Illustration: Lars-Erik Håkansson
No. 1, March 2009
Baltic Sea - first nitrogen emissions control area?
The Baltic Sea is already an emission control area (ECA) for sulpur dioxide. Now HELCOM intends to take the same step for nitrogen oxides.
Greece and Spain still defaulting
Greece and Spain have still not reduced their emissions as required by the protocols to the Convention on Long Range Air Pollution
Stricter emission limits for trucks and buses
The European Parliament agreed in December to a proposal that emissions of nitrogen oxides from new heavy duty vehicles shall be cut by 80 per cent and those of particulate matter by 66 per cent, as compared to existing standards.
Ocean acidification – the other CO2 problem
Within decades increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere could severely damage marine ecosystems, scientists warn.
Coal-fired power plants still heavy polluters
Large combustion plants are responsible for two thirds of EUs total sulphur emissions, and the coal-fired top ten polluters account for 30 per cent.
Asian brown cloud affects food safety for billions
Man-made brown clouds are jeopardizing human health and food production for three billion people in Asia.
European ecosystem sensitivity mapped
Excess nitrogen deposition in the EU is threatening the sustainability of natural ecosystems over an area of more than one million square kilometres.
One per cent of GDP will save the climate
A new study shows that global warming can be kept below the critical 2°C rise at a cost of well below one per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP).
Carbon limit proposed for large power plants
Binding emission standards for all large plants - new and existing - could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector by two thirds.
The road to Copenhagen
On 28 January the Commission issued a press release on the EU’s targets for a climate agreement in Copenhagen.
Strong structure, weak numbers
The final agreement on the EU climate package retains the goal to reduce emissions by 20 per cent. Together with a 20-per-cent share of renewables and 20-per-cent energy savings, this creates the triple goal of 20-20-20 by 2020.
Petrol vapour recovery to become mandatory
Draft new EU legislation that would limit harmful vapour emissions from petrol pumps was proposed on 4 December by the European Commission.
16 states exceed emisson limits
Only eleven member states expect to comply with their emission limits for all four air pollutants set by the EU national emission ceilings directive.
Editorial: Enforcement is the key
On 29 January the European Commission issued a series of legal threats to Member States for alleged breaches of EU legislation on air quality and industrial pollution.
Recent publications
EEA Signals 2009, key environmental issues facing Europe
Maximising the environmental benefits of Europe’s bioenergy potential
Beyond transport policy - exploring and managing the external drivers of transport demand
Climate Change and Aviation: Issues, Challenges and Solutions
Soot reduction may help slow global warming
A recent study by the US space agency NASA shows that cutting emissions of soot can have an immediate cooling effect – and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from ..
EU considers IMO membership
A policy document entitled “Maritime Transport Strategy 2009–2018” presented on 21 January by the European Commission called for EU observer status for the International Maritime ..
Coal-fired power plants big mercury culprits
The fifty most-polluting coal-burning power plants in the United States emitted twenty tons of mercury into the air in 2007. Of the ten highest-emitting plants, all but one reported an increase ..
Slow pace of car CO2 cuts
The average emission level of new private cars registered in the EU in 2007 was 158 grams per kilometre (g/km), down 1.25 per cent compared with 2006, according to a European Commission ..
Cleaner Air Equals Longer Lives
Between 1980 and 2000, average life expectancy increased by 2.72 years in 51 US cities, and 15 per cent, or approximately five months, of that gain owed to cleaner ..
The cost of ozone damage to crops
Ozone pollution caused significant damage to crops in the year 2000 and greater reductions in yields are predicted for 2030 for some regions of the world. In 2000, the global economic value ..
Dirty air costs California US$28 billion annually
Air pollution costs the California economy more than US$28 billion annually, according to a recent study. The study, which focuses on the South Coast and San Joaquin Valley air basins, also found ..
Study reveals truth about trucks
Lorries cause far more environmental damage and congestion than previously thought, and are twice as likely to kill than cars, according to a report published on 12 January ..
Wind now leads EU power sector
In 2008, more wind power was installed in the EU than any other electricity generating technology, according to statistics from the European Wind Energy Association ..