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 …
Developing countries now account for half of all anti-dumping actions, states a recent report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Between 1995 and 1999, which were the first five years of operation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), developing nations accounted for 47 per cent of …
a debate is brewing in Europe over the creation of human embryos for stem-cell research. A report recently suggested that European Commission's ( ec ) approval to such practices would be a "premature' decision. The report was prepared by a 12-member European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies …
a loan of us $215 million will be granted to Ukraine by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The loan will help Ukraine build its two nuclear power stations, Khmelnytsky-2 and Rivne-4. A few environmental pressure groups allege that ERBD has bowed down to pressure from Ukraine, which …
Romantic Rhine Salmon returns to the Rhine after decades of absence from the "biggest sewer of Europe" "I love rivers, carrying ideas as well as goods... of all rivers I most love the Rhine," said Victor Hugo (1839). But if the famous French author was to visit the Rhine 130 …
The Rhine flows through one of the most heavily industrialised belts in the world. It flows through countries that have had a very long and bloody history of hostility
the book is truly an international effort, both in terms of contributors as well as the content. With articles authored from various parts of the world, the book documents rainwater harvesting systems and efforts to conserve water across the continents of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and America. As in the …
almost a decade after the first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy ( bse ) or mad cow disease was detected in Britain in 1989, the French government was once again forced to ban meat and bone-meal in all animal feed as a precaution against the disease. The disease, which was …
Scientists at Free University in Berlin have for the first time manipulated single molecules using a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM). STMs are instruments used to study the structure of materials. In the experiment, researchers started with several iodabenzene molecules on a copper substrate. Then using the tip of the STM …
As the world wakes up to a depleting finite sources of power like coal and the growing opposition to big dams, countries all over the world with water resources and difficult areas to electrify are opting for the community mode of electricity generation and distribution. "Today, a confluence of technological, …
In India, the Central Electricity Act, 1948, does not allow individuals, communities or cooperatives to take up electricity generation and distribution. Only a private company bound to sell power to the government can do so. Of course the company has to sell power at rates the government fixes. Since such …
Three years ago, when Chija Maya, a resident of Piughar, spoke about a run-of-the-river microhydel power station in her village, many people thought that she was whistling in the dark. Though hydro-electricity first came to Nepal in 1911 to light the King’s palaces, it still remains a dream for 85 …
Sahashradhara, Dehradun, India. A soft drink shop greets thousands of tourists at this confluence of a thousand streams. So what's the big deal? Well, its just that the shop is located right inside a microhydel powerhouse that supplied electricity to three nearby villages for over four years. Two year ago, …
a multi-billion dollar civil lawsuit is going to be filed against the us tobacco companies by the European Commission. The commission alleged that it has lost tax revenue worth billions of dollars because of the us cigarettes being illegally sold in Europe. The commission says it has got evidence to …
Europe may be contributing significantly to pollution in Asia during winters. Reginald Newell and Mathew Evans of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology investigated how much pollution reaches Asia from sources across the Pacific Ocean. A detailed analysis revealed that every year in January and February, 30-40 per cent of the …
levels of radiation emitted from mobile phones will be notified by cellular phone companies from the year 2001. This move comes in the wake of similar action taken in Europe. Recently worldwide concerns have been raised about the radiation emitted by cellular phones, which according to researchers can cause cancer. …
september 22 was declared "European car-free day'. Over 800 cities decided to take part. The truly pan-European event was aimed at emphasising the importance of improving air quality, highlighting the adverse effects of unlimited car use in city centres and the importance of cycling and other forms of transportation. While …
The European Commission (EC) has launched a debate on the future of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a move which could initiate the process to restrict its production, use and disposal. A paper published by the EC on the environmental risks posed by PVC says harmful chemicals can be released into the …
large-scale reforestation programmes and cultivation of abandoned agricultural land has led to the expansion of forest area in Europe by 500,000 hectares a year. This was stated in a recent report on temperate forest, compiled by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the Food and Agriculture Organisation. The …
