Producers of energy-saving lamps ought to use the Blue Angel eco-label for the sake of better consumer purchasing orientation. This demand has been made by the Federation of German Consumer Organisations - vzbv and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) as the second phase of the Commission Regulation on household lamps enters into force on 1 September. Standard light bulbs of more than 60 watts wil... read more
Trailblazer for the environment in Germany
His lifework is virtually equivalent to the concept of ecology. Heinrich Freiherr von Lersner was one of the first figures to shape German environmental policy. In 1970, the administrative lawyer with a PhD took charge of the newly established division of water and waste management within the department of environmental protection at the Federal Ministry of Interior. Four years later he was appo... read more
Energy goal for 2050: 100% renewable electricity supply
Germany’s electricity supply could make a complete switch to renewable energies by 2050. The technology already available on the market could make this possible even today, but it requires that electricity be used and produced very efficiently. These are the results of the Energieziel 2050: 100% Strom aus erneuerbaren Quellen [100% renewable electricity supply by 2050] study done by the Federal En... read more
New ordinance on small firing installations to ensure improved air quality
According to a recent study carried out on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), the new environmental requirements for wood-fired heaters, woodstoves, and other small firing installations using solid fuels will make considerable improvements in particulate emissions. The results of the study done by the University of Stuttgart Institute of Process Engineering and Power Plant Technology... read more
Unadulterated swimming fun
The EU Commission published its statistics on the bathing water quality for 2009 season on 10 June 2010. 99 percent of Germany’s bathing waters meet the quality standards set by the EC Bathing Water Directive. 81 percent of bathing waters even meet the more stringent requirements to be classified as ‘good quality’. read more
Import of waste requiring authorisation continues at high rate
The import of wastes requiring authorisation remained high in 2009, in a pattern similar to previous years. Total volume was 7.6 milllion tonnes (mn t) and increased mainly due to a large construction site on the German-Austrian border (Figure 1). Exports, in contrast, declined by about 20 percent and amounted to only 1.2 mn t. The share of hazardous waste also decreased, as exports amounted to a... read more
Tin can makes a comeback: very much an offside trap for consumers
Just in time for the World Cup kickoff, it’s there on the supermarket shelves: the tin can. It’s a pity because ecologically speaking, the tin can continues to be a poor choice compared to reusable beverage packaging. Consumers should therefore avoid these tin cans: “Whether it’s soft drinks, cola or beer, reusable glass and PET bottles are the best choice - all the more so if provided by a region... read more
Fluorinated fire-fighting foams protect - not the environment though
Fire departments save lives, recover, extinguish, protect- sometimes the environment, too. Fires can be fought especially well with chemicals, propellants or plastics that contain fluorinated extinguishing foams, which prevent the formation of toxic combustion products. However, the chemicals contained in the foams are not, environmentally speaking, worry-free. “Fluorinated chemicals are very pers... read more
