The study "Climate Tipping Point - The Possible Impact of Fossil Energy Development on the Target of Controlling Global Warming to 2°C" recently released by the international environmental organization Greenpeace (hereinafter referred to as the "Study") pointed out that: China, Australia, the United States, Indonesia, Brazil and other countries have If the 14 new large-scale coal, oil and natural gas mining projects are developed and implemented, they will cause global fossil energy carbon dioxide emissions to increase by 20% in 2020 compared with 2011, confirming the rapid upward trend of the global emissions curve and limiting global warming to 2 degrees. The goal within the period has become elusive, and it has even entered a catastrophic 5~6°C warming track. Greenpeace appeals: Whether mankind can get rid of its dependence on fossil energy will determine the success or failure of the global response to the challenge of climate change. Governments and enterprises of all countries should take immediate action to stop the expansion of fossil energy, actively promote a sustainable and low-carbon "energy revolution", use renewable energy and improve energy efficiency to meet new energy needs, and avoid global climate change. The point of no return. "The plans for these 14 fossil energy development projects are a manifestation of the global economy's addiction to fossil energy." Kumi Naidoo, director general of Greenpeace International, pointed out: "Once these projects are completed, they will become the largest greenhouse gas emissions to date. Emission sources will further push greenhouse gas emissions to new peaks. If immediate action is not taken to prevent it, it will have a fatal impact on human society after crossing the tipping point." This report was completed by Greenpeace and the think tank Ecofys. In "Research",

Sinar Mas Group APP, one of the world's largest pulp and paper manufacturers, released a new forest protection policy on February 4, promising to immediately stop all operations involving natural forests in its global supply chain and accept monitoring and evaluation by non-governmental organizations. . Greenpeace expresses positive affirmation of Sinar Mas Group APP’s commitment to stop deforestation. This is of great significance to protect the few remaining tropical rainforests in the world. Yang Jie, Forest Protection Director of Greenpeace East Asia Office, said: "We welcome the announcement of this commitment by APP and will pay close attention to the specific implementation of the commitment. If APP can fulfill its commitment with practical actions, it will be a great help to the Indonesian rainforests that have been damaged for many years. It will be a huge turnaround. "Under this new policy, APP has made a clear commitment to protecting China's natural forests and ensuring that its pulp and paper forest operations will no longer involve conversion to any natural forests. Regarding the conversion problems that have been caused in Hainan and other places, APP China also promised to discuss and formulate solutions with stakeholders in the near future. Yang Jie pointed out that once these policies are implemented, they will have a positive impact on protecting China's natural forests. Greenpeace hopes that APP China can develop effective solutions and timetables for restoring vegetation and ecosystems in the central mountainous areas of Hainan to prove its determination to protect global tropical rainforests. The formulation of APP’s “New Forest Protection Policy” resulted from years of calls and pressure from Indonesian and international environmental protection agencies. Greenpeace’s global forest protection program, which aims to change the deforestation behavior of the pulp and paper industry, revealed through on-the-spot investigations the global deforestation caused by APP.

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a report stating that long-term exposure to fine suspended particles in the air can cause adverse birth outcomes, respiratory diseases in children, arteriosclerosis and other problems. Fine suspended particles are also called PM2.5, which are particles with a particle size less than 2.5 microns. The WHO report pointed out that PM2.5 is also related to nervous system development, cognitive development, and diabetes, and further affirmed the causal relationship between fine suspended particles and deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Particulate matter consists of solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, including sulfates, nitrates, ammonia and other substances. The main sources of man-made suspended particulates are exhaust gases from home heating, industrial activities, and vehicles traveling on the road. The WHO pointed out that based on the Air Quality Guidelines set by the WHO in 2005, more than 80% Europeans are exposed to excessive amounts of suspended particulate matter, and this situation reduces the average life expectancy of each person by 8.6 months. life span. WHO recommends revising the Guidelines for Suspended Particulate Particulates before 2015, setting more stringent nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure values, and developing long-term average concentration standards for ozone. The report, titled "Review of the Evidence on the Health Effects of Air Pollution," was implemented by the WHO at the request of the European Commission and based on the 2013 EU air-related policies as a framework. EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik pointed out that “the EU’s air policy must be based on the latest scientific research.

