Environment Report 26 Mar 2001 to 1 Apr 2001

TABLE OF CONTENTS

S/N	Title	Synopsis
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulations
1	Germany to toughen energy efficiency standards for buildings	The German Cabinet passed a new Energy Savings Ordinance that would reduce energy used for heating new buildings by 30 percent and require the replacement of heating systems installed before Oct 78.
2	NTP proposes new carcinogen listings	The US National Toxicology Programme (NTP) updated the list of human carcinogens in Mar 2001.
II. Subject Area: Environmental Pollution and Health
3	More SO₂, NO_X cuts needed to address acid rain in USA	US scientists said that despite major pollution reductions over the last five years, more cuts in sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions must take place for Northeast forests and water bodies ravaged by acid rain to recover.
III. Subject Area: Environmental Technology
4	Japan government admits dangers of nuclear power	The Japanese government admitted for the first time that there were dangers inherent in the use of nuclear power and acknowledged criticisms that industry had been complacent about safety.
5	New efficient lamp developed	Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory developed a new high-performance, energy-efficient table lamp that saves energy and greatly increase the quality of visibility of the light.
6	Low-level mixed waste treatment system shows good performance	A US waste management company announced that its Gasvit^TM low-level mixed waste vitrification facility in Richland broke record by processing mixed wastes continuously for 35 hours.
7	University team creates soy/fuel oil mix	A team of Purdue University students developed a cheaper and cleaner home heating fuel oil which was a mixture of 20 percent soybean oil and 80 percent regular fuel oil.
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News
8	Doctor's group warns of climate change's effect	The Washington-based Physicians for Social Responsibility said in its report that North Carolina residents faced severe health threats from global warming, including allergy problems and insect-borne diseases.
9	US study found toxins are in most American's blood	The first national study of environmental toxins in the US reported that levels of toxic metals, pesticides and plastics could be found in the blood and urine of most Americans.

SUMMARY REPORT

Period Covered : 26 Mar 2001 to 1 Apr 2001

Item 1	Germany to toughen energy efficiency standards on buildings.
Summary	As part of its Climate Protection Strategy, the German Cabinet passed an Energy Savings Ordinance requiring stricter energy efficiency standards for new buildings and replacement of heating systems installed before Oct 78. The ordinance required old buildings to improve the insulation of their heating pipes and top-level roofs and all upgrading or renovation work had to meet new energy efficiency standards. The new requirements would reduce the heating energy consumption of new buildings by an average of 30 percent. The measures would help reduce Germany's carbon dioxide emissions by 10 million metric tons a year by 2005. The ordinance would create a low-interest credit programme subsidized by the government. The ordinance, which would replace old ordinances on insulation and heating system, had to be passed by the Upper House of Parliament before it could take effect.
Reference	International Environment Reporter, 14 Mar 2001, Page 204

Item 2	NTP proposes new carcinogen listings
Summary	The US National Toxicology Programme (NTP) had to update the list of carcinogenic substances every two years. In its Mar 01 report, the NTP proposed to: classify steroidal estrogens and UV radiation as known human carcinogens list chloramphenicol (an antibiotic), methyleugenol (used as a flavouring agent) and metallic nickel in the category "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" keep trichloroethylene as a reasonably anticipated human carcinogen instead of moving it to the human carcinogen class.
Reference	C & EN, 12 Mar 2001, Page 43

Item 3

More SO₂, NO_x cuts needed to address acid rain in USA

Summary

US scientists said that despite major pollution reductions over the last five years, more cuts in sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions must take place for Northeast forests and water bodies ravaged by acid rain to recover.

The study, conducted in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest where acid rain was first detected 30 years ago, concluded that acid rain caused greater environmental impacts that had been projected 10 years ago when the last study was carried out. Years of acid rain had rendered some ecosystems in the region more vulnerable to additional pollution. Though less concentrated acid rain might be falling than in previous years, the damage was still severe because the weakened ecosystems were less able to resist its deleterious effects.

