european union Archives – The Green Optimistic

Ship Recycling: Cleaner Regulations for the European Union

Matthew Fiala — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 18:18:27 +0000

For decades, the European shipping industry has taken decommissioned vessels to China to be recycled. This practice is popular because of China’s relaxed environmental regulations and high margin of profit for the scrapped metal. However, beginning on January 1, 2019, European ship owners will no longer be able to scrap their ships in China as […]

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Most European Union Countries Falling Short on Pollution Limits

Matthew Fiala — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 05:37:17 +0000

According to auditors of the bloc, European Union governments are failing to comply with air quality limits, that are weaker than the World Health Organization’s recommendations. Currently, 23 out of the bloc 28-nations fail to comply with existing limits on pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and particulate matter. In a separate Supreme Audit Office (NIK) […]

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European Union to Ban Halogen Bulbs

Arsenij Percov — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 21:35:07 +0000

Starting from September 1st, the European Union’s ban on the sale of halogen bulbs comes into effect. The goal of the legislation is to reduce the consumption of electricity per household. Halogen bulbs are expected to be changed by LED lights. Later tend to be more expensive up front, but provide a lot of different […]

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Europe Needs to Update Fuel Economy Test Cycles

Benji Jerew — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 17:10:30 +0000

Times, “they are a-changin’ but, at least according to some independent testing agencies, environmental regulations, such as those that govern transportation fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions, aren’t keeping up with them. Fuel economy measurements are a big part of marketing green cars. Recently, Toyota announced pricing on the Toyota Prius c, which has the […]

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EU Reached an Agreement on International Scheme for Reducing Aviation Emissions

Mila Luleva — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 13:57:21 +0000

After months of negotiations and debates, green taxes on flights to and from Europe are still pending a global deal, although international governments finally agreed that airlines should be part of a scheme to reduce carbon emissions. This new development emerged after heated discussions in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The final negotiations are expected […]

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EU Parliament Might Limit Biofuel Production, But Should They?

Mila Luleva — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 17:04:15 +0000

Biofuel production from food crops has been a subject of heated discussions over the past week at the European Parliament. The previously agreed target of 10% of biofuel to be used in transportation by 2020 is now likely to drop down to 6%, as members of the parliament and environmental groups argue that biofuel production results […]

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Automotive Emissions Reduction Could Save Billions, Germany Fears Change

Benji Jerew — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:16:32 +0000

Automakers really don’t have much incentive to reduce emissions, at least not financially. Two main factors drive the development of automobiles with fewer emissions: legislation and the economy. When the economy turns down or prices go up, there is a corresponding surge in sales of more economical vehicles, which reduce emissions. Legislation, on the other hand, […]

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EU Makes Nuclear Power Safer with SARNET and SARNET2

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 30 May 2013 01:02:37 +0000

The Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in 2011 is a strong reminder that while nuclear power can be a useful energy source, a nuclear power plant disaster can have devastating consequences. In fact, Japan is still recovering from the Fukushima incident. The accident has served as a strong reminder that constant vigilance is required for […]

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European Carbon Emissions Dropped in 2012

Mila Luleva — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:13:49 +0000

The European Union (EU) announced a drop of 1,4 percent in carbon emissions from factories included in the EU carbon market. This is the second year in a row for the EU to report reduction in carbon emissions, leading the way to reaching the EU emission target for 2020. Although earlier predictions indicated that there […]

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Green Consumerism Deterred by Europe’s Emissions Trading System

Leigh Hutchens — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 09:59:30 +0000

An economist at the University of East Anglia (UEA) has determined that recommendations made by governmental agencies and environmental NGOs can limit consumers’ efforts to reduce their carbon footprints. Dr. Grischa Perino believes that the recommendations for consumers are inappropriate in the European Union due to its Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) which is designed […]

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How EU Strives to Lower Carbon Emissions with Hybrid and Electric Cars

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:41:23 +0000

The European Union has a goal of significantly cutting automobile carbon emissions by 2025, but without increasing the number of electric and hybrid cars on the road, that goal won’t be met. Ricardo-AEA conducted a study that has begun a dialog about how exactly to implement and enforce vehicle emission standards that require 2020 levels […]

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European Commission’s Carbon Capture and Storage Contest Declares No Winner

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 08:07:45 +0000

After no winner was declared in the first round of a contest staged by the European Commission to fund carbon capture and storage (CCS), the search for emissions cutting technology is looking bleak. At least for the time being. Skeptics say the technology may not yet exist to cut carbon emissions. However, the European Commission […]

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Obama Administration on Board to Curb Airline Emissions

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:16:17 +0000

In Montreal on December 12th and 13th, advisors to President Barak Obama will be participating in a meeting intended to put measures in place to curb airline emissions. This meeting comes after a tense stand-off between non-EU nations and the European Union over a law to include all airlines that use EU airports in the […]

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Green Energy Would Bring €3 Trillion Savings to EU by 2050, Report Says

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 05:07:35 +0000

An estimated €3 trillion worth of fuel savings is projected to be achieved by year 2050 if the European Union (EU) continue on supporting green energy revolution targets as reported in the 2012 EU Energy [R]evolution report conducted for Greenpeace and the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) by the German National Center for Aerospace, Energy, and […]

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Biofuel Policy Ammended by EU, Biowastes Favored

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 07:35:07 +0000

Just a few weeks after the publication of a study questioning its policy that prioritizes first generation biofuels, the European Union (EU) has changed its course, focusing now on biowastes rather than food crops as biofuel source. According to Roger Harabbin, a BBC environment analyst, the previous policy was easily accepted by other environmentalists before […]

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Air Pollution in Europe Worsened by Natural Causes

Maria Reyes — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 18:50:34 +0000

Mediterranean countries find it harder to comply with the EU clean air directive due to the prevalence of natural pollution. Chief among these natural pollutants are desert sand, sea salt, volcanic ash and particulate matter from forest fires. The European Environmental Agency (EEA) reports that Spain has the highest levels of natural pollutants. The country […]

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E.U. Tax Imposed on Airlines “Lousy,” Says U.S. Official

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:25:37 +0000

A controversial carbon tax on airlines imposed by the E.U. has been disproved by the U.S., China and Russia and several other countries (>20). Now, the U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, called the tax “lousy.” LaHood also requested that the E.U. drop the carbon tax “in order to help accelerate our effort to forge a global […]

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Europe's Car-Originated CO2 Emissions Fell 3.7 Percent in 2010

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:04:40 +0000

Unlike the U.S., Europe is well-known for its low emission cars, small and highly-efficient engines. A recent EU report claims Europe's fuel efficiency has even risen in 2010, bringing carbon emissions down about 3.7 percent. The target is to reach 130 grams of CO2 per kilometer by 2015.

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New EU Draft Proposes Vans Should Reduce Emissions In The Long Run

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:16:39 +0000

The amount of polluting gases that each van releases is about to shrink in the European Union, according to a draft released yesterday at the Brussels headquarters. It has not yet been signed, and most importantly, Germany didn't agree with some of the aspects.

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