The USEPA has developed an Emission Guide that ranks the 2000/01 model passenger vehicles sold in the US. The ranking is based on tailpipe emission levels for nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons, which contribute to photochemical smog formation. Vehicular emissions contribute about one-third of all smog-causing air pollution in the US. A ranking of 0 to10, with 10 being the cleanest, is assigned to a vehicle for its exhaust emission levels.

The US Department of Justice, EPA, State of New York and Virginia Power have reached an agreement to reduce the air pollution from the latter's eight coal-fired power plants. Under the agreement, Virginia Power would do the following:

1. Reduce NOx emission by about 75,000 tonnes annually between 2004 and 2013;
2. Cut its annual SO2 emission from 127,000 tonnes to 82,000 tonnes from 2012;
3. Convert the Possum Point power plant near Washington DC, to a natural gas-fired plant;
4. Upgrade and optimise particulate emission control equipment; and
5. Perform environmental mitigation valued at US$13.9 million.

The Hong Kong SAR's Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) is carrying out an in-house feasibility study of installing solar panels on public and private slopes to power public street lighting. The study is exploring the installation of the solar panels at some 15,000 concrete slopes which were built for safety reasons.

At present, each street light would cost the SAR Government HK$1,100 to power. Initial estimates put the recovery of the capital investment at 3.5 years and the net saving for each street light, over the solar panels lifespan of 20 years, at HK$17,000. Currently the SAR has 113,940 street lights. The GEO is targeting to complete the study by end of the year.

In response to environmental and public health concerns, the USEPA has proposed emission standards to reduce emissions from off-road recreational and industrial equipment that were not controlled under the current emission standards for off-road engines. The list of new equipment includes engines used in snowmobiles, dirt bikes, all terrain vehicles and a variety of industrial equipment. The proposed emission standards aim to reduce the harmful effects of ozone, carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter from these off-road engines.

Sand and other aggregates, which contain silica, are benign and productive building materials when used properly. However, they could also be slow and silent killers when workers at construction sites and quarries breathe airborne dust containing silica. Inhalation of the crystalline silica (silicon dioxide), could cause scarring in the lungs, reduce lung capacity, cause heart problems and death. This disease, called silicosis, sometimes takes years to manifest itself and is difficult to diagnose.

Health experts have estimated that thousands of construction workers in the US are exposed to crystalline silica each year and at least 250 workers from all industries die of silicosis each year.

A study conducted by the University of Maine on wood product labeling concluded that a label with details about a product's environment attributes was likely to elicit a more favourable consumer response than just a seal of approval. These findings, together with results from a follow-up analysis of a national mail survey of about 2,000 questionnaires, which is due for completion early 2001, would shed light on the communication advantages of environmental labels.

Some of the recommendations arising from the study were:

1. Environment labels should include contact information to increase credibility;
2. Environment labels should present information in a standardised format to facilitate cross-product comparisons; and
3. Reference information (e.g. minimal acceptable standard, industry average) should be included in the labels.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has agreed to help China, the world's third largest energy consumer, to harness wind power and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by approving a GEF grant of US$12 million for a US$98 million project. The remaining funds would be provided by the Asian Development Bank, and provincial power companies and banks in China. The wind power development project would be jointly implemented by the World Bank, UNEP and UNDP.

The project comprises the construction of three wind farms at Dabancheng in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, at Fujin in Heilongjiang Province, and at Xiwaizi in Liaoning Province. It is expected to increase the electrical capacity of the current network of wind turbines by 78 megawatts to 343 megawatts.

The GEF project is in line with the Chinese government's vision to deploy renewable energy technologies to reduce reliance on coal and to provide energy to an estimated 60 million inhabitants living in remote areas that do not have access to electricity grids.

China's demand for energy is expected to increase by four to five percent annually through 2015. At this rate, China is expected to be the largest energy consumer and greenhouse gas emitter by the year 2025.