As in previous years, OEKO-TEX® released the latest OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 testing standards and limit value requirements for textile hazardous substances inspection at its annual meeting. The new standard will take effect on January 1, 2013; April 1, 2013 It will be officially implemented on the same day. Compared with the 2012 version, there are mainly the following new changes: 1. In the future, 8 new polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) content tests will be added to candidate certified textiles, for a total of 24 items. It is stipulated that in product category one (infant products), the total sum of existing benzo(a)pyrene and PHAs will be reduced from the original 1.0mg/kg and 10mg/kg to 0.5mg/kg and 5mg/kg respectively. 2. Taking into account the update of the list of substances of very high concern (SVHC) under the REACH regulation, dimethylformamide (DMF) is included in the list of regulated solvents with a limit value of 0.1 %. 3. The requirement for phthalates in candidate samples will be increased by adding dipyl phthalate (DPP) from 11 items to 12 items, and the total limit of the 12 items will remain the previous requirement of 0.1%. 4. Taking into account the latest revision of the restricted substances list in Annex

In the center of Chicago, there is a lush green garden covering an area of 1,900 square meters. In this oasis, more than 150 kinds of flowers and more than 20,000 plants grow freely. Small butterflies, bees, and birds fly among the miscanthus, clover, and cactus. There is also an apiary for keeping bees in the garden. The garden manager sells the honey for charity every year, and the funds raised are used for youth extracurricular activities. This green space is not in the park on the ground, but on the roof of Chicago City Hall. It is Chicago's first green roof. In recent years, with the rapid expansion of urban scale, heat waves have swept many cities. "Green roofs" can reduce roof heat radiation and alleviate the heat island effect. The temperature on the top floor of Chicago City Hall is much lower than that of traditional asphalt roofs. In addition, the city's green roof is like a reservoir, which can intercept and store a large amount of rainwater, and store water for more than 48 hours, reducing the flow rate of rainwater and alleviating urban waterlogging to a certain extent. The director of the Chicago Environmental Protection Agency said that adding environmentally friendly elements will make construction more expensive, but it will be economically beneficial in the long run. Due to the large-scale implementation of roof greening, energy consumption has been effectively reduced. In addition, the roof garden also provides a good living environment for insects, a food source for birds, and a leisure space for citizens to escape the summer heat, allowing humans to live in harmony with nature. Data source: Environmental Information Center (2012-11-22)

In early December 2012, the California Center for Environmental Health (CEH) took legal action against 24 baby product retailers and distributors based on the state's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Substances Act (commonly known as Proposition 65). Action, claiming that the products provided by these companies contain excessive levels of the chlorinated flame retardant, namely tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TDCPP). The products involved include foam-filled cradle mattresses, crib mattresses and portable cribs. The violation notice issued by the Center for Environmental Hygiene stated that the sponge filling part of the product concerned had been treated to contain the above-mentioned flame retardants. Consumers, including children, may be exposed to this substance by inhalation, ingestion or skin contact. The Center for Environmental Hygiene stated that the relevant products did not carry clear and reasonable warnings indicating that TDCPP poses a carcinogenic risk. On October 28, 2011, the California Office of Environmental Health Risk Assessment (OEHHA) added TDCPP to the restricted list of Proposition 65, but manufacturers did not need to formally comply with warning labeling regulations until October 28, 2012. In other words, California has only recently been able to prosecute consumer products containing the substance. The safety standard for TDCPP set by the Environmental Health Risk Assessment Office is 5.4 micrograms per day. If the exposure level is lower than this standard, no warning label is required. Proposition 65 stipulates that if a company knows that the consumer goods, food, drugs or other products it supplies contain

Under a final rule issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), manufacturers and importers of children's products will be required to test "representative samples" at least annually to ensure that the products continue to comply with all safety regulations. . According to U.S. federal regulations, testing must be performed by a "third-party assessment agency" recognized by the CPSC. The "Testing and Labeling Pertaining to Product Certification Regarding Representative Samples for Periodic Testing of Children's Products" specification will take effect on February 8, 2013, stipulating that representative samples Recordkeeping Requirements for Sexual Sample Testing. Records should be kept for at least 5 years. Children's products affected by the regulation include bicycles, furniture, clothing, jewelry, televisions and toys "primarily or intended" for children 12 years of age or younger. Although the number of samples selected for regular testing is not specified, it must be "sufficient to ensure that the product can continue to comply with regulations." The committee notes that a number of different methods can be used to select a representative sample, which can be evaluated based on "rules, prohibitions, standards or regulations." For chemical testing, starting from "homogeneous materials such as

