TABLE OF CONTENTS
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S/N |
Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Management |
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1 |
New York Governor sets alternative fuel vehicles goal |
New York State has set an ambitious goal of requiring all non-emergency vehicles purchased by state agencies to be clean alternative fuel vehicles by the end of the decade. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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2 |
New sensing system for diesel engines |
Delphi, a US-based firm specializing in automotive control system has developed a new sensing system for closed-loop control of diesel engines to ensure lower exhaust emissions and lower noise emission when the vehicle is idling. |
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3 |
Study determines payback time of solar panels |
Siemens Solar has released a study that showed that its photovoltaic modules have a payback time of about three years. |
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III. Subject Area: Environmental Policy |
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4 |
Japan planning to regulate emissions from special purpose vehicles |
The Japanese Transport Ministry is preparing to set maximum emission levels for nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, for special purpose vehicles such as bulldozers and tractors, effective in fiscal year 2002. |
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IV. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health |
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5 |
Petrol fumes in male breast cancer link |
Danish researchers find that petrol fumes may cause male breast cancer. The findings have prompted researchers to call for further research to see whether petrol fumes could be a factor in female breast cancer. |
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V. Subject Area: Waste Minimisation and Recycling |
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6 |
Japan considering measures on mandatory collection, recycling and reuse of used cars |
The Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) is considering measures to collect, recycle and reuse automobiles reaching the end of their useful life. |
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7 |
Computer recycling made easier with new adhesive |
Materials scientists from Cornell and the State University of New York at Binghamton have developed a new epoxy compound that breaks down at 190 C and hence makes the recovery of components on printed circuit boards easier. |
SUMMARY REPORT
Period Covered: 4 Sep 2000 to 10 Sep 2000
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Item 1 |
New York Governor sets alternative fuel vehicles goal |
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Summary |
New York Governor George Pataki has set an ambitious goal that, by the end of this decade, all non-emergency vehicles purchased by state agencies will be clean, alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). AFV are vehicles includes those vehicles fueled by natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen and methanol and are cleaner in their emissions compared to conventional vehicles fueled by petrol or diesel. According to Governor Pataki, new advances in clean fuel technology have made the widespread use of alternative fueled vehicles an attainable goal and in New York State and he has made it a leading priority. He is committed to greatly increasing the number of AFVs in the State fleet to reduce harmful emissions and provide significant environmental benefits. In order to make this goal a reality, the New York State Clean Fuel Vehicles Council developed a comprehensive infrastructure plan to construct new fueling stations across the state. |
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Reference |
http://www.gnet.org |
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Item 2 |
New sensing system for diesel engines |
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Summary |
Delphi Automotive Systems, U.S has developed a new sensing system for the closed-loop control of diesel engines. The closed-loop system will ensure better combustion control and lower exhaust and noise emission levels when the vehicle is idling. The technology also ensures performance stability throughout the vehicle's life. In addition, Delphi is also developing a plasma exhaust after-treatment system that will allow diesel engines to meet more stringent nitrogen oxide emissions standards and reduce particulate and hydrocarbons. |
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Reference |
http://www.pollutiononline.com/ |
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Item 3 |
Study determines payback time of solar panels |
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Summary |
Siemens Solar, one of the world's leading manufacturers of solar panels, has released a study that shows its photovoltaic modules have a payback time of about three years. The research was conducted by scientists from Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc (E3), a San Francisco-based engineering and economics consulting firm specializing in strategic energy planning. E3's study focuses on the payback time for both single-crystalline silicone (sc-Si) and thin film copper indium diselenide (CIS) photovoltaic modules manufactured by Siemens Solar. Photovoltaic devices directly convert the sun's energy to electricity. A cell is a solid-state device used primarily to convert solar energy into electricity, while a module is a group of photovoltaic cells. The progress made in recent years in photovoltaic cells technology has made solar energy a potentially feasible source of energy for the future. |
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Reference |
http://www.gnet.org |
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Item 4 |
Japan planning to regulate emissions from special purpose vehicles |
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Summary |
The Japanese Transport Ministry is preparing to regulate emissions from bulldozers, tractors and other special purpose vehicles by 2002. The regulations would call for setting maximum emission levels for nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. The proposed levels would be more stringent than the current emission standards for regular road vehicles. The ministry would begin deliberations on details of the new regulations in September. Manufacturers of vehicles that fail to meet the new standards would be banned from manufacturing such vehicles. In addition to bulldozers and tractors, the ministry plans to regulate emissions from construction and road paving vehicles and agricultural machinery. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol. 23, No. 18, Page 672. |
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Item 5 |
Petrol fumes in male breast cancer link |
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Summary |
Danish researchers believe that petrol fumes could cause male breast cancer. The findings, based on the medical histories of men with occupational exposure histories to petrol fumes, has prompted researchers to call for further research to see whether petrol fumes could be a factor in female breast cancer. A national register was compiled from a compulsory company pension fund and employment histories derived from 230 male breast cancer cases, and nearly 13,000 controls. Analysis of the records showed that breast cancer among men with more than three months employment in jobs associated with exposure to petrol and combustion products was far higher than those without (odds ratio 2.5 i.e. a person exposed has a two and a half times higher risk than those not exposed). The odds ratio rises to 5.4 for those younger than 40 when first employed in a job exposed to petroleum fumes. Researchers said that breast cancer is about 100 times rarer in men than in women. If petrol and combustion products cause breast cancer in men, it probably does so in women too. |
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Reference |
Air Quality Management, September 2000, Page 11 |
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Item 6 |
Japan considering measures on mandatory collection, recycling, reuse of used cars |
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Summary |
The Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) is planning to require the auto industry to collect, recycle and reuse automobiles reaching the end of their useful life, after completing legislation mandating recycling of household electric appliances. MITI's advisory panel, the Industrial Structure Council's sub-committee on used auto disposal and resources would soon start to explore policies and measures needed for the undertaking. The sub-committee is expected to make its recommendations to the council by early 2001 for possible legislative action by MITI, the Transport Ministry and legislators. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol. 23, No. 18, Page 668. |
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Item 7 |
Computer recycling made easier with new adhesive |
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Summary |
Currently, the epoxy which is used to seal and isolate components and connections on the printed circuit boards of computers from the environment and from other electrical components, is almost indestructible. This had resulted in difficulties in computer recycling, which is the preferred solution compared to landfilling. Materials scientists from Cornell and the State University of New York at Binghamton, U.S have developed a new epoxy compound called Alpha-Terp for use in computers. Alpha-Terp has all the attributes for an environmentally sensitive design that calls for an adhesive that can be easily removed and cleaned up, as its chemical bonds break at 190 degree Celsius. This makes it easier to be removed from the printed circuit boards. Thus the adoption of the new epoxy by computer manufacturers would make disassembly and reuse of the components on a printed circuit board much easier. |
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Reference |
http://www.gnet.org |