A proposed international ban on the use of tributyl tin (TBT)-based paint applied to ships' hulls drew strong criticism from shipowners during their recent meeting with the US Coast Guard.

Shipowner representatives at the meeting said the current alternatives to TBT-based paints are far less effective at controlling fouling and cause the ships to be dry-docked and repainted more often. More time in dry dock and more repainting mean fewer ships to transport goods and higher prices charged to customers to offset increased maintenance costs. Furthermore, because the products are not as effective as TBT-based coating, more fouling occurs, resulting in more drag in the water. The increased drag from fouling causes more pollution because ships' engine must work harder and use more fuel to overcome the increased drag.

However, chemical industry representatives said a recent alternative coating produced by Arch Chemical, is much better than earlier alternatives and can now deliver performance close to that of TBT-based paints in laboratory testing.

Representatives from more than 100 governments have formally agreed to add two new substances namely ethylene dichloride and ethylene oxide, to an international list of hazardous chemicals subject to voluntary restrictions on cross-border trade.

The pesticides ethylene dichloride and ethylene oxide will now be covered by the Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedures for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade. The Convention is also known as the Rotterdam Convention.

Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new way to measure carbon monoxide (CO) emissions from cars more accurately. It is reported that the new method surpasses the current static and dynamometer tests used for CO measurement.

The new method uses new laser diode sensors that work on the principle that gas molecules absorb different wavelengths of light. CO absorbs radiation at distinct frequencies in the near-infrared range and results in the registering of characteristic absorption.

The new laser diode sensor system measures CO by shining a laser beam through a collection of gases in a chamber while a sensor on the far side of the chamber detects the frequencies at which some of the emitted light gets absorbed in transit. The researcher also said that despite problems inherent in roadside monitoring of passing cars, it is possible to have CO readings reliable to within one percent using remotely placed diode-laser sensors in the system.

According to World Meteorological Organization (WMO), heat waves are expected to become a major killer by 2020. Small increases in global temperatures due to growing amounts of "greenhouse gases" are amplified in big cities and this aggravates the situation.

WMO said that in the 15 biggest US cities, there had been a significant increase of people collapsing and dying from heat waves as compared to the past decade. The death toll from heat waves is expected to continue to balloon in the US and other big cities like Toronto, Shanghai, Athens and Madrid.

The European Commission has unveiled plans to strengthen food safety laws in the European Union (EU) and create a food safety agency called European Food Authority (EFA). EFA, which is scheduled to start working in 2002, will aim to achieve better health standards in food and restore consumer confidence.

An Italian company, Cam Tec SpA, has unveiled a formula that will allow diesel vehicles to run on a cleaner and cheaper fuel mixture. The fuel mixture is about 88% diesel fuel and 10.3% water and is called "White Diesel".

Tests carried out by the company show that the use of "White Diesel" can reduce smog particles by between 10% and 50%, depending on the age of the engine. The most important positive characteristic is that the "White Diesel" can be used immediately in existing vehicles, with only minor changes to the engine. However, the biggest downside from the use of "White Diesel" is a relatively minor loss of power for the vehicle, usually around 5% to 8%. Such a small power loss would be all but unnoticed in the vast majority of situations.

European Union Competition Commissioner has proposed to allow generous state aid and tax incentives to promote renewable energy schemes. The proposal, which still has to be approved by the EU's Executive Commission, would take effect from 1 Jan 2001 for a period of 7 years. Under the proposal, investors would have a guarantee that their full investment would be recovered.

The proposal would permit EU governments to grant aid to investment in renewable energy schemes at a rate of 40% of admissible cost, with a further 10% permissible for small and medium businesses. Member states would also be able to grant aid to cover the difference between the cost of producing renewable energy and the market price for electricity. This aid will be allowed until the whole investment is amortized.