Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) published a study yesterday on plasticisers (phthalates) found in the dust in child day care centres. These results are confirmed by Federal Environment Agency measurements which also determined higher plasticiser concentrations in dwellings. Plasticisers are thought to be the cause of malformation of the genitals and fertility dysfunction. Their main source is... read more
Water body type of the year: rocky lime-poor highland river
The 2011 water body type of the year, which experts refer to as “Small coarse substrate-dominated siliceous highland river (type 5), is most worthy of our attention, as its more than 18,000-km of waterways are the most common water body type in Germany. It winds its way throughout the German Central Uplands at altitudes ranging from 250-1,000 metres- through the Harz, Thuringian Forest, Bavarian F... read more
Examples to follow
A new exhibition, Examples to Follow, will open on 23 March 2011 and run through 29 April 2011 at the Federal Environment Agency in Dessau. read more
Hazardous substances in construction products - identification soon to be easier
For the first time both the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have set up a framework with which to establish a threshold level of protection against construction products throughout Europe. The regulation is based upon the new EU Regulation laying down harmonised conditions for the marketing of construction products, which will enter into force in 2013. After July 2013 CE... read more
Anniversary in perpetual ice: Germany marks 30 years of efforts to protect the Antarctic
Germany has been an active participant in conservation efforts in the Antarctic since 3 March 1981, the date it was granted full voting rights in the Antarctic Treaty. This international treaty has regulated the use of the Antarctic environment for strictly peaceful purposes and for scientific research of its perpetual ice since 1961. The Antarctic requires special protection since it is a natural... read more
Recyclables bin: made simpler to assure high-quality recycling
Separating waste is, in fact, not a difficult task: organic waste, paper, and glass are put into special bins or containers. Consumers can deliver used electronics and bulky waste to municipal collection points for recycling. Lightweight packaging is sorted to the yellow bin (Gelbe Tonne). Waste sorting is about to become even simpler as the yellow bin is expanded to include other recyclable mater... read more
Climate protection: Lack of qualified personnel hampers energy renovation in building stock
Energy renovation of buildings offers many opportunities in the areas of climate protection and job creation. Nearly 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions could be saved in the construction industry by 2030. As shown in a new UBA study, however, there is an increasing lack of qualified personnel to plan and carry out restoration operations optimally. For the same reason, a mere one-third of econ... read more
New design for DEHSt website
As of today the website of the German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt) at the Federal Environment Agency has a new outfit- a modern look, easier to navigate, and more services. Site visitors can now already access their topic of choice from the homepage. Emissions traders gain access to relevant pages via their own special area. Quicklinks, tag clouds and info boxes can customise searches with... read more
