Day: 26 July 2002

Business Briefs: biogas, drinking water, a new wind farm, and energy and water management

In this week’s European Business Briefs, biogas use is on the up, a drinking water purification company celebrates its success, a new wind farm for Belgium, and a new contract for utility management and energy supply in France.

European Commission continues to get tough over environmental laws

The European Commission is pursuing every single member state over a variety of environmental failings, including issues regarding ozone and waste.

Business Briefs: wind power, emission cuts, heavy metal remediation, and hydrogen

In this week’s international Business Briefs, a new wind farm - which will become one of the US’s largest, US$4.5 million for pulp and paper company’s emission cuts, heavy metal remediation on the increase in Canada, and Tokyo’s first hydrogen refuelling station.

Business Briefs: plastic recycling, a new logo, and wastewater treatment

In this week’s UK Business Briefs, £50,000 for kerbside collections of plastic waste for recycling, continuing investment in wastewater treatment in Yorkshire, and a new logo for BSI.

US beach closures increased in 2001 by 19%

According to the Natural Resource Defence Council’s 12th annual report on the state of the US’s beaches, there were at least 13,410 closures and advisories at coastal and freshwater beaches in 2001, compared to around 11,270 in 2000. More often than not, authorities are unable to locate the source of pollution, says the NRDC.

UK’s first excrement energy station

Devon cows are to become pioneering suppliers of energy to the UK’s first dung-fired power plant – the £7.7 million plant came into operation late last week.

Giving a flat tyre to standard construction

New solar-powered housing and offices are being built in Brighton and Scotland with recycled tyres and aluminium tins.

Alaskan ice-melt accelerating

Melting Alaskan glaciers are responsible for at least 9% of the global sea level rise over the past century, say scientists.

£62 million for two new recycling projects

The Government has announced that it has approved two new recycling schemes to be funded through Private Finance Initiatives, which include alternatives to landfill through biological treatment.

Australia wasting huge amounts of water

Australia is wasting 92% of its city runoff water and 86% of its effluent water, a leading water scientist from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has warned, calling for a better approach to saving the resource.

Shareholders face financial risk from climate change mitigation

Shareholders in oil and gas companies could lose out from actions to curb climate change and increasing difficulties in accessing energy reserves, warns a new World Resources Institute (WRI) report. The report also reveals that many companies have not made their investors fully aware of the effect of these issues on future financial performance.

Europe and US may have caused Africa’s droughts

Can air pollution affect rainfall? The latest study, to be published in next month’s Journal of Climate, suggests Africa’s droughts may have been caused in part by sulphur dioxide pollution from North America and Europe.

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