Air

CURRENT NEWS

Sep 22 2022

The New York Times

Wildfire Smoke Is Erasing Progress on Clean Air

By Mira Rojanasakul

Smoke from wildfires has worsened over the past decade, potentially reversing decades of improvements in Western air quality made under the Clean Air Act, according to research published Thursday from Stanford University.

Sep 21 2022

The New York Times

‘We Can’t Let the Kids Go Outdoors’: Our New Reality on the West Coast

By Emma Pattee Photo: Tracey Barbutes, Reuters

We were at Lake Chelan in Washington, on our first big post-pandemic vacation, with our 3-year-old and our 6-week-old baby. Overnight, the wind had brought wildfire smoke from fires in Idaho and Montana. I woke…

Sep 15 2022

The New York Times

In ‘Cancer Alley,’ Judge Blocks Huge Petrochemical Plant

By Lisa Friedman Photo: Gerald Herbert, Associated Press

Louisiana activists battling to block an enormous plastics plant in a corridor so dense with industrial refineries it is known as Cancer Alley won a legal victory this week when a judge canceled the company’s…

Sep 15 2022

Action Climate Campaign

Solution for Pollutions

President Biden promised to address the climate crisis by cutting climate pollution in half by 2030 and to deliver strong public health protections for all communities, including those historically overburdened by pollution.

Aug 24 2022

Grist

Wildfire smoke is choking Indigenous communities

By Diana Kruzman Photo: Diana Kruzman and Others, Grist

On July 29, 2021, Li Boyd woke up to the smell of smoke. It was her birthday — she was turning 38 — and she had rented a boat to take her parents and aunts…

Aug 23 2022

The Hill

Greens ask EPA to ban new natural gas heating

By Rachel Frazin

Environmental advocates are asking the Biden administration for a federal ban on new natural gas-powered heating appliances in homes and commercial buildings. In a petition submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday, 26…

Aug 22 2022

The New York Times

Democrats designed the climate law to be a game changer. Here’s how.

By Lisa Friedman Photo: Anna Rose Layden for The New York Times

In a first, the measure legally defines greenhouse gases as pollution. That’ll make new regulations much tougher to challenge in court.

Aug 19 2022

The Washington Post

The TVA is dumping a mountain of coal ash in Black south Memphis

By Darryl Fears Photo: Brandon Dill, The Washington Post

MEMPHIS — It’s rare for a Black community to notch a win against a large industrial polluter, but that’s what happened on this city’s south side. Residents stood up to a proposal by two oil…

Aug 09 2022

The New York Times

Does Wildfire Smoke Cause Lung Cancer?

By Molly Peterson Photo: Aileen Son, The New York Times

When wildfire smoke turned the skies of the San Francisco Bay Area red in the summer of 2020, Dr. Kari Nadeau, a physician and scientist at Stanford University, thought about the people who were most…

Jul 18 2022

Boston Globe

Study finds 2,800 Massachusetts deaths in 2019 connected to air pollution

By Kate Selig Photo: Carlin Stiehl, The Boston Globe

In Massachusetts, no community — from the Berkshires to Boston — is spared the lethal consequences of air pollution, according to a new study from researchers at Boston College. The researchers estimated that about 2,800…

Jul 13 2022

Forbes

How wildfires impact our health, as well as the environment

By Jamie Hailstone Photo: AFP via Getty Images

It is a sad truth that many parts of the world - including various parts of the United States - are now facing an increased risk of wildfires.

Jun 30 2022

The New York Times

What Is the Clean Air Act?

By Coral Davenport Photo: Melissa Lyttle

The Clean Air Act, which some legal experts call the most powerful environmental law in the world, was enacted in 1970, at the birth of the environmental movement.

KEY RESOURCES

Air pollution

06/13/22

Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

The Most Detailed Map of Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution in the U.S.

