German Environment Minister Norbert Rottgen (C) arrives for a crisis meeting on biofuel Super E10 as German federal government meets with the chiefs of the oil industry for talks on why German motorists are refusing to fill their cars with a new ‘eco-friendly’ petrol, Berlin, Germany.

Finland is one of the leading countries in the world in the field of clean technologies, especially industrial sewage treating technology and renewable energy development technology. Not only that, the country is also well known for its sustainable development of urban and rural areas as well as its comprehensive solutions to conserve and assess the environment’s condition, control air pollution and protect water sources.

On April 9th, in Hanoi, Vietnam Biogas Association was officially founded. The establishment– technical activity, contributing to the development of livestock husbandry, reducing gas emissions, improving the efficiency of current and future biogas projects, raising income for households and businesses as well as protecting the environment.

Citing the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, environmental activists at a U.N. meeting Sunday urged bolder steps to tap renewable energy so the world doesn’t have to choose between the dangers of nuclear power and the ravages of climate change.

In a move, which is set to face severe opposition from motorists, the EU is planning to ban petrol and diesel powered cars from European cities by 2050. The decision is seen as an attempt by the 27-nation bloc to force people to adopt ‘green’ cars and reduce their dependence on oil. The plan will also help in protecting the environment.

Richard MacLellan, Halifax Regional Municipality’s SEMO Manager (Sustainable Environment Management Office) remarked that adopting solar heating technology was a good cost- effective proposition. As the demand for hot water was very high in the building, the opportunity for savings by decreasing the operating costs in the facility was also huge. He mentioned that they would continue their exploration to discover the most promising and innovative renewable technology that could be used in the projects.

The demand for renewable energy is expected to triple over the next decades according to U.N.E.P.’s Year Book 2011. United Nations Environment Program’s 2011 Year Book predicts this year to be the first where low-carbon energy capacity exceeds that of fossil-fuel.

Environmentalists have long complained that so long as diesel or gasoline remains relatively inexpensive, there is little incentive to come up with alternative, greener energies for transportation. But the price of oil and gasoline isn't the only reason to go green. The United States Navy says they are making a tactical decision to find cleaner alternatives. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus says that by 2012, the military branch plans to demonstrate a carrier strike group that uses alternative fuels.

France’s solar-panel imports surged last year as developers relied mostly on foreign manufacturers to supply a boom in renewable-energy projects, Environment Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet said. French customs figures show the deficit in favor of solar panel imports widened to 1.5 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in 2010 compared with 800 million euros the previous year, she said at a conference in Paris.

Germany, a pioneer in many renewable energy initiatives, is also at the forefront of creating environment-friendly toys aimed at making kids think about where energy comes from and how much of it they can use, raising awareness through play.

Biofuel crops can potentially meet half of the current global demand for fuel without affecting food crop production, according to researchers at the University of Illinois. Ximing Cai, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the university, led a team of researchers in isolating land areas across the globe suitable for producing biofuel grass crops with minimal agricultural or environmental impact.

China's measures to develop wind energy will help to save energy, reduce emissions and protect the environment and are in line with the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday in response to a US complaint against China's subsidy for the wind-power sector.

Sweden and Norway have agreed the bases for a common green certificate market, energy ministers for both nations said on Wednesday. A green certificate is a tradable commodity proving that a certain electricity has been produced using a renewable source of energy, such as wind, solar or hydropower. Environmental groups hope they can boost the use of renewables.

Drying biosolids to approximately 75 percent solids, beyond the 15 to 20 percent solids typical at wastewater treatment plants, was recognized as the best way to create a workable, pathogen-free biosolid that could be used as cover at the Toland Road Landfill in Santa Paula, with potential future use as fertilizer or fuel. A biosolids drying system was developed to meet the long-term disposal needs of Ventura County in an economical, environmentally responsible manner.

Officials with the Robins Air Force Base Energy Office are conducting feasibility on the use of plasma arc technology, which offers environmentally safe measures for waste disposal. "The process can take nearly any material and convert it to energy," said Judith Middlebrooks, an engineer with the Energy Office. "It uses extremely high temperatures to turn products into mostly hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Plastics are really great, but most any organic compound will work."

As the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico wraps up its final day, discussions continue over some crucial issues such as the need to simultaneously reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and provide the world with more energy. While no one expects major progress towards a comprehensive binding treaty, Mexican officials say they do see progress in some areas and that the conference is providing an opportunity for many governments and environmental organizations to share ideas and forge agreements of their own.

An act as simple as replacing a light bulb could lead to billions of dollars in electricity savings, a new assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme shows. It studied the advantage of switching from obsolete incandescent lamp technology to compact fluorescent lamps or C.F.L.’s.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said a fund it established to develop large capacity solar projects will increase the renewable energy resource to 3GW by mid-2013 in the Asia and Pacific region. Haruhiko Kuroda, president of ADB, said governments in Asia and the Pacific should invest in solar energy to help ensure their growth is environmentally sustainable.

Head of government's environmental transport policy urges businesses to enrol employees on subsidised eco-driving courses The head of environmental transport policy at the Department for Transport (DfT) has criticised the apparent lack of corporate interest in a government-backed scheme encouraging people to drive in an environmentally friendly manner.

This thought constantly runs through the mind of Casey Lauer, director of energy and environment at K-State. It is a topic that is becoming debated more and more, and Lauer is one of many people on campus trying to figure out how the university can save money through decreased energy use. In Forum Hall in the K-State Student Union on Monday, Lauer and others spoke on the topic of energy consevation.