Top 10 articles 2011 from DG Environment News Alert Service

1. Reducing the environmental impact of building materials, March 2011
Scientists have compared the environmental impact of a range of building materials and found that their energy and water consumption and CO₂ emissions can all be reduced.
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2. Waste incineration ash could prove a valuable resource, January 2011
Low-cost techniques which could transform fly ash from hazardous landfill into one of the world's largest raw material resources have been demonstrated.
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3. Biodiversity loss: prevention is cheaper than cure, July 2011
Conserving a species starts before it becomes endangered could save millions of euros compared to the cost of recovering a population already in serious decline, according to research.
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4. Hidden carbon emissions from trade offset impacts of reforestation, July 2011
Countries that appear to have reduced GHG emissions through reforestation may have simply 'displaced' the emissions to another country by increasing imports, research suggests.
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5. Partnering biodiversity and income on French farmlands, April 2011
A simple combination of taxes and subsidies could promote economic performance on farms, whilst conserving bird populations, according to a French study.
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6. Renewable power sources could meet all global energy needs by 2050, April 2011
With a concerted effort, the world could be entirely reliant on renewable energy for electric power, transportation and heating/cooling by 2050, a study concludes.
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7. Do strict speed limits really reduce traffic emissions?, January 2011
A study has investigated the impact of reducing speed limits on traffic emissions using two different models, but the models produced some contradictory results.
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8. The future is bright for environmental citizen science, September 2011
A review of a decade of environmental citizen science concludes that its benefits to science and society far outweigh concerns over data quality.
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9. The central role of NGOs in sustainable fisheries, November 2011
NGOs now play a central role in setting standards for sustainable fisheries. Using the Dutch Good Fish Guide, research has illustrated how they can efficiently engage consumers, industry, fishermen and government.
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10. Causes of the 2007-2008 global food crisis identified, January 2011
A number of interacting factors, including increasing oil prices, greater demand for biofuels and trade decisions, all contributed to the 2007-2008 food crisis, according to a report.
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