Central to the achievement of the Agenda for Sustainable Development is an adequate, equitably distributed and fully supported health workforce. Nurses are the largest occupational group and represent an indispensable force with which to combat inequities in access to health services and progress towards health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while …
contrasting sentiments marked the opening of the 19th World Mining Congress in New Delhi on November 1. President A P J Abdul Kalam warmly welcomed potential foreign investors as he inaugurated the five-day mega meet. But the event got a cold reception from environmentalists and activists, who described it as …
in april this year, California became the first us state to introduce a bill to biomonitor breast milk. Activists and researchers hope that once this legislation is passed, it will help people realise that mothers pass on toxic material to their offspring. Breast milk monitoring would also help create awareness …
the intense heatwave that baked much of Europe for weeks has convinced many people about the changing climate. "We have not seen such an extended period of dry weather and sunny days since 1870,' says Michael Knobelsdorf, a meteorologist at the German Weather Service. "These extremes are happening at short …
With temperatures in Europe at an all-time high, German nuclear plants have become too hot to handle. The soaring mercury has forced authorities to switch off the reactor at one plant and reduce the capacity of two others. Obrigheim, the country's oldest nuclear power plant, has had its reactor deactivated …
Europe is facing its worst heat wave in decades. While the scorching sun has come as a blessing for holidaymakers, widespread crop failure and forest fires have got farmers and the administration worried. At places, water levels have sunk so low that power companies are unable to generate any electricity …
It took just five votes to shake the very edifice of the International Whaling Commission (iwc). Voting 25-20 in favour of setting up a controversial committee, the North-dominated anti-whaling faction drastically altered the iwc mandate
The EU seems to be slipping in its bid to meet the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets it has set for itself. The union's 2008-2012 goal is to reduce emission of the six main GHGs by eight per cent on 1990 levels. But the European Environment Agency's latest GHG inventory …
The eu market for carbon emissions trading could be worth 1.8 billion euros (about us $1.93 billion) annually by 2012, says a recent business report. The estimate is based on carbon dioxide prices increasing from five euros (about us $5.38) a tonne in 2005, when the eu plans to launch …
reeling under a spate of unfavourable rulings in the World Trade Organisation (wto), the us was dealt yet another blow when the dispute settlement panel ruled recently that tariffs imposed on imports of certain steel products were illegal. Although the decision is an interim one, such rulings are rarely reversed. …
the first ever aids vaccine to be tested on a large number of people has not been able to protect them from hiv infection, admitted Vaxgen, the vaccine's us-based manufacturer. But controversially, it tried to put a positive spin to this failure by announcing the vaccine, called Aidsvax, seemed to …
As per a new directive, the eu will certify buildings for energy efficiency from 2006 onwards. The European Climate Change Programme, established in 2000 to meet Kyoto Protocol targets, has identified the construction sector as providing the largest potential for carbon dioxide emission reduction. Buildings already account for up to …
The European court of first instance in Luxembourg recently refused to shield three of the world's largest tobacco companies from legal action linked to cigarette smuggling. The move was initiated by the European Commission and backed by a majority of eu member states. Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds and Japan Tobacco …
europe will not walk the toxic trail. To improve environmental safeguards, the European Union (eu) has decided to withdraw some 320 substances used in plant protection products - including pesticides, fungicides and herbicides - from the European market by July 25, 2003. The move is part of the European Com-mission's …
dispute settlement under the World Trade Organisation (wto) rules has been fraught with disagreements. The us has now put forth a proposal to grant countries that are parties to the dispute more control over such proceedings. The plan was announced at the three-day meeting of the wto dispute settlement body …
When did you last spot a house sparrow (Passer domesticus) in your house? Chances are, quite a while ago. These once-common birds are becoming a rarity, in India and other parts of the world. The Royal Society for Protection of Birds (rspb), uk, recently added the house sparrow to its …
scientists have found high levels of a chemical, blamed for causing infertility, in some of the best-known perfumes and cosmetics. Christian Dior's Poison, Calvin Klein's Eternity and Lancome's Tresor are among the toiletries found to contain phthalates
The detrimental effects of air pollution on health have been recognized for most of the last century. Effective legislation has led to a change in the nature of the air pollutants in outdoor air in developed countries, while combustion of raw fuels in the indoor environment remains a major health …
