Hawaii to become the first state to ban smoking for under 21s: Vendors to be fined $500 if they are caught selling to anyone underage 5/1/2016

Last Friday, Hawaii will become the first state to raise the legal smoking age to 21. ...more

Heatwaves, drought may curb global power output: study 5/1/2016

Thousands of power plants worldwide face sharp reductions in electricity output by mid-century due to more frequent heatwaves and drought driven by global warming, according to a study published Monday. ...more

Kamikatsu, Japan - the zero waste town 4/1/2016

Once upon a time, a little town had a big problem. Kamikatsu, Japan, a tiny village in south-western Japan was using an open-air incinerator to process all its waste up until 2003. ...more

Low water levels on Rhine hampers Danube shipping in Germany 4/1/2016

Low water levels mean cargo vessels still cannot sail fully loaded on the Rhine and Danube rivers in Germany, traders said on Monday. ...more

China's capital sees small improvement in air in 2015: government bureau 4/1/2016

China's capital Beijing saw a small improvement in air quality last year, the city's environmental protection bureau said on Monday, although levels of a major form of pollution remain several times higher than international standards. ...more

Never rains but it pours for guano-hit Rome 4/1/2016

Weekend rain washed away the dangerous pollution that has afflicted Rome in recent weeks but left city authorities with a new headache: roads and pavements made treacherous by bird droppings. ...more

South African group reports slight drop in rhino poaching 4/1/2016

The number of rhinos poached in South Africa in 2015 was slightly lower than in the previous year, representing modest progress by law enforcement in countering poachers who have killed rhinos in record numbers, according to a conservation group. ...more

Sand could be the key to unlocking more efficient solar power, Masdar scientists find 31/12/2015

Masdar Institute scientists have published a breakthrough research into more efficient solar power – and they will not have to look far for the raw material ¬needed. ...more

80 pct of Lebanon's water violates health standards: ministers 31/12/2015

More than 80 percent of Lebanon's potable water doesn't meet health standards, Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan revealed after meeting with Health Minister Wael Abu Faour, who has been waging a health campaign for over the past year. ...more

China assails home of Terracotta Army for poor smog control 31/12/2015

China's Environment Ministry on Wednesday lambasted the northern city of Xian, best known as the home of the Terracotta Army, for its poor pollution control measures, including allowing the burning of trash and piles of leaves during thick smog. ...more