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- El Niño's chilly little sister
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The power and dangers of El Niño are well known, but what of La Niña? This little known cold-water phenomenon is now believed to be just as destructive. Theories, assumptions, and impact assessments are all presented in this United Nations study.
- Wasting away
Across Europe, a stack of recycling initiatives is encouraging consumers to reduce the amount of waste that is just burnt or buried. How successful are waste related charges in inciting the population to recycle, and can schemes be exported to other regions or countries?
- Come on in - the water's (mostly) lovely
Against the general trend for the better, Europe's bathing water shows a mixed pattern, coastal waters being slightly better and freshwaters slightly dirtier in 2001 than in 2000. The focus for reducing water pollution has now switched from industry and urban waste water to "diffuse sources" such as farmland and small settlements, and the Bathing Water Directive is being revised.
- Cities we want to live in
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Cities are a fine invention, but urban sprawl - the damaging result of poor land use - brings us traffic congestion, depleted natural resources, assorted types of pollution - and a monotonous view from the window. A land use database is being developed to help us monitor, plan and manage the way our cities evolve.
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February 2003