TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
S/N |
Title |
Synopsis |
|
|
I. Subject Area: Environmental Policy and Regulation |
|||
|
1 |
Stakeholders Debate Ship Fuel Sulphur Limits |
The European Commission's proposal to limit sulphur in bunkering fuel comes under attack by the shipping industry and oil refiners. |
|
|
2 |
U.S. To Adopt Stricter Cancer Guidelines For Kids |
The final draft of revised U.S. federal guidelines for cancer risk assessment assumes that children are more vulnerable to the effects of certain carcinogens than adults. |
|
|
3 |
EU Proposes Crackdown On Marine Polluters |
The European Commission has proposed a draft directive to provide for criminal sanctions on deliberate discharges of oil and noxious substances at sea. |
|
|
II. Subject Area: Environmental Technology |
|||
|
4 |
Germany To Recycle Wastewater Phosphate |
A group of researchers led by the German environment agency is looking into methods of increasing phosphate recovery from wastewater streams and converting it into fertilisers. |
|
|
5 |
Jojoba Oil Could Fuel Cars And Trucks |
A research team at the United Arab Emirates University in Al-Ain and the Helwan University in Cairo are testing the potential of jojoba oil as an environmentally friendly alternative motor fuel. |
|
|
III. Subject Area: Waste Management |
|||
|
6 |
Canadian Electronics Companies Addressing E-Waste Problems |
A number of Canadian consumer electronics and information technology companies have created the Electronic Product Stewardship Canada (EPSC) to address the problem of e-waste generated by the electronics industry in Canada. |
|
|
7 |
Latest Dutch Waste Plan In Force |
The Netherlands unveiled its four-year (2002 - 2006) waste plan with the aim of achieving national waste recovery rate of 83% in 2012. |
|
|
8 |
Italian Weight-Based Waste Charges Advance |
Italy's weight-based waste charging scheme for collection of municipal waste saw further advancements with its implementation in Rome. |
|
|
IV. Subject Area: General Environmental News |
|||
|
9 |
EU Product Policy Could Lay Down Design Rules |
The European Commission has proposed for a European Union (EU) integrated product policy that includes green product design obligations as one of the policy measures. |
|
|
10 |
Study Finds Hybrid Cars Greener Than Hydrogen Cars |
A study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revealed that hydrogen fuel cars would not outpace the environmental benefits of hybrid cars until at least 2020 when technology advancement allows the production of hydrogen in an environmentally friendly manner. |
|
SUMMARY REPORT
Period Covered : 3 Mar 2003 to 9 Mar 2003
|
Item 1 |
Stakeholders Debate Ship Fuel Sulphur Limits |
|
Summary |
The European Commission's proposal to limit levels of sulphur in shipping fuels, in particular the proposal for all ships to burn 0.2% sulphur fuel while berthed at port, was under fire by ship operators and fuel producers. The shipping industry had commented that the new stringent limit would need massive retrofitting investment to accommodate extra fuel tanks and this would also result in a significant risk of explosions while using lighter, less viscous bunkering fuels. The oil refiners also cautioned that the imposition of the new limits would drive oil-bunkering activities out of Europe. The shipping industry and the oil refiners have called for the scrapping of the planned second stage of cuts that would require further reduction of in-berth fuels to 0.1% sulphur by 2008. |
|
Reference |
http://www.environmentdaily.com/articles/index.cfm?action=article&ref=13992 |
|
Item 2 |
U.S. To Adopt Stricter Cancer Guidelines For Kids |
|
Summary |
The United States Environment Protection Agency's (USEPA) has released its final draft of new guidelines for cancer risk assessment that recognizes that variation exists among people in their susceptibility to carcinogens. USEPA's guidelines for cancer risk assessment are used throughout the federal government to evaluate risks from environmental pollutants. The new guidelines consider children to be more vulnerable to the effects of certain carcinogens than adults. This is the first time that the U.S government has officially accepted such a position. The guidelines call on environmental regulators to consider the cancer risk of children who are two or younger to be 10 times that of adults for mutagenic carcinogens (eg arsenic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc that cause cancer through direct damage to DNA). For children aged 2 to 15 the risk would be three times higher than for adults. |
|
Reference |
http://ens-news.com/ens/mar2003/2003-03-04-10.asp |
|
Item 3 |
EU Proposes Crackdown On Marine Polluters |
|
Summary |
The European Commission (EC) has proposed a draft directive to provide for criminal sanctions on deliberate discharges of oil and noxious substances at sea. The Commission's proposal incorporates existing international rules on ship pollution into EU law and establishes that violations will be criminal offences. Deliberate tank cleaning and waste oil disposal at sea remain common in EU waters, even though they are prohibited under the international Marpol 73/78 rules. The EC proposal aims to counterpoise the lack of implementation and enforcement of existing international rules on ship pollution. |
|
Reference |