Acid deposition had stressed red spruce and sugar maple trees throughout the Northeast by leaching calcium from the trees and rendering them more susceptible to disease, freezing and insect attacks. Acid rain had also damaged and continued to impair the water quality of lakes and streams by increasing acidity, decreasing the ability of the water bodies to neutralize the acid and by increasing aluminum concentrations.

Reference

Energy Daily, 27 Mar 2001, Volume 29, Number 59 (LN)

Item 4	Japan government admits dangers of nuclear power
Summary	Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission said in its annual report that the use of nuclear power had many benefits but at the same time, there were potential dangers implicit in its use that called for an unflagging effort to maintain safety. Japan had 51 reactors and used nuclear power to meet one-third of its energy needs. The report cited widespread criticism of the industry after Japan's worst nuclear accident in 1999 at a uranium reprocessing plant operated by JCO Co. Ltd in Tokaimura. In the accident, three workers at a plant privately set off an uncontrolled nuclear reaction that took 20 hours to bring under control. Two workers were killed and thousands of nearby residents were forced to evacuate.
Reference	http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=10274

Item 5	New efficient lamp developed in USA
Summary	Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) in USA developed a new high-performance, energy-efficient table lamp that saves energy and greatly increases the quality of visibility of the light. It was working with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Southern California Edison, and Pacific Gas and Electric to acquire and field-test the first 600 production lamps based on this design. The two-lamp fluorescent system matched the combined luminous output of 300-watt halogen lamp and a 150-watt, incandescent table lamp while using only a quarter of the energy.
Reference	http://www.gnet.org/news/newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=15429&image1=2

Item 6	Low-level mixed waste treatment system shows good performance
Summary	A US waste management company ATG, Inc. announced that its Gasvit^TM low-level mixed waste vitrification facility in Richland broke record by processing mixed wastes continuously for 35 hours. Low-level mixed wastes are wastes containing both radioactive and hazardous components. The treatment was performed on activated carbon and contaminated soil. ATG said that its treatment technology proved to be an effective alternative to incineration for these wastes. The technology could also be used for the destruction and stabilization of transuranic waste, comprising largely of tools, gloves, protective clothing, and other materials contaminated with plutonium, from weapons production facilities.
Reference	http://www.gnet.org/news/newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=15479&image1=2

Item 7	University team creates soy/fuel oil mix
Summary	A team of Purdue University students developed a cheaper and cleaner home heating fuel oil. The heating oil was a mixture of 20 percent soybean oil and 80 percent regular fuel oil and could be used without making any changes to the heating system. As soybean oil is renewable, the blend is environmentally friendly. The estimated cost is 10 percent less than fuel oil alone. Although the soy heating oil has a two percent lower heating value than regular heating oil, the small heat loss is more than offset by the lower product cost.
Reference	http://www.gnet.org/news/newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=15499&image1=2

Item 8	Doctor's group warns of climate change's effect
Summary	A Washington-based Physicians for Social Responsibility said in a report that North Carolina residents faced severe health threats from global warming, including allergy problems and insect-borne diseases. The elderly and chronically ill were most at risk as temperatures continue to rise. The group predicted that worsening air pollution would contribute to more respiratory problems. The report also raised concerns about contaminated water from flooding and increases in diseases such as West Nile virus, spread by mosquitoes and ticks rapidly reproducing in the warm, wet conditions. The group advocated less reliance on cars, cleaning up coal-burning power plants, and energy conservation.
Reference	BC Cycle, 27 Mar 2001, State and Regional (LN)

Item 9	US study found toxins are in most American's blood
Summary	The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention carried out its first national study of environmental toxins in the US. The study reviewed 27 chemicals found in a general sample of 5,000 men, women and children. It found that levels of toxic metals, pesticides and plastics could be found in the blood and urine of most Americans. While exposure to tobacco smoke and lead declined substantially since the early 1990s, levels of mercury for young children and women of child-bearing age were higher than previously found. It also found that women of child-bearing age were routinely exposed to phthalate, a chemical commonly used in plastics and cosmetics.
Reference	http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/03/03262001/toxins_42676.asp

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