...ince the industrial revolution. No the tide may be turning, say Ed Dlugokencky of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA in Boulder, Colorado, and his team. They found that levels steadied beteen 1999 and 2002, according to measurements from 43 ground-based stations around the orld. The reason for the change is unclear. Dlugokencky believes that a big contributing factor as the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. Oil and gas production fell, and the industry became more efficient at plugging gas leaks from pipes and ells. Experts say the plateau is no cause for complacency. Increasing fossil-fuel consumption in developing nations, or reneed drilling for natural gas, might boost methane again. The trajectory is still moving up, says David Blake, an atmospheric chemist at the University of California, Irvine. The finding highlights ho small steps to cut methane emissions could slo global arming, he says. Leaking gas pipelines could be capped and incentives introduced to encourage landfill oners and farmers to use methane to run poer generators. Earlier studies hinted at a sloing in the long-term rise in methane - but Dlugokenckys conclusion is based on particularly frequent and accurate measurements..Taian, the largest manufacturer of compact discs in the orld, ill begin to recycle this product as early as next July, hen required regulations have been established, Environmental Protection Administrator Chang Juu-en said yesterday.Officials from the Environmental Protection Administration EPA yesterday ere criticized by legislators for their lax efforts to recycle compact discs, hich are composed of plastic materials and diverse metals, including aluminum, gold, silver and titanium.According to legislators, Taian produces 5.5 billion compact discs annually, including 4.7 billion discs for overseas markets. Common compact discs are classified into read-only memory CD-ROM, recordable disc CD-R and reritable disc CD-R.Democratic Progressive Party DPP Legislator Cheng Kuei-lien yesterday urged the administration to establish regulations encouraging the public to recycle discs.More than 800 million compact discs are sold annually on the domestic market. Its inappropriate to dispose of the discs only in landfills or incinerators, Cheng said.If compact discs are dumped at landfills, he said, soil and groundater ould be polluted by heavy metals. In addition, burning compact discs containing plastic materials in incinerators might produce the dangerous chemical dioxin.Chang said that the EPA had entrusted the Industrial Technology Research Institute ith conducting a feasibility study on recycling compact discs. The final report ill be completed by the end of this year.e estimate that the product ill be efficiently recycled as early as July next year, if related regulations are established, Chang said.Chengs colleagues, including Kuo Jung-tsung of the DPP, and Chen Li-hui and Chang Tsai-mei of the Chinese Nationalist Party KMT, also expressed their concerns over pollution resulting from untreated compact discs.According to Chen Hsiung-en , director-general of the EPAs Bureau of Solid aste Management, the administration so far had no clear picture of the amount of unanted compact discs that had to be recycled annually.But according to a preliminary study by the institute, hich estimates that discs have a 4-year lifespan and a 2 percent damage rate during the recording process, about 60 million compact discs eighing 990 tonnes are discarded annually in Taian. This conservative estimation excludes discs ith defects discarded by the manufacturing sector.According to a Ministry of Economic Affairs publication in December last year, discs damaged during the manufacturing process accounts for about 10 percent of total production.According to the EPA, there has been only one environmental service company so far that systematically recycles compact discs. The Kaohsiung-based company, hich received its license in August, is expected to recycle as many as 300 million compact discs annually. The company no produces 400 tonnes of plastic materials a month from discarded and recycled compact discs. Meanhile, to other companies are applying for similar licenses.Administration officials said that its orthhile to recycle unanted compact discs because the production volume is still increasing significantly.In addition to production, officials said, other factors affecting the recycling of compact discs ould be considered, including potential environmental pollution, consumer behavior, the market economy and executive strategies. Australia life-line for Barrier ReefThe Reef is one of Australias greatest iconsThe Australian Government has submitted a plan to parliament to make the Great Barrier Reef the most protected coral reef system in the orld. It ants to increase so-called green zones, here commercial and recreational fishing is banned, from 4.5 of the 2,000-kilometre 1,200-mile reef to 33. The plan, hich is expected to be approved by parliament and come into force by the middle of next year, ould create the orlds largest netork of protected marine areas. There are concerns that over-fishing has depleted the reef of marine life, threatening its delicate eco-balance. F Australia hailed the plan as a breakthrough. Its groundbreaking, its visionary, Imogen Zethoven, Great Barrier Reef Campaign Manager, told BBC Nes Online. There is no other netork on Earth of a similar scale. It doesnt mean that the plan is perfect, but it does mean theres a dramatic improvement, she said. hat e sought to do is provide a level of protection that assures that biodiversity ill be protected hile minimising the impact on users, Environment Minister David Kemp told BBC Nes Online. There are other factors that damage the reef - global arming, hich is believed to be to blame for coral bleaching, and chemical run-offs from cattle grazing, sugarcane groing and urban development. Ms Zethoven said that restricting fishing around the reef ould help mitigate the effects of global arming and pollution. It you maintain an ecosystem... ith an abundance of life, it has a greater chance of recovering, she said. The government has also finalised a ater quality protection plan, hich seeks to regulate land management to reduce pollution from agriculture and horticulture. Ms Zethoven said the administration no needed to address greenhouse emissions, hich should be cut dramatically and urgently. Prime Minister John Hoard last year refused to sign the Kyoto protocol on climate control. The Great Barrier Reef, situated off Queensland state in Australias northeast, injects an estimated A1.5bn 975m into the economy each year through tourism and fishing. Companies and individuals caught breaching green zone rules ill face heavy fines. The commercial fishing industry has arned the plan could devastate fishing firms and small communities. Mr Kemp said the government as in consultation ith the community to formulate appro...
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