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 …
the European Union (eu) governments have recently approved a new directive on renewable energy. The directive seeks to achieve the Kyoto Protocol targets of the eu. As per the directive, eu's member states must ensure that renewable energy sources supply 12 per cent of gross internal energy consumption and 22.1 …
Air pollution in Asia has worsened since 2000, and is responsible for the death of thousands of people in Beijing, Jakarta, Seoul, Bangkok and Manila. This was revealed during a research conducted by the World Bank and the Stockholm Development Institute (sdi). The research states that air pollution in the …
the Philippines has recently passed a stringent law for labelling of products containing genetically modified organisms (gmos). In contrast, six European countries face trial for failing to protect their environment from the gmo threat. As per the new Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act of the Philippines, infringement can …
One of the most widely disseminated strains of an antibiotic-resistant bacterium responsible for hundreds of infections in European hospitals can be traced back to the 1950s, according to researchers at the Rockefeller University, USA. Using DNA fingerprinting they have shown that this persistent lineage of Staphylococcus aureus is an expert …
can detergents and ecosafety go hand in hand? Well, this might happen in Europe if the proposals of the European Commission's industry directorate are accepted. The proposals, aimed to amend the detergents legislation of the European Union (eu), include stringent standards for biodegradability and mandatory labelling of products causing skin …
while huge concessions have been given to the umbrella group countries under the Kyoto protocol for using forests as carbon sinks to meet their targets, latest research shows that planting forests to curb global warming could backfire. Planting trees across the snow-covered swathes of Siberia and North America will heat …
It's easier to recognise a face when its owner's race matches our own, is the controversial finding of a new study. An imaging study shows that greater activity in the brain's expert
The amount of solid waste generated in Buenos Aires has increased by 30 per cent in the last 10 years. This was found during the first-ever study on the city's solid waste. In 1991, the average daily production of waste in the city was 3,353 tonnes, which has now increased …
What is extended producers responsibility ( epr ) concept? Under epr producers bear a degree of responsibility for all the environmental impacts of their products. They must take their products back at the end of their useful life either directly or through a third party. The manufacturers are also responsible …
us companies operating in Europe have rejected a plan to introduce lower sales tax rates on ecolabelled products, saying it is "backward looking and innovation stifling.' Tax incentives for ecofriendly products were one of the many provisions of the European Commission's ( ec ) green plan on integrated product policy. …
the prime minister of uk, Tony Blair, has announced a review of the country's energy policy in a written answer to the parliament on June 25. He announced the setting up of a review group under the Performance and Innovation Unit ( piu ) of the cabinet office that will …
When roads become an extension of living rooms When Hannes Linck moved in August 1999 to Quartier Vauban, a newly-built neighbourhood in the southern German city of Freiburg, he decided to sell off his car. Hannes lives with his wife and two children in a flat built by a housing …
Whereas European cities are making an effort to return to walking and cycling through innovative ways of pedestrianisation and car-restraint policies, the tradition of cycling and walking is being squeezed out of Asian cities. Only Japan and Singapore are making some efforts to revive these practices. In Chinese cities, where …
italy has wavered from its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, jeopardising Europe's commitment to fight global warming. Italian officials have urged the European Union ( eu ) to acknowledge the fact that Kyoto is effectively dead without the us support. "The us participation is essential to achieve the ultimate objective …
Latest NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) satellite maps reveal that most of the world's glaciers are shrinking. Rick Wessels of the US Geographical Survey, based in Arizona, compared thousands of satellite images to aerial photographs dating back 20 years and found almost every mountain glacier in Patagonia, the Himalayas, …
What are the dangers posed by detergents? The detergents contain phosphates which pose a threat to the environment. What are phosphates used for in detergents? Phosphates perform many functions in washing powders and detergents.They soften hard water by bonding with calcium ions. This way they prevent the lime included in …
some European countries and the us had plans to dump 29 million tonnes of toxic wastes in 11 African countries. But their plans were stalled in the wake of widespread protests from African communities. These are the findings of a new report, which was recently released by Oladele Osibajo, Nigeria's …
