A government report states that polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in eastern and northern rivers in France are at dangerous levels. PCBs, once used in cooling and insulating fluids were banned since 1987.

“Chinese President Hu Jintao and French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced after their talks on Monday the releasing of a China-France joint statement on responding to climate change and the establishment of a partnership between the two countries in this regard.”

Many countries around the world are striving towards a lighter footprint. The publication “The Hot Topic: How To Tackle Global Warming And Still Keep The Lights On,” by Sir David King, the British Government’s chief science adviser, and academic Gabrielle Walker looks at some success stories around the world including Japan, France, Germany, Britain, Austin (Texas), Newcastle (UK) and Western Cape province (South Africa).

Planet Ark

Berlin and Paris have agreed to support a European Commission proposed deal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from new cars. The goal is to limit CO2 emissions from new cars to an average of 120 grams per kilometer from 2012.