http://www.environmentdaily.com/articles/index.cfm?action=article& ref=13991 |
|
Item 4 |
Germany To Recycle Wastewater Phosphate |
|
Summary |
A group of experts led by the German environment agency, Umweltbundesamt (UBA) is investigating the means of increasing phosphate recovery from wastewaters and reprocessing it into high-quality fertiliser. According to UBA, the project would help to reduce the problem of eutrophication of coastal and inland waters caused by phosphate pollution and reduce the need for phosphate imports. |
|
Reference |
http://www.environmentdaily.com/articles/index.cfm?action=article&ref=13984 |
|
Item 5 |
Jojoba Oil Could Fuel Cars And Trucks |
|
Summary |
Researchers at the United Arab Emirates University in Al-Ain and the Helwan University in Cairo are currently testing the use of jojoba oil as a potential alternative motor fuel. According to the team, jojoba fuel oil matched diesel in terms of torque and power and emitted less carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and soot and no sulphur oxides. Jojoba is a desert shrub that typically lives for more than 150 years producing nuts that yield half their volume in oil. The oil is widely used in cosmetics and shampoos. |
|
Reference |
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993464 |
|
Item 6 |
Canadian Electronics Companies Addressing E-Waste Problems |
|
Summary |
A number of Canadian consumer electronics and information technology companies have created the Electronic Product Stewardship Canada (EPSC) to tackle the problem of waste generated by the electronics industry in Canada. The group will work with a host of parties to design, promote and implement sustainable solutions for Canada's electronic waste problem. EPSC has already begun operations. It is currently consulting governments, consumers and other groups in Canada to design appropriate programs for the safe reuse and recycling of equipment such as personal computers, laptops, printers and television products. The group expects to launch its first end-of-life management program in 2004. |
|
Reference |
http://www.recyclingtoday.com/News/news.asp?ID=3702 |
|
Item 7 |
Latest Dutch Waste Plan In Force |
|
Summary |
The Netherlands has released its latest four-year waste plan (2002-2006) with the aim of achieving faster decoupling between economic growth and waste generation, and a further increase in waste recovery from 77% in 2000 to 83% in 2012. The plan has set a cap on total waste production at 66 metric tonnes in 2012. Under the plan, waste recovery will be maximised and additional incentives for waste prevention and segregation will be introduced to raise recycling rates for household, trade and services waste. A cap of 9.5 metric tonnes has been set for waste disposed either by landfill or incineration for 2012. |
|
Reference |
http://www.environmentdaily.com/articles/index.cfm?action=article&ref=13983 |
|
Item 8 |
Italian Weight-Based Waste Charges Advance |
|
Summary |
The gradual introduction in Italy of weight based charging for collection of municipal waste leapt forward with the announcement that it would become operational in Rome. The weight-based charging approach was introduced under a waste law passed in 1997 and has been in use in many small Italian towns. Under the scheme to be introduced in Rome, discounts will be given to businesses that separate their waste for recovery, and for households that use composting and recycling facilities. This aims to encourage the industry and household sectors to adopt better practices in waste management with savings in waste charges. |
|
Reference |
http://www.environmentaldaily.com/articles/index.cfm?action=article&ref=13972 |
|
Item 9 |
EU Product Policy Could Lay Down Design Rules |
|
Summary |
The European Commission has put forth a proposal paper for a European Union (EU) integrated product policy (IPP). Product design obligation is one of several policy measures recommended in the paper. Under the obligation, manufacturers could be forced to systematically integrate environmental considerations into their product design and production processes. The paper also calls on member states to draw up by 2005 action plans to green their public procurement. By end 2003, the Commission will also decide whether EU action is needed in the field of environmental product declarations. |
|
Reference |
http://www.environmentaldaily.com/articles/index.cfm?action-articles&ref=14001 |
|
Item 10 |
Study Finds Hybrid Cars Greener Than Hydrogen Cars |
|
Summary |
A study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revealed that hydrogen fuel cars would not outpace the environmental benefits of hybrid cars until at least 2020 when technology advancement allows the production of hydrogen in an environmentally friendly manner. Industrial hydrogen supply at present comes from natural gas where the hydrogen production process is highly energy intensive and results in greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the conclusion of the study, the research team predicted that hydrogen cars would have a standing edge over hybrid cars beyond 2020. This is with the expectation that advancements in research and technology by that time would enable the production of hydrogen in a more environmentally friendly manner. |
|
Reference |
http://www.enn.com/news/2003-03-07/s_3232.asp |