Air Pollution News & Alerts - August 31st, 2015

Last on July 31st, 2015

Gulf Business, August 31st, 2015
Countries with the highest air pollution levels in the Middle East.

The Hindu, August 31st, 2015
Costly power tussle in Delhi.

Mumbai Mirror, August 30th, 2015
Why does India's third cleanest city stink so badly?

Weather Network, August 30th, 2015
Chinese government brings blue skies back to Beijing.

The Guardian, August 30th, 2015
Wanted! An army of citizen scientists to tackle air pollution.

Hindustan Times, August 30th, 2015
China reverses anti-pollution law that kept vehicles off road.

The Hindu, August 29th, 2015
Unscheduled power cuts in Bengaluru to continue.

Daily Times, August 29th, 2015
Urban planning a must to overcome environmental pollution.

NRDC Switchboard, August 28th, 2015
Dirty Air Campaign Opposing Safe Air for Americans Founded on Falsehoods.

NRDC Switchboard, August 28th, 2015
Elevated Indoor Air Pollution Levels During NDTV Breathe Clean Conclave in New Delhi.

ECNS, August 28th, 2015
Forecasters blame lack of wind for recent pollution in Shanghai.

Bangkok Post, August 27th, 2015
Haze chokes parts of Indonesia, Malaysia.

Hindustan Times, August 27th, 2015
NGT slams Delhi govt on monitoring of vehicles at entry points.

Echo of India, August 26th, 2015
Unchecked vehicular pollution leaves people gasping for breath.

Times of India, August 26th, 2015
Mumbai: Air you breathe has more SO2, ammonia now than 3 yrs ago.

Huffington Post, August 26th, 2015
Air Pollution: Why We All Need To Be Accountable.

Times of India, August 25th, 2015
NGT seeks vehicle data update.

SF Gate, August 25th, 2015
China, US seek 'clean coal' agreement as industry struggles.

Business Standard, August 25th, 2015
Javadekar says Subramanian's views on climate change policy not India's.

Mother Nature Network, August 25th, 2015
India gets world's first 100% solar-powered airport.

Want China Times, August 24th, 2015
China has too many thermal power plants.

Business Green, August 24th, 2015
London named as Europe’s most congested city.

Fair Observer, August 24th, 2015
Closing India’s Implementation Gap on Pollution Control.

Power Engineering, August 20th, 2015
Two coal-fired power plants set for Fukushima.

Hindustan Times, August 20th, 2015
Congestion, pollution twin demons in south Delhi colonies.

Inside Climate News, August 19th, 2015
China Emits Less CO2 Than Anyone Thought, But It’s Still a Lot.

Power Engineering, August 19th, 2015
Modernizing old plants to meet new demands.

Lab Manager, August 19th, 2015
Reducing the Health Impacts of Electric Power.

Bangkok Post, August 19th, 2015
Climate: China's emissions overestimated.

Tehran Times, August 17th, 2015
German firms may build power plants in Iran.

Times of India, August 17th, 2015
Diesel autorickshaws to remain on Aurangabad roads.

EurekAlert, August 17th, 2015
New approach could reduce human health impacts of electric power generation.

National Geographic, August 17th, 2015
How Bad Is Power Plant Pollution? Depends on the Weather.

North Jersey News, August 17th, 2015
N.J. ozone level alert extends into Tuesday.

The Hindu, August 16th, 2015
Gas yet to fully fire power generation.

Christian Science Monitor, August 15th, 2015
China's air kills 4,000 people a day – but not for long, say officials.

CSE, August 15th, 2015
CSE condemns misrepresentation of findings of recent CSIR study on diesel and CNG buses.

Economic Times, August 15th, 2015
Bharat Stage implementations will improve ambient air quality.

Ghana Web, August 15th, 2015
EPA launches vehicle emissions programme.

Slate Magazine, August 14th, 2015
Beijing Doesn’t Have a Population Problem.

Zee News, August 13th, 2015
Over 50 predominantly polluting units identified in Ghaziabad.

PR Newswire, August 13th, 2015
KILLER AIR: Berkeley Earth Publishes Study on Air Pollution in China.

Fierce Energy, August 12th, 2015
The Clean Power Plan's effect on coal.

Eco Business, August 13th, 2015
Research from Harvard reveals health impacts of Indonesia’s coal plants.

Bloomberg, August 13th, 2015
China Air Pollution Kills 4,000 People a Day.

City Lab, August 13th, 2015
How Portable Air Sensors Are Changing Pollution Detection.

CNN, August 13th, 2015
MLK III: Climate change and pollution take away civil rights.

NDTV, August 13th, 2015
Delhi Announces Moves to Reduce Pollution.

NDTV, August 13th, 2015
Government to Soon Launch a 'Massive' Campaign to Check Air Pollution in Delhi.

Bangkok Post, August 13th, 2015
It's time to overhaul the price of fuel.

The Hindu, August 13th, 2015
Tamil Nadu Govt. aims to add 22,440 MW power in the next eight years.

Economic Times, August 12th, 2015
Forest area in Delhi on paper is different from reality.

The Hill, August 12th, 2015
States challenge air pollution ‘loophole’ rule.

The Guardian, August 12th, 2015
UK lobbying for even weaker EU air pollution laws, leaked papers show.

Climate Spector, August 12th, 2015
How China is adding one idle coal plant every week.

Japan Times, August 12th, 2015
Power plant operators to invest ¥3 trillion on safety measures.

