According to US government agency reports, toxic materials are continuing to be released from the smouldering wreckage of the World Trade Center, some at levels far in excess of national safety levels.

Measurements carried out by the US EPA found that the levels of benzene, a carcinogenic compound, at one site close to the ground were 58 times higher than the OSHA's permissible exposure limit on 11 Oct 01.

High levels of dioxins, PCBs, lead and chromium have also been found. Although asbestos has been detected at some monitoring stations, the levels did not exceed national safety guidelines.

The results however, show that although levels of toxic chemicals and metals at some points around the site are high, they decrease dramatically a short distance from the smoke plumes.

Denmark may ban three pesticides, viz. desamino-diketo-metribuzin, diketo-metribuzin and glyphosate in view of the high levels detected in ground water reservoirs.

Tests showed that desamino-diketo-metribuzin and diketo-metribuzin were found up to 2.1 micrograms per litre in ground water reservoirs, far exceeding the Danish maximum allowable concentration of 0.1 microgram per litre. Glyphosate was found to exceed the maximum allowable concentration limit in a drainage system in one of the test sites.

New research has suggested that four chemicals which have been marketed as harmless to the ozone layer, may be nothing of the sort as evidence has shown that the ozone hole in the Antarctic is not healing as expected.

Among them is n-propyl bromide, a new solvent approved in 1997 by the USEPA as an acceptable substitute of ozone-depleting substances such as CFCs. The chemical, though a potential ozone-eater, survives in the environment for less than a fortnight and was assumed not to reach the ozone layer. But researchers have warned that the chemical's potential for depleting ozone is 30 times more in the tropics than at northern latitudes due to the dynamic weather systems in the tropics.

Three other chemicals that are likely to face ban are: hexachlorobutadiene (a solvent and byproduct of PVC manufacture), halon-1202 (used in fire fighting in military aircraft and tanks) and 6-bromo-2-methoxy-naphthalene (used in the manufacture of agricultural fumigant methyl bromide).

The Jurupa Unified School District, which lies in western Riverside County, has the highest levels of particulate pollution in the region and among the highest in the nation. Recent findings by health researchers from the University of Southern California show that children in the area suffer respiratory impairment.

With support from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), the school district will become the first school system in the nation to convert entirely to clean fueled school buses.

AQMD awarded US$3.23 million to Jurupa to help purchase a total of 34 full sized compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses and nine smaller gasoline powered buses.

Ireland aims to become greener with a waste management plan that will see recycling up by 2006.

The government is considering the possibility of introducing a series of levies to fund implementation of new European Union regulations on recycling and recovery of vehicles and electronic goods that are due to come into force by mid-2002.

The government has set itself 15-year targets under which 50 percent of household waste would be diverted from landfills, and materials recycled would account for 35 percent of municipal waste, up from around 9 percent in 1998.

Under the Waste Infrastructure Grants Scheme for the period up to 2006, some 70 million punts would be spent on initiatives for the recycling of waste, and on the implementation of the EU's End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) and Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives.

The government also plans to introduce a small charge on plastic shopping bags used at supermarkets in a bid to cut consumption of bags and the amount of plastics sent to landfills.

According to UK government forecasts, advances in green energy technology will result in significant cost reduction of wind power over the next 20 years.

It is estimated to cost 1.5 - 2.5 pence per kilowatt hour (p/kWh) for onshore wind power and 2 - 4 p/kWh for offshore wind power in 2020, undercutting electricity from conventional power stations, which is forecast to cost between 1.8 - 4.5 p/kWh.

Britain wants green electricity production to grow to 10.4 percent by 2011 from 2.8 percent currently to help cut greenhouse gas emissions. The government aims to cut such emissions by 23 percent by 2010 from 1990 levels.

Among the other technologies assessed were biomass, wave and photovoltaic (PV) solar power which were all forecast to see significant drop in cost in the next 20 years.

A European Union (EU) electrical and electronic waste recycling directive set to come into force by 2004 is advancing the recycling of old or broken mobile phones. The new regulation also covers equipment such as major household appliances and computers.

