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The World Cup 2010 kicked off on Friday is expected to have a carbon footprint six times the size of that of the last tournament in Germany four years ago. According to a study conducted by the Norwegian government on behalf of the South African authorities, the carbon footprint of the football competition will be bigger than the last one, however the last study did not account for transport to and from the World Cup, CNN reports.

To reduce the impact, South African authorities have begun implementing carbon offsetting initiatives, including planting trees in urban areas, but local green activists say this is not enough. Bobby Peek, Friends of the Earth South Africa, told the news provider: `Once carbon is produced, claiming that offsetting is `neutralising` the carbon footprint is nothing more than greenwash.'

Sadly, Friends of the Earth South Africa believes nothing can be done to lessen the carbon footprint, despite the reassurances made by the various cities.

IETA cautions against unnecessary regulation of ETS
An international trade group representing the carbon market has this week called on EU authorities to avoid unnecessary regulation of the European emissions trading scheme (ETS).

The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) said EU lawmakers should not overact to a recent spate of fraud committed within the high profile trading scheme, instead proposing a light touch Europe-wide body to monitor potential abuses of the market.

IETA chief executive and president, Henry Derwent said the European carbon market had doubled in trading volume each year since its formation and was worth around €66 billion in 2009. He argued that given the rapid growth and size of the marjet it was natural that it would fall victim to some fraudulent activity and urged the EU not to overreact by introducing unnecessary regulations.

'A market this size is bound to have its security tested, however recent problems experienced were not related to the market itself but to IT security deficiencies and the fragmentation of the EU's VAT system,' said Derwent.

The EU has already launched a series of measures in response to a number of fraudulent incidents in the carbon market.In April, EU authorities banned the sale of 'recycled' carbon credits following an incident involving the Hungarian government.

The Zero-Emissions Cab
The newest green car in the UK has been unveiled in the shape of a London taxi that produces no carbon emissions. By 2012, the deputy mayor of London, Kit Malthouse, announced there would be 20 fuel cell powered zero-carbon cabs on the streets of the English capital. These eco-friendly vehicles will help the city cut its carbon emissions and reduce the air pollution too.

The team behind the low-carbon black cabs project said that the installation of fuel cells meant the taxis were indistinguishable from one another as the only difference is that the zero-emission vehicles only emit water vapour from their exhaust pipes.

Recently, the Environment Agency announced that Londoners were doing more than ever to reduce their carbon footprint. In the body`s London State of the Environment report it highlighted that household recycling had risen to 29 per cent from 25 per cent in the capital and average water consumption per person has dropped.

Largest plant to capture and eliminate air methane in coal mine
MEGTEC Systems has announced that its China subsidiary has been contracted to build the largest plant in the world to capture and eliminate ventilation air methane (VAM) from the Datong coal mine in China’s Chongqing municipality.

The agreement was formally signed between MEGTEC and a three-way joint venture partnership comprised of AES Climate Solutions Asia (a wholly owned subsidiary of AES Corporation), Shenzhen Dongjiang Environmental Renewable Power Company Ltd., and Songzao Coal and Chongqing Electricity Company Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Chongqing Energy Investment Group.

Plans call for the Datong mine VAM system to be operational later this year. It will utilize MEGTEC’s proven VOCSIDIZER technology to eliminate about 97 percent of the methane within the captured exhaust stream before it enters the atmosphere. The system is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 200,000 tons of CO2 equivalent per year. In addition, energy released in the process will be used to heat water for nearby buildings.

Oysters can help reduce emissions
Australian scientists have claimed that oysters could play a significant role in helping reduce carbon emissions. New research carried out by a team at the University of South Australia concluded that, given that oysters make use of carbon from the world`s seas and oceans to grow their shells, investing in the oyster industry could be a feasible way for businesses to offset their carbon emissions.

Notably, according to study lead author James Hickey, not only could such a practice help reduce Australia`s carbon footprint, but it could also be highly advantageous to oyster farmers, particularly those working in areas where they grow quickly. `An area like Ceduna where there`s perhaps more nutrients or better water - clearer water or better conditions for the oysters - then you will get faster growth,` he explained. `Therefore, if you were selling carbon credits through this process, you get a higher amount of money for your tonne of carbon or whatever measurement is used.` At the same time, work is to begin on introducing a new `smart-energy web` across the state of New South Wales, with householders in Sydney and Newcastle to be soon be able to turn off their electrical appliances over the internet.

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