air pollution

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Ozone Hole Smallest It's Been in a Decade

Chlorofluorocarbon ban appears to be improving Earth's ozone

(Newser) - One of the most infamous symbols of man's assault on the planet is actually diminishing: The ozone hole over Antarctica was smaller in 2012 than it has been in 10 years, reports LiveScience . Scientists credit the improvement to the worldwide ban on chlorofluorocarbons, which cause the hole to appear...

Beijing Pollution Off the Charts—Again

On scale that goes to 500, it registers 526

(Newser) - Once again , air pollution in Beijing is literally off the charts. It's gotten so bad that airlines have had to cancel flights as locals wear face masks for protection, and state news says it's difficult to see beyond 100 yards in sections of eastern China. Airborne particulate...

Beijing's Air Quality: On Scale of 500, It's 755

Pollution index sails way past 'hazardous'

(Newser) - If experiencing Tehran's dismal air pollution is "suicidal," Beijing residents might want to dig a bunker and stay there. The Chinese capital, which wrinkled noses a couple of years ago when it managed to break the very index meant to measure its air quality, yesterday blew right...

Tehran Pollution So Bad That Going Out Is 'Suicide'

City shuts down for days until winds pick up

(Newser) - When the potent mix of cold weather and windless days hits Tehran, so does pollution so thick that it shuts down buildings and stings the eyes and throat, prompting calls to stay indoors. Schools, banks, and government buildings were closed for five days last week in an effort to cut...

Consumer Reports Slams Ford Hybrids' Mileage

Test finds huge gap between EPA estimates and real figure

(Newser) - If the 47mpg rating on Ford's 2013 Fusion and C-Max models sounds too good to be true, well, there's a reason for that. The two hybrids perform drastically worse than advertised, Consumer Reports has concluded, clocking their actual performance at 39 mpg for the Fusion and 37 mpg...

EPA's New Soot Rules Pose Threat to Obama

11 states demanded action on air pollution, but others will likely be irked

(Newser) - The Obama administration didn't want to tighten air pollution regulations until after the election—but lawsuits from 11 states have forced its hand. The Environmental Protection Agency will today announce a proposal for stricter rules on allowable soot levels. Though a final decision won't come until December, the...

China Demands US Stop Tweeting About Its Air

They complain US standards unfair, and data may not be 'rigorous'

(Newser) - China isn't just happy censoring its own tweets anymore. China told foreign embassies today to stop publishing their own reports on air quality in the country, escalating its objections to a popular US Embassy Twitter feed that tracks pollution in smoggy Beijing. Only the Chinese government is authorized to...

China's Air Quality Data Suspiciously Sunny

Expert calls new data 'surprising'

(Newser) - The Chinese government, under fire from its citizens about its unbelievably upbeat pollution reports , has started to release more detailed data about smog in Beijing, reports the AP . For the first time, Beijing's official weather website yesterday included readings about PM2.5, or particulate matter less than 2.5...

Cynical Chinese Taking Own Smog Readings

Rail against government's 'fog' label

(Newser) - The Chinese know smog when they see it—even when the government calls it "fog." So Beijing citizens are taking their own pollution readings. "If people know what their air is like, they are more likely to take action," said a researcher at an environmental group...

Traffic Jams: Poison for the Brain

Researchers fear fumes are causing permanent brain damage

(Newser) - This is your brain ... on traffic fumes? A growing body of research suggests that fumes from traffic jams can damage the brain, as well as your lungs. Exposure to exhaust has a negative effect on brain power and emotional stability, and while the evidence is largely circumstantial, researchers tell the...

EPA Set to Loosen New Pollution Rules

10 states could face less stringent limits on emissions

(Newser) - The EPA finalized a new rule to curb industrial pollution this summer; three months later, the agency has proposed to loosen the restrictions in 10 of 27 affected states. The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, meant to cut power-plant emissions that can blow across state lines, has faced sharp criticism from...

President Obama Dumps New Smog Rules in Surprise Win for Businesses
 Obama Dumps 
 New Smog Rules 
Sep 2, 2011 11:28 AM CDT

Obama Dumps New Smog Rules

He says standard will change anyway in 2013

(Newser) - Barack Obama handed the business community a surprise win today by asking the Environmental Protection Agency to scrap new smog standards that would force state and local government to improve air quality or risk losing federal funds, the Washington Post reports. "Work is already underway to update … the...

Ohio State University Study Links Air Pollution to Brain Damage
 Air Pollution Tied 
 to Brain Damage 
study says
Jul 5, 2011 3:03 PM CDT

Air Pollution Tied to Brain Damage

May cause learning and memory troubles, depression: Study

(Newser) - Air pollution isn’t just a threat to the heart and lungs: It can also affect learning, memory, and mood, researchers find. They exposed mice to extended periods of polluted or filtered air, and found that those exposed to pollution were slower to learn, quick to forget, and possibly more...

Air Pollution Triggers More Heart Attacks Than Cocaine

Doctors should focus more on wider population threats: study

(Newser) - Air pollution causes more heart attacks than cocaine, and is as threatening a trigger as coffee, alcohol, and physical exertion, researchers find. They combined data from 36 individual studies in order to calculate each cause's population-attributable fraction, or PAF—basically, the proportion of all heart attacks attributed to each trigger....

EPA Scales Back Rules on Air Pollution

Makes it easier for incinerators to meet federal standards

(Newser) - Faced with stiff opposition in Congress and a court-ordered deadline, the EPA today said it will make it much cheaper for companies to reduce toxic air pollution from industrial boilers and incinerators. In an overhaul of air pollution regulations, the EPA said it found ways to control pollution at more...

Iran Forced to Declare Pollution Holiday

Smog forces Tehran to shut down for 2 days

(Newser) - Workers in Tehran and other Iranian cities have been given an extra 2-day vacation to enjoy—as long as they can enjoy themselves without breathing too much. Iranian authorities were forced to declare today and tomorrow public holidays as air pollution reached dangerous levels, AP reports. The capital was also...

EPA to Toughen Smog Rules
 EPA to Toughen Smog Rules  
Jan 7, 2010 2:15 PM CST

EPA to Toughen Smog Rules

Measure would be costly but yield huge health savings

(Newser) - The EPA wants to ramp up smog standards in a significant way from the Bush administration. Assuming today's proposal goes through after a 60-day period for public comment, the agency projects the new standards would prevent 12,000 premature deaths and yield huge savings in health costs. The rules limit...

Pollution Dulls Nepal's Beauty
 Pollution Dulls Nepal's Beauty 
Aug 1, 2009 6:45 AM CDT

Pollution Dulls Nepal's Beauty

(Newser) - Nepal's once-pristine natural beauty has been ravaged by years of civil war, neglect, and corruption, the Washington Post reports. Dangerous levels of pollution now cloud Kathmandu, forcing many residents to wear masks. Even the top of Mount Everest is marred by litter left behind by generations of climbers, and many...

Pollution During Pregnancy Makes Kids Dumber: Study

(Newser) - Smog might be just as bad for your brain as it is for your lungs, a study finds. Researchers monitored the air pollution 249 mothers were exposed to during pregnancy, then monitored their children. They found that high pollution levels corresponded to a four-point drop in the kids’ IQ scores...

Calif. Branches Into Forests to Fight Climate Change

(Newser) - The California government is preparing to enter into the "forest bank" business in a bid to save woodlands and battle carbon pollution and climate change, reports the Los Angeles Times. The state is expected to roll out a California "cabon market" that may be expanded elsewhere in the...

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