Day: 6 September 2002

News Release: The ultimate ATEX safety torch range

The new Wolf ATEX Safety Torch range for use in explosive gas and dust atmospheres represents the ultimate combination of performance and safety. There is no equivalent on the market that can match its impressive specification and comprehensive approval ratings.

Letter from the Editor

If only engineers had worked out how to generate electricity from political spin the world would be a better place – there’d be no need for climate change, for a start. We’d regard politicians and environmental activists in a different light – the more they spun the more cost effective and fuel efficient they would be; and enormous conferences such as that which has just concluded in South Africa would no longer be derided by the mainstream media.

International Business Briefs: bioenergy, hybrid cars and fuel cells

In this week’s International Business Briefs, a Canadian biofuel company has increased capacity by 50% in its pilot plants, two major vehicle manufacturers have agreed to tie up on hybrid technologies, a company launches fuel cell bus engines, and a fuel cell company had decided to tighten its belt and cut expenditure in an attempt to sustain its business.

European Business Briefs: wind power and environmental clean-up technology

In this week’s European Business Briefs, two new orders for wind turbines for France, new Italian wind turbines, and a Swedish vacuum technology that can be used for cleaning up environmentally hazardous substances.

EU Initiative unites countries over common waters

Continents are uniting to bring safe drinking water to the world’s poorest. Europe’s new global water initiative is forging African, eastern European and central Asian partnerships to implement water and sanitation targets set at the World Summit.

EU eco-labelling revised for mattresses, paint and paper

New criteria for eco-labelled products have been approved by the European Commission. Paint is now allowed to contain only 38 grams per metre squared of titanium dioxide, a drop of 2 grams from previous limits. Bed mattresses can no longer contain organic tin compounds in their fillers, and copying paper must now be sourced by at least 10% from certified sustainable forests, where virgin wood is used.

Pick up some PAM to preserve the soil surface

Polyacrylamide, a chemical commonly used in manufacturing, is helping US farmers reduce soil erosion by 90%, triggering more research into just how beneficial this chemical is to soil. US scientists recently reported microbial containment of 90% in manure treated with polyacrylamide - or PAM - before being spread on the land.

EU packaging and detergent legislation to be tightened

The European Parliament has voted to revise the EU Packaging Directive to increase recovery and recycling targets and set minimum values for different types of material. Meanwhile, the European Commission is proposing tighter legislation on detergent breakdown in the environment.

EU breathes LIFE into environmental innovation

Over a hundred projects will receive funding from a new EU programme to help protect and enhance the environment. €69 million is being invested into LIFE projects to help implement EU environmental legislation, such as a Belgium programme to re-examine plating, electronics and paint manufacturing in view of tighter regulations and better environmental practices.

Russia and Canada to ratify Kyoto

The Kyoto Protocol will soon be able to come into effect, following announcements by both Russia and Canada at the Johannesburg Summit that they will ratify.

Germany boosts biogas from new sewage treatment plant

Processing sewage sludge is becoming ever faster as scientists optimise the digestion stages. Now German engineers have developed a high-rate processing plant that generates biogas from sewage in under five days.

The EU was unprepared for the battle at Johannesburg

Despite agreement on targets for improving access to sanitation and greater protection of the world’s fish stocks at the World Summit, there were no targets for introducing renewable energy, and many pre-existing agreements have been watered down or totally disposed of, say delegates and environmental activists. One reason for this is that the EU arrived at the Summit unprepared, whereas the US had already gathered its allies, says one UK politician.

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