Day: 25 August 2000

Royal Botanic Gardens opens one of largest international conservation projects ever

Referred to as “perhaps the most significant conservation initiative ever undertaken” by Sir David Attenborough, the Millennium Seed Bank was set to open the doors to its visitor centre on 26 August.

International Maritime Organisation commissions study into Erica proposals

Grave salinity threat confronts Queensland, Australia, say researchers

Serious salinity threatens the State of Queensland, Australia, unless there is an urgent effort to assess the extent of the risk from broadscale land clearing, according to a senior scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

Environment Agency launches national strategy for combating eutrophication

The Environment Agency (EA) has published its national strategy to combat excessive enrichment of the aquatic environment by nutrients.

United Nations agreement on motor vehicle emissions comes into force

An international agreement which develops globally uniform environmental regulations for motor vehicles took effect on 25 August and is set to achieve further signatories.

Cars and not Cows are causing rising ammonia emissions, say researchers

Cars may be the main source of haze-inducing ammonia, rather than livestock, as previously thought, according to research presented at the 220th national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Environmentalists say Shell exploration threatens Bengal tigers and world’s largest coastal mangrove swamps.

Planned oil exploration in an area of Bangladesh containing the world's biggest tiger reserve and littoral mangrove swamps has been slammed by environmentalists, but supported by the nation’s government.

New environmentally friendly adhesive could make computers 100% recyclable

A barrier to the complete recycling of outmoded computers has been overcome with the development of an environmentally friendly adhesive, say researchers at Cornell University.

Carbon dioxide is not main reason for global warming says research

Studies by a prominent campaigner for carbon dioxide cuts says that non-CO2 gases are the main cause of current global warming trends.

US Government warns of ‘potential risk to workers’ using common vermiculite granules

The US Government has identified that a common ingredient of lawn and garden soil products, the mineral vermiculite, has been found to contain asbestos and may pose a health risk to those who use it ‘on a regular basis.’

World Bank announces new biodiversity hotspot fund

A new $150 million fund aimed at conserving the world’s top biodiversity hotspots, containing 60% of terrestrial species, has been announced by the World Bank.

Petrol giant Chevron to pay record fine for Clean Air Act violation

Chevron has agreed to pay $7 million after a court case with the US government over leakages of volatile organic compounds at its offshore loading terminal near El Segundo in California.