Summary

In a bid to help meet federal air quality standards, the Tennessee Air Pollution Board is recommending a series of changes that includes lowering of truck speed limit. The state estimates that cars and trucks produce more than half of the emissions that help form ozone and have recommended:

1. lowering the maximum speed for large trucks from 70mph (110 kmh) to 50mph (80 kmh),
2. banning truck drivers from idling engines for long periods,
3. requiring companies with government contracts to use clean engine technology and fuel additives for heavy duty equipment, and
4. expanding its vehicle inspection programme to other areas.

Summary

An energy efficient and environmentally friendly refrigerant will be used in most household air conditioners this summer.

The new refrigerant-R410A-would replace R22 which will be phased out over the next decade. R410A is more energy efficient and is free from global warming effects. However R410A requires extremely high operating pressures.

Summary

FuelCell Energy Inc and its partner, a PPL Corporation subsidiary, have completed the installation of two Direct FuellCell® 250kW power plants for a campus building for Zoot Enterprises. The units use natural gas as fuel and produce electric power and hot water for heating and domestic uses.

Zoot is using the fuel cell power plants in conjunction with the electric grid and diesel generation to meet the primary electrical requirements of its building and to support future development at the campus.

The total value of the Zoot fuel cell project is $3.8 million, with $1.4 million provided in the form of a grant from the United Sates Department of Energy.

Summary

The September issue of the Journal of Nanoparticle Research reported that nanoscale iron could be an effective tool to clean up contaminated soil and groundwater.

Iron's cleansing power stems from its ability to rust, or oxidize. When metallic iron oxidizes in the presence of contaminants such as trichloroethene, carbon tetrachloride, dioxins or PCBs, these organic molecules get caught up in the reactions and broken down into simple carbon compounds that are far less toxic. The situation is similar with dangerous heavy metals such as lead, nickel, mercury and uranium, where the oxidizing iron will reduce these metals to an insoluble form. This form tends to stay locked in the soil, rather than spreading through the food chain.

Summary

A new campaign, Recycle for London, was launched by London to encourage Londoners to recycle more waste. The campaign aims to make it easy for Londoners to find out about recycling services specific to their areas.

Organizers hope the campaign will raise awareness of all the materials that can be recycled. The campaign will use radio, poster and bus back advertising over an eight week period to get the message across. Presently 57% of Londoners have collections from home for recyclable materials but it is estimated that half of these people don't know the service exists.

Summary

A French air quality agency, which is attached to the French Environment Ministry, indicated that air pollution might have been the cause of death for thousands of French people who died in a heatwave last August.

It was estimated that between 1,000 and 3,000 people could have been affected by the hottest weather in 60 years. The estimate of this pollution-related death was based on a 2002 study by the INVS, a health watchdog within the health ministry. It showed that people exposed to polluted air over a period of several days had a much higher mortality risk.

Summary

Poor communities in developing countries will benefit from the groundbreaking Community Development Carbon Fund (CDCF), which became operational in July this year.

The World Bank, which developed the CDCF in collaboration with the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat and International Emissions Trading Association, committed $35 million from both public and private sector participants, as part of a $100-million package.

The fund will provide financial support to small-scale greenhouse gas reduction projects in the least developed countries and poor communities in developing countries. Poorer communities will get the advantage of development dollars coming their way, and participants in the fund will receive carbon reduction credits for reductions in carbon emissions.

Summary

New Zealand's leading car brand, Toyota, is taking a cautious approach to ethanol blend fuel.

Ethanol, the most commonly available biofuel, usually made from wheat or sugar crops, has some proven effects in reducing greenhouse emissions, but doubts over its effects on engines have bred strong consumer resistance, particularly in Australia where blends stronger than 10% were causing mechanical damage.

Summary

A study published in the September issue of the Environmental Health Perspective journal suggested that mosquito coils may be releasing heavy concentrations of known and suspected carcinogens.

Coils are effective mosquito repellants and the pesticides contained in most, pyrethrins, are not particularly harmful to humans. However the non-pesticide composition of the coils, which smoulder for approximately eight hours, means that one could release as much particulate matter as burning 75 to 137 cigarettes. As coil consumers tend to use them regularly for many months, the potential long-term effects could be significant.