Existing technology could cut the pollution from power stations to a fraction of its current levels if only it were installed. The European Environment Agency has been looking at emissions of acidic pollutants nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) from 450 of the continent's biggest power stations. The large combustion plants (LCP) include those which burn coal, gas or oil and their combined emissions account for almost three quarters of the total from this sector.

The world is facing a food crisis because it is running out of water to support food production, according to an environmental consultant and author. Speaking at the opening of the Water, Finance and Sustainability 2008 conference in London, Fred Pearce, author of When the Rivers Run Dry, said major changes were needed to find enough water for everyone to use. He said many developed countries have even higher water consumption rates than it first appears because of the global trade in virtual water - the water used to produce food which is exported and imported.

The EU is considering funding projects in North Africa and along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean in an effort to tackle rising pollution levels. The European Commission and European Investment Bank have been looking at the pollution hotspots which impact on the sea as a whole and are now looking at how money might be used to address the problem. According to the study published by the two organisations, the environmental decline in the Mediterranean threatens the health of all people living along the shore line - almost 150 million of them in all.