Although EU legislation aims to regulate the proper disposal of electronic and electrical products in the waste stage, according to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA), the illegal export of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is still increasing year by year. The EU WEEE Directive puts forward strict requirements for the recycling and processing of electronic waste in the EU. Likewise, because such items are generally classified as hazardous materials, it is illegal to export e-waste from EU member states to non-OECD countries. However, although the EU is unable to provide sufficient import and export data of e-waste, there are many indications that a considerable amount of European e-waste is exported to West Africa and Asia disguised as second-hand goods. The report also pointed out that in these countries, electronic waste is usually not recycled and processed in formal ways, which often results in major pollution of the environment and harm to the health of local residents. Therefore, the European Environment Agency insists that the EU has a moral obligation to crack down on the illegal export trade of WEEE disguised as second-hand goods. Even if the illegal transfer of WEEE can be completely eradicated, the legal trade export of used household appliances will continue to indirectly harm the environment and people's health in countries outside the EU. The report further emphasizes that supporting West African and other countries to develop sound recycling systems for environmental and social masks is an important task for the EU. According to an assessment by the European Environment Agency, trade in hazardous waste is expected to increase in the coming years. The EEA requires the EU to pre-emptively regulate waste

The United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Doha reached an agreement on the 8th to extend the effectiveness of the "Kyoto Protocol" to 2020 to meet emission reduction constraints. Although Russia, Japan and Canada withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol, the greenhouse gas emissions of all signatories only accounted for 15% of the total, and the emissions of emerging market countries such as China and India continued to grow, increasing global carbon dioxide emissions by 2.61 TP3T, 50% more than the 1990 record. However, nearly 200 countries around the world are still unwilling to give up the opportunity to save the earth and have agreed to extend the validity of the Kyoto Protocol for another eight years, making it the only legally binding document to combat global warming. But despite this, representatives from various countries still believe that the decisions made by simply holding meetings are far less than the plans recommended by scientists, such as taking active actions to prevent sea level rise, heat waves, sandstorms or floods; in addition, whether to charge developed countries Discussion of more funds to help other countries deal with the global warming controversy will be postponed until next year (2013). After two weeks of intensive consultations, the Doha meeting finally reached an agreement to legally confirm the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol’s emission reduction commitments and extend the effectiveness of the Kyoto Protocol until the new convention comes into effect in 2020 to curb climate change. , and some developed countries have also pledged to continue to significantly reduce emissions before 2020. This meeting also produced the "Doha Climate Gateway" agreement. The key points are: Beijing

The China Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) recently issued a public solicitation letter to solicit revision opinions on the current "Hygienic Specifications for Cosmetics" (2007 Edition). This specification is planned to be renamed "Technical Specification for Safety of Cosmetics" in the future, and is currently soliciting public opinions. The revised technical specifications focus more on ensuring the safety of cosmetic products and will have stricter requirements on the residual limits of lead and arsenic in products. Compared with the original "Hygienic Specifications", the new "Technical Specifications" refer to relevant foreign regulations and requirements, and the residual limits of lead and arsenic in products are adjusted from the current 40mg/kg and 10mg/kg to 10mg/kg and 4mg/kg, respectively. kg. The "Hygienic Code" is mainly used for licensing and supervision of cosmetic products, focusing on product safety requirements. It can no longer meet the current needs for safety supervision of the entire process of cosmetics research and development, production, and use. While revising product safety requirements, the "Technical Specifications" also added safety requirements for cosmetic raw materials, revised and improved the list of prohibited and restricted substances, general detection methods, toxicological test methods and human safety evaluation method standards, etc., and the selection of raw materials. The production process is more strictly controlled. Source: Chemical Watch (2012-12-13) (Compiled by PIDC

Chemicals are part of our daily lives. All living things and inanimate substances are composed of chemicals, and chemicals are also used in the production process of products that we come into contact with in daily life. Many chemicals, if used properly, can significantly improve our quality of life, health and well-being. In contrast, some chemicals are very dangerous and may have negative impacts on human health and the environment if not properly managed and used. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a booklet: 10 chemicals that endanger public health, including air pollution, arsenic, asbestos, benzene, cadmium, dioxin, too much or too little fluorine, lead, mercury and high Dangerous pesticides. The booklet also provides scientific evidence and risk management advice. Source: World Health Organizaion (2013-01-08) (PIDC compilation)

