underwater Sensor System Could Protect Reservoirs, Drinking Water |
US researchers are looking into acoustic methods that allow real-time data transfer for continuous monitoring of water bodies. |
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III. Subject Area : Environmental Pollution and Health |
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4 |
Air Pollution Spurs Asthma, Allergies |
A US researcher found that air pollutants like ozone worsen allergies and asthma. |
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5 |
Barbecue Fumes Adding To Houston Haze |
A US study claims that fatty acids released into the atmosphere during barbecues contribute to the haze in Houston. |
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6 |
EPA Data Show Smog Surged From 2001 To 2002 |
The number of days in the US where the levels of ozone exceeded the eight-hour standard increased by 32% from 2001 to 2002. |
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IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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7 |
Codelco Smelter's Gas Conversion Ready In July |
A Chilean state-owned copper company is converting the fuel it uses for copper smelting from diesel to natural gas by July 2003. |
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8 |
As Gasoline Prices Hit New Highs, NRDC Maps Path To Oil Security |
US' National Resources Defense Council reported that a responsible vehicular fuel economy standard would save 25 times the amount of oil compared to a strategy relying solely on fuel cells by 2020. |
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9 |
EU generates three-quarters of world's wind power |
Wind power produces 0.4 percent of the world's electricity, with the proportion rising to 2 percent in Europe. |
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S/N |
Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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1 |
EU Detergent Ecolabel Criteria Revamped |
The revised criteria for laundry detergents to be eligible to carry the EU ecolabel have been published. |
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2 |
California Regulators Mull Shift from Pollution-free Electric Cars to Low-pollution Hybrids |
California plans to soften regulations requiring battery-powered, pollution -free cars in the state. Under the proposal, automakers could produce hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars and low-pollution hybrid vehicles. |
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3 |
New York Passes Nation's Toughest Acid Rain Rules |
New York State Environmental Board has ordered reductions in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide to curb acid rain as well as to help people with asthma and other respiratory ailments. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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4 |
Vegetable Oil Strain Shows Promise in Car Engines |
Researchers in the US have found that altering the chemical structure of soybean oil can make the oil more resistant to temperature change making it possible for use as a supplement to petroleum-based motor oil in automobiles. |
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5 |
New Water Treatment Process Could Help Cities Cut Sludge Disposal Costs |
An innovative technique, called the activated magnetic sludge process has been proposed for treating and purifying wastewater to reduce the amount of leftover sludge. |
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6 |
Six Global Automobile Manufacturers to Work Together on Fuel Cell Technologies |
Six leading global automakers have agreed to jointly undertake research to develop technologies to produce high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks. |
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III. Subject Area: Waste Management and Energy |
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7 |
Company to Use Landfill Gas to Reduce Plant Emissions |
The Dow Chemical Company has signed a contract to capture and use landfill methane at its manufacturing plant in place of natural gas. |
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IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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8 |
U.N. Group Develops Guidance to Control Unintentional Release of Organic Pollutants |
The U.N. group tasked to develop guidelines for controlling unintentional release of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) will consider the differing situations and conditions faced by developing and developed nations. |
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9 |
Swiss Sewage Spreading Ban to Enter into Force |
Swiss legislation to phase out use of sewage sludge to fertilize farmland will take effect on 1 May 2003. |
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S/N |
Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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1 |
Spanish Environmental Noise Rules Proposed |
The Spanish government approved a draft law on environmental noise management to combat noise pollution. |
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2 |
Italy's Industry Minister Wants to Extend Car Eco-incentives |
The Italian Industry Minister is in favour of extending the eco-incentives for auto sector which had expired in March 2003. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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3 |
New Refrigeration Technology Is CFC-Free And Super-efficient |
Scientists from the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina developed a new refrigeration system which is super efficient and does not require the use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), an ozone-depleting substance. |
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4 |
Antifouling Paint Makes Life Uncomfortable For Barnacles |
Scientists at Cornell University in United States invented a new antifouling ship paint that does not contain any toxic copper or organotin-based compounds. |
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III. Subject Area: Renewable and Green Energy |
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5 |
Scotland Confirms 40% Target For Renewables |
Ministers in the Scottish Executive adopted a target of 40 percent of power to come from renewable energy (wave and tidal) sources by 2020. |
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6 |
Britain Starts Process to Certify Green Power |
