I don’t know about you, but environmental regulations are not the first things that pop into my mind when I think of Pakistan. In fact, it never occurred to me that the country would have its own Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I’m so used to hearing about terrorists, bombings and various uprisings in the Middle East that it’s easy to forget that manufacturing even occurs there. Of course it does, though, and the Pakistan EPA (Pak-EPA) is looking to reduce air pollution by encouraging Islamabad’s brick manufacturers to switch to natural gas.

According to an article in yesterday’s Daily Times (www.dailytimes.com.pk), the 90 or so kilns in the city use “organic material, tyres and raw coal for baking bricks.” Tires?? Yikes. Asif Shuja Khan, Pak- EPA’s director general (DG), has requested funding assistance from the United Nations Development Programme for brick manufacturers that make the switch to natural gas.

Ironically, the Pak-EPA is asking brick manufacturers to make the switch, not mandating as our own U.S. EPA is so fond of doing. A link to the full article is below.