Here are some of this week’s environmental news headlines from the Environmental News Service…

European Climate Poll Shows 61 Percent Have Acted
After poverty, climate change is the most serious problem Europe faces according to a Eurobarometer survey presented in the European Parliament on September 11. The poll found that 61 percent of respondents have taken some personal action to cut emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. A quarter of those said they had changed their buying habits and used the car less to help the environment.

Obama and McCain Take 14 Question Science Test
Both presidential candidates say that if they are elected in November, they will fight global warming by reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020, using methods that include a cap-and-trade system, but then their climate change policies begin to diverge. The candidates answer 14 science-based questions posed by a new organization trying to raise the profile of science in the upcoming election.

Worldwide Weather Information Standards in the Works
The UN World Meteorological Organization and the International Organization for Standardization have agreed to cooperate in setting international standards for weather, climate and water data, products and services. ISO Secretary General Alan Bryden said consistent international standards will help the world respond to the challenges of climate change.

Fallout from Soviet Atomic Bombs Persists in Kazakstan
Kazakstan’s nuclear test zone has lain deserted for the last 20 years forgotten by the outside world, but experts say radiation will be a health risk until the huge site is cleaned up. This month, the international Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization is running trials at the site to test equipment that can identify and give the location of nuclear explosions.

EPA Faulted for Failing to Control E-Waste Exports
U.S. hazardous waste regulations have not stopped exports of toxic used electronics to developing countries, partly because they are not being enforced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, finds a new report issued Wednesday by the investigative branch of Congress. The Government Accountability Office says also that the regulations themselves are too limited to deal with the problem.