The British government is implementing the Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin Scheme to certify the source of green power. |
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IV. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Public Health |
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7 |
Waste Handlers Suffer Breathing Problem From Rotting Food |
Researchers from the Norwegian National Institute of Occupational Health found that rubbish collectors exposed to bioaerosols that build up in organic waste could suffer from lung damage. |
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IV. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Public Health |
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8 |
A Study To Establish Pollution Breathed In By Car Commuters |
Researchers from the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development in United Kingdom conducted a study to establish the level of ultra-fine particles that car drivers and passengers are exposed to as they drive through congested urban routes. |
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9 |
Study Links Common Plastic to Birth Defects |
Researchers at the Case Western Reserve University in Ohio found that exposure to low levels of bisphenol A, a common ingredient used to make plastics, caused birth defects in mice that could also occur in humans. |
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V. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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10 |
Britain's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fell Last Year |
Britain's emissions of greenhouse gases fell by 3.5 percent last year through energy efficiency measures and use of renewable energy, keeping the country on track to meet its own pollution targets and those set out in the Kyoto Protocol. |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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1 |
US Government Bans Lead In Candle Wicks |
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has banned lead wicks in candles due to health risks. |
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2 |
EU To Adopt Energy Tax Scheme To Help Meet Kyoto Goals |
EU Finance Ministers approved a harmonized energy tax scheme that is designed to help meet its obligations for cutting greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. |
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3 |
China to Create Nationwide Program for Trading of SO2 Emissions |
China will implement a nationwide SO2 emissions trading program after successful pilot testing in several provinces and cities. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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4 |
GM And BMW To Jointly Support Hydrogen Cars |
GM and BMW have agreed to work jointly to develop refueling devices for liquid hydrogen vehicles. |
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5 |
Fish Waste Finds A New Use |
A UK company is testing a new method of binding heavy metals in groundwater and soil that could be used for soil and water remediation. |
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III. Subject Area: Renewable and Green Energy |
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6 |
Packaging In Transit - Greening The Way |
A UK Consultancy found that companies could make savings and help the environment by redesigning their transport packaging. |
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7 |
Spain Amends Law to Allow Deductions For Firms Investing in Renewable Energy |
The Spanish government gives a 10% tax deduction for investments in renewable energy sources. |
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8 |
FDA Seeks Action On Mercury-Laden Fish |
Federal health officials from the Food and Drug Administration are studying which fish and how much of them are eaten by women of childbearing age to reduce the number of fetuses harmed by mercury. |
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9 |
Indian Villagers Crippled By Fluoride |
Excess fluoride has turned the ground water into a slow poison crippling at least 10,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousand of others in constant misery in southern India. |
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10 |
FedEx, Environmental Group Form Alliance To Design, Develop Cleaner Delivery Truck |
FedEx and an environmental group have entered into a partnership to develop hybrid delivery trucks with lower emissions and greater fuel efficiency. |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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1 |
U.S. Moves to Cut Air Pollution From Off-Road Diesel Vehicles |
The Bush administration said it would propose rules to cut harmful air emissions by some 90 percent by 2010 from diesel-powered vehicles like tractors, bulldozers and other off-road vehicles. |
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2 |
Australian Car Sector Sets Target to Cut Fuel Use |
Australia's car industry unveiled plans yesterday to reduce fuel consumption of new passenger cars by about 18% by 2010. |
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3 |
Motorcycle Emission Cuts Urged |
An advisory panel to the Japanese Environment Minister has called for a reduction in motorcycle emissions. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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4 |
New Batteries Promise Low-Cost Electricity |
A new kind of rechargeable battery made from magnesium has been developed by Israel. The technology might eventually replace lead-acid and nickel-cadmium packs for power vehicles and storing electricity. |
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5 |
A Sliver of Solar Slashes the Cost of Green Energy |
An ultra thin solar cell could significantly cut the cost of solar power and is up to 50 times more efficient, according to a German project. |
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III. Subject Area: Renewable and Green Energy |
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6 |
Minister Launches Sturdy Supermarket Bag |
Australia launched a Bag For Life programme in an initiative of 150 supermarkets to introduce sturdy recyclable plastic bags to help minimize the impact of plastic bags on the environment. |
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III. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health |
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7 |
EPA Steps Up Study of Teflon Chemical Risk to Humans |
