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The article offers information on the first carbon footprint assessment in China. The carbon footprint assessment is designed to help companies in reducing energy consumption and dominate in environmental protection. Through carbon footprint assessment, the waste discharge and carbon dioxide emission of the papermaking industry have declined from 17% to 35%.

This article looks at results of the "Environmental Trends and Climate Impacts: Findings From the U.S. Book Industry" survey. According to the study, the cutting of trees accounts for nearly 63% of the industry's carbon footprint, while paper production and printing accounts for 26.6%. In all, it is estimated that the industry produced a carbon dioxide equivalent net emission of about 12.4 million tons in 2006, and a net emission of 8.85 pounds per book sold to consumers.

The article reports that energy services group Mitsui Babcock has called for urgent government action to support clean coal technologies in order to retain the security of the British electricity supply and enable carbon dioxide reduction targets to be met. It believes that at least 20 million pounds per year is needed to support R&D efforts and, most importantly, the demonstration of a coal-fired power station retrofitted with the latest carbon dioxide abatement techniques. This investment should be increased to 50 million pounds if Great Britain is to become a global leader in this area. INSET: Mitsui's four-point action plan.

This article offers an overview of the present and future use of silicone hydrogels. In 1946, mini oxygen-impermeable contact lenses were first being introduced to correct refractive error. At the same time, Ed Goodlaw an optometrist in California published a paper suggesting that contact lenses should really transmit carbon dioxide and oxygen to prevent edema and other physiological problems. The first lenses attempting to reach the extended wear goal were high water content hydrogel lenses worn in the 1970s and in the 1980s. By 1985, there were approximately 4 million extended lens wearers. Silicone hydrogel materials have virtually eliminated physiological changes due to hypoxia. With lenses of the highest levels of oxygen transmissibility, even continuous wear does not produce contact lens-related edema.

The article focuses on a white paper released by the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the country. Based on the conclusion of the white paper, the country must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by between 60 percent to 80 percent by 2050. The paper also recommends the country to adopt an economy-wide, mandatory GHG reduction program. It also states that a GHG reduction program will mirror the existing Acid Rain Program. The paper also reveals that a cap-and-trade program must cover carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases.

The article focuses on a study by Carlos A. Fernandez, researcher of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and others, that was published in the 2015 issue of the journal "Green Chemistry" regarding creation of hydraulic fluid which transforms hydrogel on interaction with carbon dioxide. It highlihgts the properties of solvents, surfactants and catalyst. It also informs about an editorial by the journal's editorial board chair Walter Leitner regarding his dilemma to publish the paper.

The article focuses on a research paper published in the journal "Chemical Communications," in which professor Stuart Licht of George Washington University describes a solar-driven process to generate calcium oxide or lime without carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Topics discussed include decomposition, electrolysis of carbonates, and aluminum extraction from bauxite.

The article reports on the move of U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to introduce the paper "Opportunities Exist for the Department of Energy to Provide Better Information on the Maturity of Key Technologies to Reduce Carbon Emissions." The intent of the move is to reduce carbon dioxide emission from coal-fired power plants and deployment of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology. It is speculated that technology would last long to operate within 10 to 15 years.

The article reports that the Department of Energy (DOE) will fund 21.6 million dollars for the initial planning of 12 demonstration projects that capture carbon dioxide and isolate it underground. It notes that the projects aim to capture carbon dioxide in the range of 1 million tons per year from large scale industrial sources. Moreover, the recipients of the recovery act funding from DOE include chemical plants, refineries, and paper mills.

The article reports on a white paper issued by Democrats on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee recommending a mandatory cap-and-trade program. The program aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 60 to 80% by 2050. The proposed program would cover five types of GHG: carbon dioxide, which was 84% of U.S. GHG emissions in 2005, methane, 7%; nitrous oxide, 7%; and fluorinated gases, 2%.

The article reports on the acquisition of carbon credits from Climate Friendly by Woods Bagot Pty. Ltd. in Australia for its objective to offset the environmental effect of the its businesses, from energy and paper consumption to travel. Woods Bagot, an architecture firm, aims to become 100 percent climate-neutral across its network in Australia, Middle East, Asia and Europe. The initiative will offset 2646 tons of carbon dioxide per year which would equal to the emission of 530 cars.

This article presents information related to wider issues in energy and energy policy through the eyes of engineers. The government said, for instance, that Great Britain's carbon dioxide emissions should be cut by 60% from current levels by 2050. By a margin of 51% to 39%, engineers thought it could, though many added the caveat that it would need significant investment and some push by government. A nearer target in the white paper is the aim for renewable sources to cater for 20% of Great Britain's energy demand by 2020.