TABLE OF CONTENTS
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S/N |
Title |
Synopsis |
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I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
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1 |
EU assembly backs climate emissions trading plan |
The European Parliament gave its backing to a plan that will limit the amount of greenhouse gases firms can emit and encourage them to buy and sell the right to emit. |
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2 |
European Parliament to require introduction of sulphur-free gasoline and diesel by 2009 |
The European Parliament voted to approve a legislative compromise with EU governments on the timing of a mandatory introduction of sulphur-free gasoline and diesel fuel. |
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3 |
Swiss government proposes tax on gasoline and diesel fuels containing sulphur |
The Swiss government has sent a proposal to the Parliament for a new tax on gasoline and diesel fuel containing sulphur levels of more than 10 parts per million. |
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4 |
Hong Kong drafts plan to impose landfill fees for construction firms |
The Hong Kong Environment, Transport and Works Bureau is developing a plan to charge construction companies for use of the government-run landfills. |
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5 |
EU to permit new GM crops |
After years of deadlock, the European Union has adopted new rules to permit the development and sale of new GM products. |
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II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
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6 |
Clean coal power plant comes on stream in Florida |
A new clean coal power plant that will remove more than 90 percent of the sulphur dioxide and 60 percent of nitrogen oxides when compared to traditional technologies is fully operational in Jacksonville, Florida. |
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III. Subject Area: Recycling and Green Energy |
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7 |
Firms to pay for EU electronic waste clean-up |
A new law to make companies meet the cost of recycling their own electronic goods from refrigerators to hairdryers has won approval from EU parliamentarians and governments. |
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8 |
New German government sticks to can recycling law |
The new German government committed itself at coalition talks to introduce deposits on non-refillable cans and bottles next year. |
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9 |
Wind power fuels PNNL |
The US Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will purchase and use 8.8 million kilowatt hours of wind power in an effort to spur clean energy use in the region. |
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IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
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10 |
European Commission unveils two projects to monitor & assess impact of pollutant emissions |
The European Commission launched a new satellite-based air pollution monitoring system designed to help determine levels of fine particulate matter in some of the EU's largest polluted cities. |
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11 |
Researchers warn water crisis looms as countries mis-manage water |
Researchers at the International Food Policy Institute and International Water Management Institute US, warned the world would face a crisis if countries mis-manage water. |
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12 |
Airport noise damages children's reading |
A new study of children living near airports has shown that the noise from nearby airports impairs children's reading ability and long-term memory, according to environmental psychologists who took advantage of a switch of airports in Munich, Germany. But the effects are reversible. |
SUMMARY REPORT
Period Covered : 14 Oct 2002 to 20 Oct 2002
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Item 1 |
EU assembly backs climate emissions trading plan |
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Summary |
The European Parliament gave its backing to a plan that will limit the amount of "greenhouse gases" firms can emit and encourage them to buy and sell the right to emit. The policy is a cornerstone of the European Union's strategy to reduce the gas emissions, blamed for trapping heat in the atmosphere, which it agreed to cut under the 1997 Kyoto treaty. Under the bill, from 2005 most heavy industries will be granted emissions permits by their governments, setting ceilings on their outputs. If they exceed a maximum emissions level, they will be allowed to buy extra credits from less polluting firms. |
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Reference |
http://www.planetark.org/avantgo/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=18166 |
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Item 2 |
European Parliament to require introduction of sulphur-free gasoline and diesel by 2009 |
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Summary |
The European Parliament voted to approve a legislative compromise with EU governments on the timing of a mandatory introduction of sulphur-free gasoline and diesel fuel. If the agreement goes through, the EU will set a limit of 10 parts per million (ppm) on the sulphur content of road vehicle fuels EU-wide from 1 Jan 2009. The Parliament and EU Council of Ministers have already agreed that states have to begin marketing the "zero sulphur" fuels by 1 Jan 2005. As of 1 Jan 2009, sulphur-free fuel would have to be available throughout the EU so that the fuel achieves full penetration of the market place. Lower sulphur levels will improve air quality, reduce acidification, and facilitate new engine technologies required to meet the EU's goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from new cars to an average 140 grams per kilogram by 2008. On sulphur content of fuels for "non-road mobile machinery", the European Parliament introduced an amendment confirming that states are free to give cleaner fuels favorable tax treatment. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol. 25, No. 21, Page 943 |
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Item 3 |
Swiss government proposes tax on gasoline and diesel fuels containing sulphur |
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Summary |
The Swiss government has sent a proposal to the Parliament for a new tax on gasoline and diesel fuel containing sulphur levels of more than 10 parts per million. Under the proposal forwarded to the Swiss parliament, the new tax would be fixed at between 2-4 Swiss centimes per liter of gasoline and between 4-5 centimes for diesel fuel with a sulphur content above 10 parts per million. Fuel with a sulphur content below 10 ppm would be considered de-sulphurized fuel and be exempt from the tax. The new tax would enter into force on 1 Jan 2004. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol. 25, No. 21, Page 958 |
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Item 4 |
Hong Kong drafts plan to impose landfill fees for construction firms |
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Summary |
The Hong Kong Environment, Transport and Works Bureau is developing a plan to charge construction companies for use of the government-run landfills. The plan would set charges at HK$125 per metric ton of debris from construction or demolition projects. Previously, the government did not impose a charge for the use of the landfills. 14 million metric tons of debris are generated each year in construction and demolition projects. Of that amount, about 11 million tons already are being recycled or reused, with the remainder being disposed of at landfills. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol. 25, No. 21, Page 974 |