11/02/21

ProPublica’s analysis of five years of modeled EPA data identified more than 1,000 toxic hot spots across the country and found that an estimated 250,000 people living in them may be exposed to levels of…

Clean Air Task Force

Raising Awareness of the Health Impacts of Coal Plant Pollution

07/30/20

In 2000, 2004 and again in 2010, the Clean Air Task Force issued studies based on a methodology and model created by Abt Associates, U.S EPA’s own health benefits consultant, based on peer-reviewed, published studies…

Phys.org

Climate change is making people sick: A U.S. medical report

03/15/17

From rising levels of air pollution to increased water contamination and a widening range for disease-carrying mosquitoes, climate change is making people sick, a coalition of 11 US medical groups said Wednesday.

Nature Conservancy

Planting healthy air: Trees, particulate matter pollution and extreme heat

10/31/16

This study from the Nature Conservancy reviews the positive cooling effects of urban trees planting on hot city climates and the quality of their air.

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MORE NEWS

Time

How Climate Change and Air Pollution Affect Kids’ Health

By Tara Law Photo: Syed Mahamudur Rahman , Getty Images 06/17/22

A new scientific review article published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows just how dangerous climate-related threats are to children’s health. The researchers analyzed data about the specific effects of a rapidly warming…

The Guardian

Allergies in overdrive as extreme weather drives higher pollen count

By Tracey Lindeman Photo: Clemens Bilan , EPA 06/13/22

First, he had the symptoms. Then he saw the yellow fog. A thin layer of gold-coloured dust coated the patio furniture, the patio, his children’s swing set – everything in the garden of Ubaka Ogbogu’s…

Gizmodo

Think Car Exhaust Is Bad? Wait ‘Til You Hear About Tire Pollution

By Angely Mercado Photo: Patrick T. Fallon , Getty Images 06/10/22

Tests conducted over two years by UK-based consultancy and research firm Emissions Analytics found that car tires produce up to 2,000 times more particle pollution than exhaust does. The tires release more than 1 trillion…

The Hill

White House climate adviser says misinformation ‘absolutely’ a public health issue

By Zack Budryk 06/09/22

Asked whether climate misinformation disseminated on social media represents a public health threat, McCarthy responded, “Absolutely,” adding “it’s not just an island, there’s also greenwashing,” referencing the practice of companies or institutions misrepresenting their work…

The Colorado Sun

Opinion: Switching from natural gas to electricity will reduce Colorado’s smog

By Eric Reinhardt 06/09/22

Seventy percent of Colorado’s homes burn gas for heating. Although burning fossil fuels like gas is the primary cause of the continued heating of the earth’s climate, this figure represents more than just a climate…

The New York Times

As the Great Salt Lake dries up, Utah faces an ‘environmental nuclear bomb’

By Christopher Flavelle Photo: Bryan Tarnowski 06/07/22

Climate change and rapid population growth are shrinking the lake, creating a bowl of toxic dust that could poison the air around Salt Lake City.

The Washington Post

Block-by-block data shows pollution’s stark toll on people of color

By Darryl Fears Photo: Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times/Getty Images 05/25/22

Finding the most polluted places in the San Francisco Bay area is simple, a new air quality analysis shows: Locate places where mostly Black, Latino, Asian and low-income residents live, and pay them a visit.

The Hill

Air pollution linked to increase risk of death from stroke: study

By Sharon Udasin 05/25/22

That threat also varies based on the size of the air pollution particles — with those patients who are exposed to the smallest particles and whose stroke was caused by a blood clot incurring the…

Yale Climate Connections

Public health expert promotes benefits of electric vehicles

By YCC Team 05/20/22

“Once I purchased my gently used – which was new to me – electric vehicle, I wanted to tell everybody in my community about how much money this was saving me, as well as talking…

The Washington Post

Pollution caused 1 in 6 deaths globally for five years, study says

By Kasha Patel Photo: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg News 05/17/22

In 2015, 1 in 6 deaths worldwide stemmed from poor air quality, unsafe water and toxic chemical pollution. That deadly toll — 9 million people each year — has continued unabated through 2019, killing more…

The Washington Post

Cutting air pollution from fossil fuels would save 50,000 lives a year, study says

By Steven Mufson Photo: Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post 05/16/22

Eliminating air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels would prevent more than 50,000 premature deaths and provide more than $600 billion in health benefits in the United States every year, according to a new study…

National Geographic

Microplastics are in our bodies. How much do they harm us?

