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Archive for November 4th, 2010
Europe taking phosphates out of wash in water clean-up
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 4th, 2010
Agence France-Presse: Europe took steps Thursday to ban phosphates from laundry detergents in little over a year in a bid to clean up its rivers, lakes and marine waters.
A European Commission proposal said the ban aimed to reduce phosphates found in waste water which, when discharged, can cause algae to grow at the expense of other aquatic life -- a phenomenon known as "red tides" or "green tides" that scientists call "eutrophication."
The ban, to apply from January 1, 2013, will not affect detergents used for...
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US urged to ratify treaty to protect the planet’s animals and plants which it conceived
Posted by Canadian Press: Edith M. Lederer on November 4th, 2010
Canadian Press: A top environmental official urged the United States on Tuesday to join 193 other countries and ratify the treaty aimed at protecting the planet's animals and plants that it conceived over 20 years ago and helped draft.
Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive secretary of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, said it is in the strategic interest of the United States to be part of the treaty so it can influence future decisions and ensure that U.S. national interests are protected.
The United States...
Arab world faces worsening water crisis: report
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 4th, 2010
Reuters: The Arab world, one of the driest regions on the planet, will tip into severe water scarcity as early as 2015, a report issued on Thursday predicts.
By then, Arabs will have to survive on less than 500 cubic meters of water a year each, or below a tenth of the world average of more than 6,000 cubic meters per capita, said the report by the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED).
"The Arab world is already living a water crisis that will only get worse with inaction," the report says,...