Perfluorooctanoic acid, an unregulated chemical used in furniture, carpet and non-stick pots and pans, could pose a serious health risk to the public, prompting the US Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) to launch an in-depth assessment to determine its safety. |
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8 |
Docs Fear New Toxic Woe |
Swedish researchers say polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in flame resistant materials are rapidly building up in people, and are harmful to the brains of babies. |
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9 |
Germany Agency Warns on Biocides in Paint |
Germany's environment agency has warned that some types of biocide-containing water-based paints considered to be environmentally friendly could pose risks due to the presence of chemical preservatives. |
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IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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10 |
Sunlight Converts Household Anti-Bacterial Agent to Dioxin |
Sunlight can convert triclosan, a common disinfectant used in anti-bacterial soaps, into a form of dioxin, and this process may produce some of the dioxin found in the environment, according to research at the University of Minnesota. |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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1 |
Head of EPA reaffirms US commitment to ratify Persistent Organic Pollutants Treaty |
The US Environmental Protection agency (USEPA) has announced that for the next several months, it would be working closely with the US Congress to pass legislation to enable US to ratify the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). |
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China moves towards ratification of treaty requiring to phase out methyl bromide |
China's State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) announced that China is ready to ratify the Copenhagen Amendment (CA) to the Montreal Protocol (MP) which requires the country to phase-out the production and use of methyl bromide by 2015. |
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II. Subject Area: Waste Management |
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Australian state propose targets for recycling of solid industrial waste |
EcoRecycle Victoria, the Victorian state agency in Sydney has submitted to the state government, a draft paper that proposes waste management strategies and targets for recycling of solid industrial waste. |
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Australian state to ban grease trap wastes in landfills by end 2003 |
EPA Victoria expects to have a ban on the landfill disposal of grease trap wastes by mid to late 2003 to free up the landfill areas. |
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III. Subject Area: Environmental Research and Findings |
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Innovative types of pavements will help to reduce traffic noise |
Researchers from the Purdue University designed a new Tire/Pavement Test Apparatus to help to reduce traffic noise on future highways. |
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Radio energy to zap insect infestations |
A research team at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has found an ozone friendly way to fumigate stored fruit and nuts. |
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Research shows diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles are primary contributors to smog Particulates |
Air quality researchers at Rice University in Houston have completed the first detailed study that attempts to apportion the fine particulate matter measured in the city's smog to their sources of origin. |
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IV. Subject Area: Renewable and Green Energy |
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8 |
OECD nations can cut energy use by 1/3 by 2010 |
The International Energy Agency said that the world's rich industrial countries could slash nearly a third of their energy use by 2010 by using more energy-efficient electrical appliances. |
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V. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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9 |
EU readies first ideas on hydrogen fuel dream |
Both the European Union and the United States have voiced ambitions to move to a "hydrogen economy" where the carbon-free gas is used in fuel cells to create electricity that one day could replace oil as the main propellant for cars. |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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New Zealand's Emission Tax Will Hurt Competitiveness |
The New Zealand government gives out Negotiated Greenhouse Agreements to companies to address concerns that the carbon emissions tax to be introduced in 2007 to meet Kyoto Protocol's obligations would make the firms uncompetitive. |
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Older Plants Need Latest Pollution Controls |
A US study reported that too many older coal-fired power plants in the U.S. are exempted from the requirement to install the state-of-the-art pollution control equipment. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Research and Findings |
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3 |
Ethanol Might Be A Solution To Air Pollution That Caused Lung Cancers |
US researchers found that adding ethanol to diesel and petrol used by vehicles reduces fine particulate, CO and CO2 emissions, with attendant health benefits. |
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4 |
Study Links Heart Attacks To Rise In Air Pollution |
An international study found that a slight daily increase in sulphur dioxide levels could lead to a rise in hospital admissions for heart disease. |
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IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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5 |
US Seeks Support For Fuel Shift To hydrogen |
The United States decides to seek international support for a plan to reduce dependence on oil imports and switch cars to a "hydrogen economy". |
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6 |
California Mulls Testing Humans For Pollution |
California is considering a new plan to carry out research to test for minute traces of pollution and toxins in humans |
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