By Laura Parker Photo: Alexander Stein, Getty Images 04/26/22

A few years ago, as microplastics began turning up in the guts of fish and shellfish, the concern was focused on the safety of seafood. Shellfish were a particular worry, because in their case, unlike…

ABC7

LA ranks No. 1 in ozone pollution, new report finds

By Jaysha Patel 04/22/22

1 in ozone pollution, new report finds. The report conducted by the American Lung Association found that the greater Los Angeles area had the worst ozone pollution out of more than 200 areas

WABI5

American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” reports on Maine’s air quality

By WABI News Desk 04/22/22

This year’s “State of the Air” report, released by the American Lung Association, finds Maine still has some of the cleanest air in the country. However, some areas saw mixed progress for some of the…

ABC7

Chicago gets failing grade for ozone air pollution from American Lung Association

By Stacey Baca 04/22/22

A new report from the American Lung Association gives the Chicago area a failing grade when it comes to some types of air pollution. Officials from the organization said the city ranks in their top…

Gothamist

American Lung Association: NYC’s air quality is improving, but still gets a failing grade

By Rosemary Misdary Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images 04/21/22

More than 22.5 million people are breathing bad air across New York City, Newark and its surrounding areas – and just over half are people of color. These conclusions come from the 23rd annual State…

The Hill

137 million in US live with unhealthy levels of air pollution: American Lung Association

By Sharon Udasin Photo: Getty Images 04/21/22

More than 40 percent of the U.S. population — or 137 million people — are living in areas with unhealthy levels of particle pollution or ozone, according to the American Lung Association’s newest “State of…

NPR

More than 137 million Americans live in areas with poor air quality, report finds

By Dustin Jones Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images 04/21/22

Despite decades of environmental efforts, over 40% of Americans — more than 137 million people — live in cities and states with poor air quality, a new report says. And, in addition to cars and…

Treehugger

Microplastic particles are found deep in human lungs

By Katherine Martinko Photo: MAXSHOT / Getty Images 04/12/22

Microplastic particles have been discovered in the lungs of live human patients. A team of researchers from Hull York Medical School and the University of Hull in the United Kingdom has published a study in…

The New York Times

A ‘New Era of Air Pollution’ in the Tropics Could Have a Huge Toll

By Maggie Astor Photo: Munir Uz Zaman , Getty Images 04/08/22

Urban air pollution in the tropics is rapidly increasing and will lead to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths if stronger regulations are not put in place, according to a new study.

Los Angeles Times

‘Superblooms of fungus’: Climate change is making valley fever worse

By Hayley Smith Photo: Jason Armond , Los Angeles Times 04/04/22

It was June 2020, and Shirley, a winemaker in Paso Robles, Calif., knew something was terribly wrong. He was going about his daily business when he doubled over with severe abdominal pain and a 103-degree…

Harvard.edu

Increasing the use of electric cars could improve health outcomes

04/01/22

Replacing gas-powered vehicles with electric vehicles in cities could significantly reduce air pollution–related death and illness, according to John Spengler of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Forbes

Switching to electric vehicles could save lives, study finds

By Jamie Hailstone Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images 03/30/22

Moving to zero-emission vehicles and energy could help prevent up to 110,000 deaths in the United States, according to a new report.