The rightback porpoise, a first-level protected animal facing extinction, died after being stranded at Potou Fishing Port in Hsinchu County. On the 17th, it was transferred to the Taijiang Cetacean Rescue Center for autopsy and testing. The Taijiang Cetacean Rescue Center will be used as cetacean specimens and will be preserved by the Xinhua County Government. Commonly known as the "sea monk", the rightback porpoise is also known as the "finless porpoise". Its distribution range ranges from the Persian Gulf in the west to Japan in the east. Its habitat is mostly sandy seabed within a water depth of 50 meters, and it is rarely found offshore. Dolphins seen at sea more than 5 kilometers away are inshore resident dolphins. Fan Guoquan, director of agriculture of the Hsinchu County Government, said that six cetacean strandings have occurred in the waters of Potou Fishing Port in Hsinchu County in the past year, including bottlenose dolphins, pygmy sperm whales, fin whales, melon-headed whales, and the right porpoise that died after being stranded yesterday. . The right porpoise is listed as a first-level protected animal facing extinction. The Agriculture Bureau of the Hsinchu County Government did not dare to ignore it. It immediately contacted the Taijiang Cetacean Rescue Center and Wang Jianping, a professor at the Department of Life Sciences of National Cheng Kung University to assist in the investigation. It was initially identified as an underage male whale. , there were undigested fish pieces and plastic objects in the gastrointestinal tract. It was determined that he was eating before death. It may be that the plastic objects caused the obstruction of the digestive tract and death. Data source: Environmental Information Center (2013-01-17

ZARA, the world's largest ready-to-wear retailer, has finally become the 8th global clothing retailer after more than 700 volunteers around the world staged street actions and more than 310,000 people signed a petition calling for detoxification. A brand that promises to eliminate toxins in the production chain. ZARA promises to fully implement non-toxic production in 2020, and will prioritize the elimination of several toxic and harmful substances such as PFCs (perfluorinated compounds) by 2015. ZARA's commitment is not only a great boon to the environment, but also upholds the public's right to know (to know what toxic and harmful substances are discharged into the water). ZARA pointed out that by the end of 2013, at least 100 suppliers (including at least 40 in China) will disclose data on the toxic and hazardous substances they emit. The data will be made available to the public based on various chemical substances, each factory, and each year. View. Although ZARA's clothing is not manufactured in Taiwan, Inditex Group has promised to ban the use of alkylphenol polyoxyethylene ethers and perfluorinated compounds that can interfere with the hormonal system in the production chain, and further stipulates short-term replacement of toxic Hazardous materials list and schedule. Greenpeace Pollution Prevention and Control Project Director Lai Qianru emphasized that companies are committed to shouldering their due responsibilities, and the government needs to speed up the revision of regulations to truly correct any production behavior that uses toxic and hazardous substances and achieve zero emissions of toxic and hazardous substances by 2020. She also pointed out that the public has the right to know what toxic and harmful substances are used in the manufacturing process of the clothes they buy, and the information should be disclosed and disclosed.

British scientists are exploring how to simulate photosynthesis in plants, converting sunlight into energy and producing hydrogen as vehicle fuel. Hydrogen is a zero-emission fuel that can be used as vehicle fuel or converted into electricity. The scientists will work with other researchers around the world to study the possibilities of artificial photosynthesis as countries around the world seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. Julea Butt from the University of East Anglia in the UK, the main leader of this research, pointed out: "We will simulate photosynthesis by placing micro solar panels on microorganisms." The total investment in this research project is 800,000 pounds ( ($1.3 million) and will be completed by scientists from institutions such as the University of East Anglia, the University of Cambridge and the University of Leeds. Scientists believe that simulated photosynthesis can use solar energy more efficiently than current solar energy converters. Many countries are currently developing at least one type of renewable energy, such as solar energy, wind energy, biomass fuel, or a mixture of multiple energy sources to determine which renewable energy source is the most competitive. As global carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise, some experts believe that more extreme methods are needed to curb rising global temperatures. Some of these extreme methods are quite controversial, such as removing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and using artificial clouds or space mirrors to block sunlight. . Source: Reuters (2013-01-21)