In September of 2011, the Prime Minister of Vietnam gave their approval for a national power development plan that would run from 2011 until 2020. Known as the Power Master Plan VII, it puts a heavy emphasis on energy efficiency, energy security, the development of renewable energy, as well as power market liberalization. It has six key directions to (more…)

Railroad history dates back to the 1550’s in Germany where horse drawn wagons or carts moved along railed roads consisting of wooden rails. Modern rail has come a long way. Today, there are myriad forms of rail transportation that connect people and goods throughout the world. Without the powerful locomotive, modern day rail transportation would not (more…)

The exhaust fumes from gasoline vehicles contribute more to the production of a specific type of air pollution-secondary organic aerosols (SOA)-than those from diesel vehicles, according to a new study by scientists from the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). Secondary organic aerosols, tiny “tar balls” resulting from combustion (more…)

Bowing to increasing public concern about poor air quality, the Chinese government has approved strict new air pollution standards, including tougher rules for ozone and for particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter.

The new rules, approved during an executive meeting (more…)

The amounts of pollution produced by tar sands excavation sites are comparable to those of a medium-sized city or a large power plant, according to a new study by Environment Canada, the nation’s environmental agency.

Using satellite remote sensing observations, scientists (more…)

An interesting piece on FoodProductionDaily.com reports on a recent decision involving greenwashing (and apparently reverse greenwashing) claims in Denmark.

The ruling by the Danish Maritime Court is the culmination of a dispute that began in 2008 after (more…)

In our 21st Century the label of ‘sustainable business’ is very trendy, as is having a green badge on your company’s website, signifying an environmentally conscious company. These are good things and we certainly wouldn’t want to discourage them but more often than not they’re quite empty denotations. Here at Inhabitat we’re keen to inspire (more…)

The last two years have seen an amazing growth in the popularity of electric vehicles, with the launch of Nissan’s LEAF and the Chevy Volt. One of the moot points related to EVs is how sustainable they are. To be sure, if EVs are fed with renewable energy, they (more…)

The use of electric cars in China produces more particulate matter pollution than gasoline-fueled vehicles, according to a new study.

In an analysis of five vehicle technologies in 34 major Chinese cities, U.S. researchers found that the power generated to run electric vehicles produces (more…)

The European Environment Agency published a report on the cost and toll of air pollution due to industrial facilities to the European Union last November.

The costs are staggering as the 10,000 facilities induced up to 102 and 169 billion euros in 2009 alone. (more…)