The Guardian

US transition to electric vehicles would save over 100,000 lives by 2050 – study

By Nina Lakhani Photo: Justin Sullivan 03/30/22

A speedy nationwide transition to electric vehicles powered by renewable energy would save more than 100,000 American lives and $1.2tn in public health costs over the next three decades, according to a new report.

AJPH

Air Pollution in American Indian Versus Non–American Indian Communities, 2000–2018

By Maggie Li, Markus Hilpert and Others 03/23/22

Objectives. To compare fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in American Indian (AI)-populated with those in non–AI-populated counties over time (2000–2018) in the contiguous United States. Methods. We used a multicriteria approach to classify counties as…

UCDavis

Older Wildfire Smoke Plumes Can Affect Climate

By Emily Dooley 03/23/22

Aerosols carried in wildfire smoke plumes that are hundreds of hours old can still affect climate, according to a study out of the University of California, Davis.

AZ Central

Science needs data to solve problems. Climate change is making that harder

By Joan Meiners Photo: Thomas Hawthorne 03/23/22

Sometimes science becomes too hot to handle. That's what researchers at the University of Arizona found recently when they tried to test a new air pollution monitoring system around Tucson.

EPA

EPA Proposes “Good Neighbor” Plan to Cut Smog Across Much of the United States

03/11/22

Following clear Clean Air Act requirements and meeting a court deadline, EPA is proposing a federal plan that would cut pollution from power plants and industrial sources that significantly contribute to unhealthy levels of ground-level…

AP News

EPA acts to curb air, water pollution in poor communities

By Matthew Daly Photo: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert 01/27/22

The Environmental Protection Agency announced a series of enforcement actions Wednesday to address air pollution, unsafe drinking water and other problems afflicting minority communities in three Gulf Coast states, following a “Journey to Justice” tour…

London Review of Books

Ten Million a Year David Wallace-Wells on polluted air

12/02/21

Not all deaths are created equal. In February 2020, the world began to panic about the novel coronavirus, which killed 2714 people that month. This made the news. In the same month, around 800,000 people…

NASA

Reducing emissions would yield dramatic health benefits by 2030

By Roberto Molar Candanosa Photo: bhumann34/pixabay 11/30/21

Air quality improvements resulting from a worldwide reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would benefit human health and prevent economic losses, according to new research by scientists from NASA, Duke University, and Columbia University.

usnews.com

Climate Change is World’s Most Pressing Health Problem: WHO

By Robert Preidt and Robin Foster 10/12/21

Climate change is the "single biggest health threat facing humanity," and governments must "act with urgency" to tackle the crisis, a World Health Organization (WHO) special report warns.

The Washington Post

Wildfire smoke poses serious health hazard. But your indoor air can be kept clean

By Bernard J. Wolfson Photo: Burak Arik 10/09/21

The fierce wildfires that broke out across much of the western United States this summer, spreading smoke across hundreds of miles, continue to pose a serious health hazard to millions. More are expected this fall.…

NPR

We need to talk about your gas stove, your health and climate change

By Jeff Brady Photo: Erano Bundoc/Getty Images/EyeEm 10/07/21

Americans love their gas stoves. It's a romance fueled by a decades-old "cooking with gas" campaign from utilities that includes vintage advertisements, a cringeworthy 1980s rap video and, more recently, social media personalities. The details…

Environment America

Trouble in the Air

By Bryn Huxley-Reicher 10/05/21

Every year, millions of Americans are exposed to levels of pollution that American public health groups and international agencies consider unhealthy. Fossil fuels are the largest source of air pollution that comes from human activities.

