The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite technology originally designed to monitor global greenhouse gases and the earth's protective ozone layer, will be adapted to monitor motor vehicle emissions. Cars and trucks will pass through a low-power light beam, without stopping or slowing down and space-age sensor technology will instantly analyze vehicle exhaust pollutants. A camera will snap a picture of the vehicle's license plate if the emission exceeds a preset level.

The emissions measuring system is being developed by SPX Corporation. Estimated to cost $250,000, the system is expected to be ready for the market in 2001.

Ohio University researchers are developing a system that uses sunlight, algae and photosynthesis to remove some of the carbon dioxide produced from coal-fired power plants.

The process works by converting carbon dioxide through tubes of running water, producing bicarbonates. This water would then be fed into a bioreactor where algae growing on screens would consume the bicarbonates with the help of sunlight as in photosynthesis. When the algae are fully-grown, they fall to the bottom of the bioreactor where they can be harvested for other uses.

The US Environment Protection agency (EPA) has issued a Proposed Rule to Control Emissions of Hazardous Air Pollutants from Mobile Sources. The proposal identifies 21 substances that should be considered "Mobile Source Air Toxics" (MSATs). The list of MSATs includes diesel exhaust along with the compounds produced from fuel combustion in motor vehicle engines, as well as certain metal compounds.

The European Commission had proposed a scheme that would require all 15 EU countries to measure noise levels in big cities and noisy areas near motorways, railways and airports. The proposal could pave the way to the imposition of noise limits for European Union cities. The database of measured noise levels would be used to create "noise maps" that could form the basis for noise abatement plans.

An extremely durable (1,000-yr-life) synthetic gas, trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride (SF5 CF3), that reportedly is 18,000 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, is increasing its presence in the earth's atmosphere at a rate of about 6% per year.

To date, a total of 14,000 tons of SF5 CF3 representing 12 trillionth of a percent, occupies the atmosphere.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it now had the scientific backing to proceed with long-planned rules aimed at reducing the amount of mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. The electric utility industry pledged to work with EPA in crafting mercury emissions rule.

The Swiss government has decided to impose a deposit system for glass beverage containers, commencing in 2001, after its failure to persuade the country's major food retailers to participate in a voluntary collection and recovery system. This decision would impose upon beverage producers and importers, the cost of recycling glass containers which is currently being borne by the local authorities.

The German Cabinet has approved an interim national climate protection strategy designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at a faster rate in order to fulfil domestic and international commitments. This is the first time that the government had proposed sectoral burden sharing for reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

Germany's 1990 carbon dioxide emission was 1,012 million tonnes. Based on the German's strategy, it is proposed that the domestic and building sector reduce their CO₂ emission by 10-25 million tonnes; other key sectors like energy and other industries to reduce emission by 20-25 million tonnes and transport by 15-20 million tonnes.