GREENHOUSE GASES
▸ CO2 emissions of China, U.S. fell in 2016 Carbon dioxide emissions in China and the U.S., the world’s two largest emitters and energy users, fell in 2016 while these countries experienced economic gains, according to the International Energy Agency. Worldwide, CO2 emissions were flat for the third straight year despite an overall economic growth rate of 3.1%, IEA says, signaling a decoupling of emissions from economic activity. A report from IEA attributes the decline to renewable power generation, switches from coal to less-polluting natural gas, technology improvements, and energy efficiency. The U.S. economy grew by 1.6% last year, yet the nation showed a CO2 decline of 3%. U.S. carbon emissions last year were the lowest since 1992, despite economic growth of 80% between 1992 and 2016. China’s emissions fell by 1% last year while its economy expanded by 6.7%. IEA attributes the greenhouse gas reduction in China to less coal use and more renewables, nuclear, and natural gas. However positive the news, IEA says that to curb global warming’s strongest impacts, the world needs consistent, transparent, and predictable international policies that will result in emissions reductions greater than market forces are able to achieve.—JEFF JOHNSON,
special to C&EN
PHARMACEUTICALS
CREDIT: VOLODYMYR PLYSIUK/SHUTTERSTOCK
▸ Free medications part of India’s new health policy India’s new National Health Policy, unveiled earlier this month, calls for free medicines in some situations and aims to provide quality, affordable health care to all its people. Indian Health Minister J. P. Nadda says the policy proposes free drugs, free diagnostics, and free emergency care services in all public hospitals. The new policy calls for most drugs for the elderly and those with chronic conditions to be free or subsidized. The proposal, which would replace a policy put in place 15 years ago, stresses preventive health care. It includes a commitment to eliminate certain diseases and aims to extend Indian’s life expectancy at birth from the current 67.5 years to 70 years by 2025. The policy calls for an increase in public health spend-
Spray polyurethane foam insulation is used commercially and by doit-yourselfers.
REGULATION
California targets MDI in spray foam insulation California wants makers of spray polyurethane foam insulation containing unreacted methylene diphenyl diisocyanates (MDI) to determine how to reduce human health risks from their products. The state says workers and consumers can be exposed to unreacted MDI from these products and are at risk for respiratory problems and allergic reactions. California on March 22 proposed classifying such foam insulation as a “priority product” under the state’s safer consumer products initiative. The move would force manufacturers to formally analyze whether and how they could reformulate their products or take other steps to reduce risks. Chemical manufacturers are bristling at the proposal. The American Chemistry Council, an industry trade group, says the spray polyurethane foam with MDI “is well studied and well controlled.” ACC adds that industry has provided extensive data and science to the state showing that the insulation does not meet California’s criteria for listing as a priority product. Though the federal Toxic Substances Control Act preempts most state regulation of chemicals, California says it can control the insulation because there is TSCA regulation restricting the use of or reducing the hazard posed by MDI.—CHERYL HOGUE
ing to 2.5% of the gross domestic product from the current 1.4%. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet approved the plan on March 16.—K. V. VENKATASUBRAMANIAN,
special to C&EN
SAFETY
▸ OECD aims to lower costs, animal use in toxicity tests The Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) is promoting a method to decrease the cost of chemical toxicity testing and the use of animals in such tests. The Paris-based organization, which serves as a forum for governments to find solutions to global problems, released
voluntary guidance on March 22 to help regulators and scientists incorporate toxicity pathways into chemical hazard assessments. The method uses “adverse outcome pathways,” defined as a series of events initiated by exposure to a chemical. Such events can result in effects at the molecular, cellular, organ, organism, or population level. By unraveling the sequences of key events, scientists can better understand how chemicals exert their toxicity. High-throughput, cell-based assays and other alternative toxicity tests that don’t rely on animals should be based on knowledge of these mechanisms, the guidance states. OECD is working with the U.S. EPA and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre to develop a webbased database of known toxicity pathways. The organization is encouraging researchers to develop integrated approaches to toxicity testing that include these pathways as well as structural information.—BRITT ERICKSON MARCH 27, 2017 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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