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Item 5 |
EU to permit new GM crops |
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Summary |
Following years of deadlock, the European Union could soon permit the development and sale of new GM crops. This follows the adoption of new, stricter rules governing the approval of such products. Although the rules are tougher, the fact they have been agreed at all has been welcomed by backers of biotechnology. The EU adopted the new rules following pressure from environmentalists, and they replace an older regime adopted in 1990. From now on, developers of GM crops must provide extra evidence that their products are unlikely to harm the environment or human health. |
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Reference |
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Item 6 |
Clean coal power plant comes on stream in Florida |
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Summary |
A new clean coal power plant that will remove more than 90 percent of the sulphur dioxide and 60 percent of nitrogen oxides when compared to traditional technologies is fully operational in Jacksonville, Florida. The plant is the result of a US$630 million, five-year effort to install clean coal technology in the 35-year old power station. The key to the plant's cleaner operation is the use of state-of-the-art circulating fluidized bed combustor technology. While conventional coal-fired plants rely on large, expensive devices to clean pollutants from flue gases after they leave the boiler, a circulating fluidized bed plant reduces most of the pollutants inside the furnace as the coal burns. Nitrogen oxides are reduced even more by a chemical reaction with ammonia in the upper portions of the boiler. |
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Reference |
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Item 7 |
Firms to pay for EU electronic waste clean-up |
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Summary |
A new law to make companies meet the cost of recycling their own electronic goods from refrigerators to hairdryers has won approval from EU parliamentarians and governments. The law says a financial guarantee must be added to the price of items to make sure funds are available for recycling. The new system is expected to lead to price rises in goods of between one and three percent, depending on the size of the article. Firms will have to fund centres to process the waste. The new law will mean that each EU state must make sure electronic goods are not thrown out with normal rubbish and sent off to landfills, but be collected and processed separately. |
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Reference |
http://www.planetark.org/avantgo/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=18163 |
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Item 8 |
New German government sticks to can recycling law |
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Summary |
The new German government committed itself at coalition talks to introduce deposits on non-refillable cans and bottles next year. The German government plans to introduce a deposit of 25 cents for small containers and 50 cents for cans and bottles larger than 1.5 litres from 1 Jan 2003. Deposits are returned when the bottles and cans are disposed of in special recycling machines. |
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Reference |
http://www.planetark.org/avantgo/dailynewsstory.cfm?newid=18165 |
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Item 9 |
Wind power fuels PNNL |
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Summary |
The US Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will purchase and use 8.8 million kilowatt hours of wind power in an effort to spur clean energy use in the region. PNNL will purchase the energy through the City of Richland for one year and has an option to extend the contract. The wind power will supply more than 10 percent of the energy required by the Lab to conduct research and operation activities as well as make PNNL a leader in federal government "green energy" use, with 13.7 percent of its energy supplied by renewable sources. |
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Reference |
http://www.gnet.org/news/newsdetail.cfm?NewsID=22682&image1=2 |
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Item 10 |
European Commission unveils two projects to monitor & assess impact of pollutant emissions |
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Summary |
The European Commission launched a new satellite-based air pollution monitoring system designed to help determine levels of fine particulate matter in some of the EU's largest polluted cities. The EU executive body said the ICAROS-NET satellite project would help it improve environmental policy-making and also enhance EU compliance with international environmental treaties. ICAROS-NET will provide for a user-friendly system to assess air quality and it will simplify the integration of data from different sources, including from future monitoring tools. Meanwhile, the Commission launched a new project called PEOPLE designed to measure the impact of air pollution on human health. Benzene, a substance in gasoline, has been selected as the first carcinogenic pollutant to be measured for exposure. |
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Reference |
International Environment Reporter, Vol. 25, No. 21, Page 946. |
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Item 11 |
Researchers warn water crisis looms as countries mis-manage water |
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Summary |
Researchers at the International Food Policy Institute and International Water Management Institute US, warned the world would face a crisis if countries mis-manage water. Researchers predicted that demand for water used in agricultural irrigation would increase in poorer countries, such as those in sub-Saharan Africa and in Latin America. Water scarcity for irrigation will intensify, with actual consumption of irrigated water worldwide expected to grow more slowly than potential consumption, increasing only 4 percent between 1995 and 2025. In 1995, the world withdrew 3,096 cubic kilometres of water. The number is expected to increase by 50 percent by 2025, with a small percentage used for irrigation. The fastest growth for demand for irrigation water will occur in sub-Saharan Africa, where countries also have a food shortage. |
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Reference |
http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/10/10172002/ap_48738.asp |
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Item 12 |
Airport noise damages children's reading |
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Summary |
A new study of children living near airports has shown that the noise from nearby airports impairs children's reading ability and long-term memory, according to environmental psychologists who took advantage of a switch of airports in Munich, Germany. But the effects are reversible. At the end of the 30-month period, long term memory, reading and speech perception had been impaired in the children newly-exposed to noise near the new airport. Furthermore, the reading and memory deficits in this group were more pronounced two years after the opening of the new airport than after one year, suggesting a cumulative effect. But the reading and long term memory of the children living near the old airport site improved, although their speech perception deficits among this group did not recover. |
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Reference |