Large wildfires and severe heat events are happening more often at the same time, worsening air pollution across the western United States, according to a new study led by Washington State University, with CIRES and NOAA’s Global Systems Laboratory. On one day in 2020, more than 68 percent of the U.S. West—representing about 43 million […]
A UCLA-led study found neighborhoods with the worst air pollution saw a 60% increase in deaths from COVID-19, compared with communities with the best air quality. By Dan Bacher Below is the press release from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health: LOS ANGELES (April 14, 2021) – A research project led by the UCLA Fielding […]
The US has some of the most lax restrictions in terms of pesticide safety regulations; in fact, several of the pesticides used in the US are banned in the EU…. By Emily Folk (Excerpted from a longer piece at Earth.org.) More pests is only one symptom of a changing climate that’s making many crops around […]
There’s a link between #coronavirus and fossil fuel-related deaths. It’s revealing just how deadly the air we breathe has always been, even before the pandemic hit. By Maggie Badore The Years Project Sarah Vogel, the Vice President of EDF’s Health program, has some more background: It’s been widely reported that air quality in cities around the […]
The Republic of Korea’s response to COVID-19 has been among the most effective in the world. By combining aggressive testing with early isolation and treatment of those who test positive, Korea has lowered its infection rate while avoiding the need to lock down entire cities. The government reorganized hospitals to prevent infection, effectively distributed face masks and will cover […]
Air quality on Australia’s roads matters. On any given day (when we’re not in lockdown) people meet, commute, exercise, shop and walk with children near busy streets. But to date, air quality monitoring at roadsides has been inadequate. By Hugh Forehead, University of Wollongong The Conversation I and my colleagues wanted to change that. Using […]
The European Environmental Agency (EEA) has confirmed NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) data that shows a rapid, dramatic reduction in air pollution over those areas most affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns. How dramatic? Try this: some major cities have seen NOS and CO2 levels drop by half … in less than a week. (!?) […]
China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection released a statement earlier today complaining that local governments haven’t been taking efforts to reduce air pollution seriously enough. These local officials, mostly at the county level and lower, have not shown “sufficient awareness of the importance, difficulty and urgency of air pollution prevention work.” By James Ayre The statement comes […]
An archive of my Big Coal cartoons. The pen is mightier than the sword (but probably not as mighty as the multi-billion dollar coal industry…).
A new study shows that pollution from automobiles and coal-fired power plants is contributing to the melting of mountain snowpacks up to a month early, thereby exacerbating water shortages and other problems across the arid western United States.
When our own elections are over, it’s difficult to remember that in other countries big decisions are still being made. Israel gets to make more of those decisions than most countries although it may often seem that nothing changes there.
A federal judge has stopped Mayor Bloomberg’s attempt to clean up the air in New York City by using fuel-efficient hybrid taxis.
EPA officials have been working on a fast tract to meet a Saturday deadline for a new rule that would weaken pollution regulations for power plants, allowing them to increase emissions without adding new controls.
Mexico may be planting green roofs, but that may not be enough. A new study came out on Monday saying that the dense smog over many parts of Mexico is shortening Mexicans’ lives by a whole two years.
As many as 80% of Chinese think protecting the environment should be made a priority, even if this results in slower growth and a potential loss of jobs. The new data suggest the Chinese people may be struggling with some of the consequences of economic growth.