TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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1 |
Joint venture to develop fuel cell powered vacuum cleaner prototype |
Manhattan Scientifics Inc announced a joint agreement with Electrolux LLC and Lunar Design Inc to develop a prototype of a fuel cell powered vacuum cleaner for the home. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health |
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2 |
Mercury poses risk to one in 10 US pregnancies |
One in 10 women of childbearing age in the United States are at risk of having newborns with neurological problems due to in-utero mercury exposure, according to a recently released government study in the US. |
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III. Subject Area: Environmental Research |
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3 |
Comparison of alternative fuels |
Philadelphia researchers have compared the trade-offs between the efficient but relatively polluting diesel engines and alternative fuels, and found that natural gas gave the best performance. |
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4 |
Citizen pressure has created a clean and green Taipei |
Once one of the most chaotic cities in Asia, Taipei is now ranked at the top of regional livability surveys, thanks to its citizens. |
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5 |
UK renewable plans a step in the right direction |
British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a 100 million pound fund to boost investment in wind, wave and solar power to help the country meet its target of producing 10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010. |
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SUMMARY REPORT
Period Covered : 5 Mar 2001 to 11 Mar 2001
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Item 1 |
Joint venture to develop fuel cell powered vacuum cleaner prototype |
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Summary |
Manhattan Scientifics Inc has entered into a joint agreement with Electrolux LLC and Lunar Design Inc to develop a prototype of a fuel cell powered vacuum cleaner for the home. Manhattan Scientifics will design and build the prototype fuel cell to power a unique portable vacuum cleaner. This lightweight and low noise advanced home appliance is intended to free the user from electric cords and A/C wall plugs. The fuel cell will be a hydrogen/air system which uses hydrogen as fuel. It will consist of two existing fuel cell stacks providing one kilowatt of power, a hydrogen storage vessel and an electronic control board. The system is anticipated to produce one to two hours operating time depending on the size of the fuel vessel used and will weigh approximately 10 pounds. The hydrogen fuel is stored in a lightweight carbon fibre reinforced pressure vessel and can be refilled within seconds by a replacement tank. |
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Reference |
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Item 2 |
Mercury poses risk to one in 10 US pregnancies |
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Summary |
One in 10 women of childbearing age in the United States are at risk of having newborns with neurological problems due to in-utero mercury exposure, according to a government study released last week. Fetuses are exposed to mercury in the womb primarily through their mothers' consumption of contaminated fish. Children who are exposed to mercury in-utero may suffer damage to their brains and nervous systems, affecting language, attention and memory. Data in the Centres for Disease Control report indicate that at least 10 percent of women of childbearing age have levels of mercury in their bodies that exceed what that USEPA considers acceptable and this translates to nearly six million women. Coal burning power plants emit hundreds of pounds of mercury into the air each year. Mercury is also released into the atmosphere by air pollution from other power plants, waste incinerators and industrial processes. It is emitted into the air and then deposited into oceans, lakes and streams where it is ingested by fish, and then by humans and wildlife. |
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Reference |
02 on
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Item 3 |
Comparison of alternative fuels |
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Summary |
Philadelphia researchers have compared the trade offs between the efficient but relatively polluting diesel engines and alternative fuels. The pollution and carbon dioxide impacts were modelled for a range of technologies such as petrol and diesel engines, direct and indirect injection, conventional and reformulated petrol, compressed natural gas and alcohol. The researchers found that compressed natural gas has the best performance and direct injection diesels the worst. They also added that in the absence of renewable sources, it is difficult to beat a conventional reformulated petrol-fuelled ultra low emission vehicle that is fuel efficient and properly maintained and used. |
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Reference |
Air Quality Management, February 2001, page 11 |
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Item 4 |
Citizen pressure has created a clean and green Taipei |
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Summary |
The Newsweek reported that Taipei, once considered to be one of the most chaotic cities in Asia, is now ranked at the top of regional livability surveys. No other city in Asia has changed as radically as Taipei in the last decade, and this has been credited to the efforts of its citizens' groups. Ten years ago, streets in Taipei were clogged by tens of thousands of motorcycles and scooters, their riders wearing surgical masks to block out the smog. Those living in the outskirts of the city often left home at 6 am in order to reach work before 9 am. Now 40 percent of Taipei's citizens use the subway, which opened last year, and the average person spends 24 minutes commuting each day. That has drastically reduced the number of vehicles on the roads and made the air breathable. In the past seven years, the level of suspended particles in the air has dropped almost 50 percent. |
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Reference |
Newsweek, March 12, 2001, page 15 |
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Item 5 |
UK renewable plans a step in the right direction |
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Summary |
British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a 100 million pound fund to boost investment in wind, wave and solar power to help the country meet its target of producing 10 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2010. Blair said a 'green revolution' was on the way, with a global market for environmental goods and services expected to rise by 440 billion pounds over the next nine years. Friends of the Earth analyst Mark Johnston said the pledge to spend the money is good, but the government should be more ambitious - to try to generate 20 percent of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2010. Britain's target of 10 percent by 2010 appears modest when set against some other European countries. In Denmark wind power alone provides 10 percent of electricity now and the target is for 50 percent by 2030. European Commission figures show Britain ahead of only Belgium and well below the EU average of over 10 percent for generating green electricity. |
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Reference |