Cellphone recycling will ensure that hazardous wastes such as nickel-cadmium batteries and lead will be properly taken care of. It is also more efficient to reuse metals in electronic gadgets than mining for the metals.

Under the new legislation, equipment makers may have to bear the responsibility to recycle their own products by having ecological and environment-friendly product development, whereas the industry will be responsible for phones sold before the regulation comes into effect.

San Francisco will go solar if city voters approve two ballot measures to pave the way for a revenue bond promoting solar and wind power. These two clean energy alternatives will provide for about a quarter of the total energy consumed by the city government.

The immediate plan to install solar power equipment on the roofs of city buildings could be a motivating force for solar power companies to improve technology and lower prices. If the second ballot measure is approved, the city's Board of Supervisors would be able to authorize future revenue bonds for alternative power purchases without seeking voter approval. This in turn will allow city energy planners to expand the solar programme to residences and businesses.

The European Union (EU) Commission has proposed an emissions trading scheme among a package of measures to fulfill its greenhouse gas reduction commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

The Environment Commissioner said that the proposal on emissions trading was a major innovation for environmental policy in Europe. The first phase, beginning in 2005, will cover carbon dioxide emissions from large industrial and energy activities, which would account for 46 percent of the EU's total CO₂ emissions in 2010 and would be expanded to include smaller industrial facilities, other sectors and greenhouse gases.

Each installation covered by the directive will have to apply for a permit to emit greenhouse gases through its member state. The member states shall have to allocate emission allowances and gradually reduce the number of these allowances that can be traded over time to ensure that emissions are reduced. Under the directive, operators will have to pay a penalty for not surrendering a sufficient number of allowances.

One of the measures also included a ratification proposal which must be approved by the EU member states to legally commit the EU to cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 8 percent below 1990 levels by 2012 as stated in the Kyoto pact.

At the inauguration of Philippines' first natural gas production facility, President Gloria Arroyo said that tapping natural gas could help Manila win its ongoing battle with air pollution by using compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative to diesel fuel. Her administration would also aim to start converting public transport vehicles to natural gas in the next two years.

The output from the Malampaya gas field off the western island of Palawan could provide clean and environment-friendly fuel for the country, reduce the dependence on imported oil and attract infrastructure investments from foreign firms for natural gas distribution systems.

Prototypes of locally made CNG-powered vehicles have been developed earlier and the government aims to mass-produce these CNG-powered vehicles at competitive prices in the future.

Turning a liability into an asset, Shell Chemicals has begun selling to soft drink manufacturers more than 60 percent of the excess carbon dioxide produced at one of its plants in Alberta, Canada.

Carbon dioxide is produced as a byproduct of fuel combustion and some chemical processes, and is blamed for being the principal cause of global warming.

The carbon dioxide is sold to Air Liquide, which processes the gas so that it can be used to carbonate soft drinks. Shell said it would eventually sell 62,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year to Air Liquide.

In return, Air Liquide has become the sole supplier of steam and electricity to the Shell complex, which used to buy its energy from the Alberta grid.

This win-win partnership means Shell and Air Liquide are reliant on each other, and at the same time reducing emissions and saving on energy.

In response to growing consumer demand for environmentally responsible products, Protected Harvest, a new eco-label that reduces the use of pesticides by farmers, is now being introduced into grocery stores in Washington, DC.

Protected Harvest is a collaboration among farmers, scientists and environmental advocates. Participants in the Protected Harvest programme minimise their use of toxic pesticides.

The first product to be certified under the Protected Harvest label is potatoes from Wisconsin. For the first time, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is testifying to the stringent environmental and production standards by allowing the WWF logo to be placed on Protected Harvest certified bags of Wisconsin potatoes.

To qualify for the certification, growers must achieve a minimum number of points in two different groups of standards- production and toxicity score.

Protected Harvest growers cannot exceed the seasonal toxicity levels, and must eliminate the use of 12 toxic pesticides, including Aldicarb, Disulfoton, Oxamyl and Paraquat.