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Last changed: 15/05/12
Socially disadvantaged are more likely to live near busy roads and are more heavily exposed to noise and exhaust gases. The second special issue of UMID on „Environmental Justice“ (2/2011) focuses on the social distribution of environmental burdens and resources in Germany. The special issue is currently published in english. A report on work in progress on the pilot project “Environmental justice in the Land of Berlin” is one main topic of this issue. Furthermore, latest research and reports, which include social factors in the analysis of environment-related health risks on federal, Länder and local levels, are presented.
Environmental protection does not preclude economic growth. In fact, renewable energies alone have created some 370,000 jobs. “We need a green economy. We have seen the advantages it comes with in Germany“, said UBA President Jochen Flasbarth upon introduction of the Schwerpunkte 2012 publication. Green economy means efficient use of raw materials and sustainable use of chemicals, subjects which are also addressed in the annual UBA publication.
The way chemicals are produced and applied in the globalised world has long ceased to be a matter of national affairs. Since their damaging effects know no national borders these hazards can only be tackled at the global level. The best approach is an international strategy of more sustainable chemistry. UBA‘s new guide on sustainable chemistry explains how this could work in practice. The guide provides advice for optimising chemical products and processes for the sake of the environment.
The five people leading different lifestyles that are profiled in the brochure and which has now also been published in English illustrate that there are several ways to achieve a climate-neutral lifestyle. Read now about the “big points” of climate-conscious consumption.
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 a study done by the Federal Environment Agency.
After nearly twenty years of inactivity the EU is hoping to introduce new limit values for noise from road vehicles. The UBA commissioned a study to determine the extent of the noise reduction these new limit values can produce. The findings are disillusioning. Even without factoring in traffic volume growth, the resulting noise reduction is well below 2 dB(A). More stringent limit values would make it possible to increase that level to 3 dB(A), which would be equivalent to reducing traffic volume by half.
Residual pharmaceuticals burden the environment. The new UMID explains what impact they have on organisms and how the burden can be reduced. Also in this issue: new research results on particle emissions from laser printers and how laser printers can receive as from 2013 the eco-label Blue Angel, information on the new internet-based pollen diary and on the investigation of the EHEC outbreak in 2011 in Germany.
Intentional and targeted large-scale interventions in the climate system that aim to reduce global anthropogenic warming is known as geo-engineering. Some of the well-known examples of it are spreading sulphur aerosols into the atmosphere and ocean fertilisation. How viable are these options? The UBA has information on the risks, possible assessment criteria, legal frameworks, and issues some initial recommendations on how to address the issue. This new BMBF-funded study evaluates the use of geo-engineering and shows that any use of these technologies could potentially have global implications.
What impact does agriculture have on soil, water, air, the climate, and biological diversity? You can find answers to this question in the key facts and figures presented in the brochure “Environment and Agriculture”, published in our series “Data on the Environment”. Graphs, maps and tables illustrate existing interrelationships and provide a basis for the debate about greater environmental protection in agriculture.