On 3 December 1984, a catastrophic chemical accident occurred at the Union Carbide India Ltd plant in Bhopal, India. Due to numerous defects, errors and the failure of safety systems, a 20-to-30-tonne gas cloud of the highly toxic intermediate chemical methyl isocyanate escaped into the atmosphere. In the first week the human death toll was at least 2,500 plus 500,000 seriously injured. Even year... read more
This is the state of the environment in Germany - Federal Environment Agency breaks it down
For the past quarter of a century the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has issued regular reports on the developments in the state of the environment in Germany. In its most recent publication, Data on the Environment 2009, the Agency shows mixed results. ”Germany has made great progress. On one hand it has improved the state of the environment in the new Laender considerably since 1990; on the ot... read more
Great expectations as Battery Act register goes online
Batteries and accumulators are part of our everyday lives, their absence in MP3 players, laptops and mobile phones, torches, hearing aids or cars unimaginable. On 1 December 2009 the Act Concerning the Placing on the Market, Collection and Environmentally Compatible Waste Management of Batteries and Accumulators (Batteriegesetz - BattG) will enter into force and replace the Batteries Ordinance. It... read more
High participation rate in emissions trading in aviation sector
More than half of the aviation sector participants in emissions trading in Germany have now submitted the required monitoring schemes for recording their annual CO2 emissions and transport data to the German Emissions Trading Authority. Establishing contact with aircraft operators- whether large air carriers or the amateur or business flyer- often proved difficult initially, especially since the s... read more
Eco-friendly and innovative: ”Giving the gift of sun for Christmas again”
The sun is a cheap and environmentally friendly source of energy. Using solar energy amounts to savings of the Earth’s natural resources and in one’s own purse. The products range from watches, pocket calculators, milk frothers or various lamps: solar-powered products with the Blue Angel that run without batteries or a plug are proof of the practical application of solar technology in the househo... read more
EU Commission honours Federal Environment Agency for exemplary environmental management
The European Commission has given the EMAS prize 2009 for environmental management to the Federal Environment Agency (UBA). UBA has received first prize for its green public procurement. The jury was won over by the fact that since 2001, UBA has complied with high standards in its procurement of goods and services as well as in awarding contracts to suppliers, and places environmental protection a... read more
Countdown to Copenhagen
Berlin, 20 November 2009. Shortly before the start of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the voices of the Federal government’s key climate and policy consultants are pressing for a successful outcome to the conference. The effects of climate change have been more tangible than predicted just a few years ago. Mankind needs an ambitious follow-up treaty to Kyoto that defines clear and... read more
How up to the mark in climate protection is my city?
A new Internet site for municipalities provides immediate and completely free access to a test of how far along they are in matters of climate protection. The web site www.benchmark-kommunaler-klimaschutz.net allows municipalities to enter their key data on energy, mobility and waste and see where their strengths and weaknesses lie in the fight against the greenhouse effect. Fully automatically a... read more
