Publications

Carbon dioxide emissions decrease almost continuously. The reductions are in equal parts due to economic restructuring in the new Federal States followed by a decrease in lignite use, and the active climate protection policy of the Federal Government.  

On the CD-ROM you will find the complete contents of the internet application ‘Data on the Environment’ (in German, 2009). The brochure is designed to tell you about selected significant trends within five important areas of environmental protection.

In fact, the WTO admissibility of introducing environmentally motivated border tax adjustments (BTAs) via import taxes has not yet been definitively clarified neither by the WTO Panel and the Appellate Body nor in the jurisprudential literature.

Perfluorinated und polyfluorinated chemicals (PFC) are the subject of increasing public debate. Particular interest has been focussed on studies carried out by the Ruhr University in Bochum, which show that certain of these chemicals are absorbed into the human body through drinking water, where they accumulate. 

In Germany, emission allowances (European Union Allowances, EUAs) for the first trading period (2005-2007) were allocated completely free of charge. In the second trading period (2008-2012) annual volumes of 40 million EUAs will be sold (Article 19 ZuG (Zuteilungsgesetz – The German Allocation Act) 2012).

The investigations performed on laser printers essentially served as a revision of the test method for the determination of emissions from hardcopy devices for the environmental awar 'Blue Angel' for office devices according to RAL-UZ 62, 85 and 114 of Juni 2003. The resulting test procedure according to RAL.UZ 122 was prviously published in Juni 2006.

It is important to define requirements and quality criteria for sustainable chemistry and provide for possible solutions to be measurable, assessable and practicable. Hence, the concept of sustainable chemistry has to develop and propagate successful approaches.

The refrigerant commonly used in mobile air conditioning (MAC) systems is tetrafluoroethane, R134a for short. R134a has a high global warming potential (GWP), 1,300 times higher - according to more recent calculations by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), even 1,430 times higher – than that of CO2.

It is the purpose of Directive 2002/95/EC on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS Directive) to regulate the exclusion of certain harmful substances from being used in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).

In a press release dated 15 September 2006, the WHO seemed to be indicating a new focus in its strategy on the fight against malaria in respect of the use of DDT.

This material was originally published in German and was designed for lessons for 6-12 year old pupils in Germany. It may therefore be necessary in some cases to adapt the worksheets to the situation in the countries where the material is to be used.

Please note: The chapter "Warning - Chemicals!" isn´t up to date any more!

As a Party to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC), since 1994 Germany has been obliged to prepare, publish and regularly update national emission inventories of greenhouse gases. In February 2005, the Kyoto Protocol entered into force.