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health and pollution > newsfile
China boosts global war against the plastic bag
Following restrictions on them introduced in 2007 in Hongkong, China has now introduced a ban and taxes to curb plastic bags, a blot on landscape that threatens health and causes floods. John Vidal and David Stanway of The Guardian report: ... more
UK car emissions falling slowly
Average carbon dioxide emissions from new cars sold in the UK in 2007 fell by 1.4 per cent it was announced yesterday. But environmental campaigners said this was not nearly enough. ... more
Imported waste makes China world's largest rubbish dump
by Jiaquan Wang
Seemingly a winner in the global balance of trade, China is in fact struggling against an undercurrent of imported waste. The country, already laden with domestic pollution, is rapidly becoming the planet�s largest garbage dump, facing a huge influx of foreign garbage. ... more
New agreement reached to protect ozone layer
Amid growing concern over the impact of hydrochlorflurocarbons (HCFCs) on the earth's ozone layer, an important agreement has been reached by governments in Montreal to tackle a problem that also threatens to speed up climate change. ... more
Chemical cocktail in waterways raises fresh fears
A groundbreaking study by British scientists has revealed that the combined effects of a cocktail of chemicals are affecting UK waterways to a far greater extent than previously thought. Their research unearths evidence that mixtures of chemicals are acting together to affect reproductive processes of fish. ... more
Tar sand mining growing at huge environmental cost
Canadian tar sands deposits hold an estimated 1.7 trillion barrels of crude oil, second in the world only to Saudi Arabia, but the devastating environmental impact of mining them far exceeds that of conventional oil, says new research to be published next month (September 2007). ... more
Call for an end to destructive mining in the Philippines
Mining in the Philippines has left over 800 abandoned mines littered throughout the countryside, caused massive environmental damage and has been linked to serious human rights abuses, according to a new international report. ... more
Beijing gives priority to buses
by Ling Li
In an effort to cut private car use and promote pubic transport, the Chinese government will provide a total of 1.3 billion yuan (US$167 million) this year to help Beijing�s bus companies reduce fares to only 1 yuan (US$0.13) per ride. ... more
New call for global mercury ban
More than one in six women involved in a small-scale study in 21 countries has a level of mercury above a widely-accepted recommended safety dose, according to a report by the �Stay Healthy, Stop Mercury� campaign. ... more
World's top ten polluted places
by Maya Pastakia
A US environmental action group has named the world's 10 most polluted places on the planet. ... more
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