Illustration: Lars-Erik Håkansson
No. 2, June 2012
Editorial: Still a long way to go
In early May, after five years of negotiation, countries in Europe and North America agreed to take on new emission reduction commitments for the major air pollutants, by adopting a revised Gothenburg Protocol to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution ..
Health effects of black carbon
Reducing people’s exposure to PM2.5 containing black carbon should lead to a reduction in the health effects associated with PM.
Air pollution from traffic kills 5000 a year in UK
Premature deaths due to PM2.5 are estimated to cost the UK between €7.5-77 billion every year, corresponding to 0.4-3.5 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.
Ozone levels still much too high
In the summer of 2011, the threshold for protecting human health from ozone was exceeded on more than 25 days in a significant part of Europe.
Europe’s most polluting power plants
Eight of the twelve largest single sources of carbon dioxide in Europe are found in Germany.
The arrival of a new EU sulphur law
The sulphur content of ship fuels will be cut to 0.1% from 2015 in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, and to 0.5% from 2020 in other EU waters. As a result, emissions of sulphur dioxide from shipping in Europe will come down by more than 80 per cent.
Welcome to the golden age of fracking
Fracking, exploitation of gas from shale, is growing fast. This is game-changing both for energy policy and climate policy. There is now more, and dirtier fossil gas around. The resistance is also growing, and fracking is banned in some countries.
Biggest environmental cause of mortality
A new OECD report says that by 2050 air pollution will become the biggest cause of premature death, killing an estimated 3.6 million people a year.
New Danish energy agreement
A massive expansion of wind power, reforms to promote biomass and an expansion of mandatory energy savings are the main features of the Danish energy agreement. The measures combined are estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 34 per cent by 2020.
Improvements from the revison
Emission cuts under the new Gothenburg Protocol are expected to reduce health damage in Europe from PM2.5 and ozone by 27 and 11 per cent, respectively, between 2000 and 2020.
New Gothenburg Protocol adopted
Between 2005 and 2020 the EU member states must jointly cut their emissions of sulphur dioxide by 59%, nitrogen oxides by 42%, ammonia by 6%, volatile organic compounds by 28% and particles by 22%.
NOx controls for the Baltic on the horizon
Baltic Sea nations have finalised their application to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for a nitrogen oxides emission control area (NECA), but will ..
Largest ship sulphur scrubber
Dutch company Spliethoff has contracted Alfa Laval to retrofit an exhaust gas cleaning system on board one of its vessels. It is said to be the first retrofit to use just one scrubber to clean the exhaust ..
Brown seaweed can be turned in to ethanol
The common intestinal bacteria Escherichia coli has been genetically modified to break down brown Kombu seaweed to produce ethanol. One problem has been ..
Dutch subsidy for Euro VI trucks and buses
In the Netherlands, heavy-duty vehicles (trucks and buses) that meet the new Euro VI standards will be subsidised by up to 4500 euro each in 2012 and 2013. The Euro VI ..
New LNG-powered ferries in Scandinavia
Norwegian ferry operator Color Line has announced plans to replace an ageing vessel operating between Sandefjord in Norway and Strömstad in Sweden with a new ferry that will be ..
Calculate your “nitrogen footprint”
Now there is an online tool that can estimate your individual nitrogen footprint. By entering data on eating habits, energy use and travel patterns, users are given ..
Call for the EU to enforce air quality legislation
More than 200 European citizens’ organisations from across the EU request that immediate action be taken against those member states that are in breach of the EU’s ambient air quality legislation.
First ever limits on GHG emissions from power plants
The U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the first ever limits on how much carbon dioxide can be emitted by fossil-fuelled power plants.
Ireland looks at extending ‘smoky’ coal ban
The Irish environment ministry is seeking to improve air quality and public health by extending restrictions on the use of bituminous coal ..