NPR

Climate Change Is The Greatest Threat To Public Health, Top Medical Journals Warn

By Lauren Sommer Photo: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images 09/07/21

The rapidly warming climate is the "greatest threat" to global public health, more than 200 medical journals are warning in an unprecedented joint statement that urges world leaders to cut heat-trapping emissions to avoid "catastrophic…

CNN

Air pollution is cutting more years from people’s lives than smoking, war or HIV/AIDS

By Sheena McKenzie 09/01/21

Air pollution is slashing years from billions of people's lives around the world and is a greater threat to life expectancy than smoking, HIV/AIDS or war, a report published Wednesday shows. In countries where air…

apnews

Heavy smoke expected to linger above western Montana

07/16/21

Smoke from wildfires across the U.S. West has wafted over large swaths of western Montana on Friday, leading to unhealthy air quality in Missoula and Frenchtown. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality recommends that active…

nrdc

Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know

By Jillian Mackenzie and Jeff Turrentine 06/22/21

Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air—pollutants which are detrimental to human health and the planet as a whole. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each year air pollution is…

nowthisnews.com

Air Pollution and Climate Change Cost the Average American $2500 Per Year

By Aubrey Patti 06/17/21

A report from the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) shows that air pollution and climate change cost each American an average of $2,500 per year in health care. The researchers used data from dozens of…

source.wustl.edu

New research finds 1M deaths in 2017 attributable to fossil fuel combustion

By Brandie Jefferson 06/14/21

An interdisciplinary group of researchers from across the globe has comprehensively examined the sources and health effects of air pollution — not just on a global scale, but also individually for more than 200 countries.

The Washington Post

Heat and smog hit low-income communities and people of color hardest, scientists say

By Tik Root Photo: Cassidy Araiza for The Washington Post 05/25/21

As the world warms due to climate change, two studies released this week show that heat exposure and related health issues are already having an inordinate impact on people of color and low-income communities.

everyday health

Is Outdoor Air Pollution Making My Asthma Worse?

By Markham Heid 05/25/21

Kentucky has long been “coal country.” But that’s changing — and it’s good news for people with asthma. In Louisville, the state’s largest city, several coal-powered industrial plants recently converted to cleaner natural gas. Others…

WINK

Climate change impacting health care to the tune of $820B a year

By Veronica Marshall and Jackie Winchester 05/25/21

Climate change is not just affecting the Earth and our air, it’s now affecting health care. A new report finds the financial impact tops $820 billion in health costs each year, and it could cost…

Nexus Media News

Children Exposed To Pollution In Utero More Likely To Develop Asthma

By Nexus Media News 05/25/21

Children whose mothers were exposed to high levels of ultrafine particulate pollution while they were in utero were more likely to develop asthma, new research has found. The study, published in the American Journal of…

Nexus Media News

Navajo Nation Methane Pollution Rate Double National Average

By Nexus Media 05/11/21

Methane pollution from oil and gas extraction operations on Navajo Nation lands harms the health of local residents and robs the tribe of critical income, writes Hannah Grover for the New Mexico Political Report. An…

The Washington Post

Air pollution from farms leads to 17,900 U.S. deaths per year, study finds

By Sarah Kaplan Photo: Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg News 05/10/21

The smell of hog feces was overwhelming, Elsie Herring said. The breezes that wafted from the hog farm next to her mother’s Duplin County, N.C., home carried hazardous gases: methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide.

The conversation

Reducing methane is crucial for protecting climate and health, and it can pay for itself – so why aren’t more companies doing it?

By Drew Shindell 05/07/21

Methane, the main ingredient in natural gas, is a larger climate problem than the world anticipates, and cutting its emissions will be crucial to slow global warming, a new United Nations report warns. The greenhouse…

Scientific American

For Americans’ Health, a Dollar of Carbon Emissions Prevented Is Worth a Ton of Cure

By Timothy G. Singer and Frances C. Moore Photo: Getty Images 04/17/21

In late February, the Biden administration made a major announcement that has the potential to affect the health of Americans for generations. Notably, it had nothing directly to do with COVID-19 or even health care…

mcgill.ca

Air pollution: The silent killer called PM2.5 News

03/11/21

Millions of people die prematurely every year from diseases and cancer caused by air pollution. The first line of defence against this carnage is ambient air quality standards. Yet, according to researchers from McGill University,…

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