Press | Umweltbundesamt

Fire departments save lives, recover, extinguish, protect- sometimes the environment, too. Fires can be fought especially well with chemicals, propellants or plastics that contain fluorinated extinguishing foams, which prevent the formation of toxic combustion products. However, the chemicals contained in the foams are not, environmentally speaking, worry-free. “Fluorinated chemicals are very pers... read more

The substance Bisphenol A is frequently mentioned in media reports on hazardous chemicals. Over and over reports about Bisphenol A in the environment and in our bodies makes people feel insecure. What kind of substance is it, where can Bisphenol A be found and what is the risk for human health and environment? The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) comments on the health risks of Bisphenol A and inf... read more

Subsidies harmful to the environment are costing 48 billion euros in tax revenues every year, or about one fifth of the federal budget. That trend is unfortunately on the rise. About one half of all subsidies foster the use of fossil fuels, rendering some efforts in environmental protection void. “In times of record debt, ecologically harmful subsidies must be put subjected to serious review. A ph... read more

A collection of cases in practice, sponsored by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and published by the federal association CarSharing (bcs), illustrates how commercial businesses in particular can do their bit for the environment by taking advantage of carsharing. read more

The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is calling for greater environmental protection efforts to be made to conserve biodiversity, both internationally and at home. On this year’s International Day for Biodiversity, proclaimed by the United Nations every year on 22 May, UBA President Jochen Flasbarth said, “The greatest dangers posed to the protection of biological diversity are global warming and... read more

Oil spills such as that in the Gulf of Mexico poison maritime regions for decades. There are other materials that also contaminate the oceans--  tonnes of plastic bags, styrofoam waste or old fishing nets.  In the North Sea alone there is an estimated 600,000 cubic metres of waste on and in the ocean floor. The majority of North Sea waste comes from ships and the fishing industry, but rivers and t... read more

In a new online campaign the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is providing information to all Internet junkies. The http://fuer-mensch-und-umwelt.de/ website is the starting point for a virtual journey through the 36-year history of the Federal Environment Agency and environmental protection. The website, easy to navigate and chock full of original audio and visual materials, explains why for exam... read more

“Optimal use of wash cycles and detergents will add up to energy savings. It will relieve the strain on the environment as well as the household budget. The costs of electricity and detergents can be reduced considerably,” said Jochen Flasbarth, President of the Federal Environment Agency, on this year’s Day for Sustainable (dish) Washing. Clothes are often washed at higher temperatures than neces... read more