Macro Business, August 12th, 2015
India won’t save coal.

Climate Progress, August 12th, 2015
China’s Air Pollution Is Traveling To The United States.

The Spectrum, August 11th, 2015
CCS technologies are key to using coal.

Energy Central, August 11th, 2015
A new day for coal ash recycling.

Economic Times, August 11th, 2015
Just as global banks desert coal, can India ramp up the sector without foreign investment?

Power Technology, August 10th, 2015
Bhel commissions 500MW coal power plant in Madhya Pradesh, India.

Economic Times, August 11th, 2015
NGT directs Badarpur, Rajghat plants to control high PM levels.

Live Mint, August 10th, 2015
New pollution-monitoring norms to be finalized in 2-3 months.

Indian Express, August 9th, 2015
ISRO gets a Gadkari request: Develop a battery to check vehicle pollution.

Air Quality News, August 8th, 2015
Clean diesel in the USA – part of the air pollution solution?

Want China Times, August 8th, 2015
How China's most polluted province is cleaning up its act.

Bloomberg, August 7th, 2015
China Gets a Little More Fresh Air.

Crienglish, August 6th, 2015
Shanghai Suffers Ozone Pollution for 11 Consecutive Days.

Economic Times, August 6th, 2015
'Construction activities added over 20% dust to air in six cities'.

NDTV, August 5th, 2015
Why You Should Take Rising Air Pollution Seriously.

Times of India, August 5th, 2015
Toxic air choked 35,000 to death in 10 years.

Environmental Research Web, August 5th, 2015
Ships produce larger proportion of Europe’s NOx.

Hufington Post, August 4th, 2015
Don't Like The New Climate Rules? Thank Congress.

The Hill, August 4th, 2015
Preventing the health impacts of climate change.

Environmental Research Web, August 4th, 2015
Would taxing emissions make us buy different vehicles?

Huffington Post, August 4th, 2015
That's Life.

Times of India, August 4th, 2015
Will PUC tests check PM2.5, NGT asks govt.

The Guardian, August 3rd, 2015
White House insists tough new carbon restrictions are legal under Clean Air Act.

Financial Express, August 3rd, 2015
Coal India production up 12% in June quarter.

Business Standard, August 3rd, 2015
Coal to drive growth of Krishnapatnam Port.

Economic Times, August 3rd, 2015
NTPC to stay away from imports, hopes to generate power with domestic coal till September.

Business Green, August 3rd, 2015
China should cap coal consumption by 2020, says think tank.

Vietnam Net, August 3rd, 2015
Thermal power plant built in unsuitable position.

Green Biz, August 3rd, 2015
How Google, startups aim to help us breathe better.

RTCC, August 3rd, 2015
Coal is choking India’s cities, economy and the world’s climate.

White House, August 3rd, 2015
President Obama to Announce Historic Carbon Pollution Standards for Power Plants.

City Lab, August 3rd, 2015
Mapping Global Air Pollution Down to the Neighborhood Level.

The Guardian, July 25th, 2015
Climate change threatens China’s booming coastal cities.

PM2.5 Concentrations Retrieved from Satellite Data

Air pollution has been linked to a slew of health complications, including respiratory and cardiovascular disease, asthma, stroke, cancer, and premature death. In 2012, the WHO estimated that ambient air pollution alone caused 3.7 million premature deaths across the globe. Countries in the midst of rapid economic growth, such as India, are particularly susceptible to poor air quality and its health effects. Developing economies may face challenges regulating industrial growth, urbanization, and vehicular emissions, which can lead to excessive ambient air pollution.

Google Measuring Street Level Pollution in the Cities

Aclima, Inc., a San Francisco-based company that designs and deploys environmental sensor networks, today announced a new partnership with Google Earth Outreach to map and better understand urban air quality. The partnership enables a paradigm-shift in environmental awareness by equipping Street View. Read more @ Smithsonian

Diesel vs. CNG Buses in Delhi !!

The advocacy group Embarq studied emissions from buses run on different fuels in Mexico, Brazil and India, and found that CNG buses emit more micro particles. “Lowsulphur diesel particles were found to be slightly bigger than those from CNG. We also found that overloaded CNG vehicles emit even more micro particles,“ said Amit Bhatt, strategy head, urban transport, Embarq. “We can say that Euro V and Euro VI diesel is as good as CNG in terms of other pollutants, and superior if you consider particulate emissions,“ Bhatt added. For now, CNG can't be labeled a highly polluting fuel because its particulate emissions are lower than those from diesel. Anumita Roychowdhury , head of Centre for Science and Environment's Clean Air campaign, said European countries have started measuring ultrafine particles because they have addressed the problem of particulate emissions from diesel. India, however, should focus on reducing PM emissions that are a leading cause of death, she added. Read more @ Times of India

At Least 11% Delhites Suffer from Asthma

More than 11% of Delhiites are suffering from asthma and rhinits, the government said while acknowledging that air pollution is an "aggravating" factor for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. "As per a survey conducted by Vallabbhai Patel Chest Institute Delhi in 2006, which covered 5,900 adults belonging to urban, rural and slum population in Delhi, 11.69% were found to be suffering from Rhinits and 11.03% from Asthma," Health Minister J P Nadda said in the Lok Sabha on Friday.  Article from Times of India

Though there is no specific data indicating exact number of cases and deaths due to air pollution, epidemiological studies, by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to assess the long term impact of air pollution on human health, showed a link between pollution and various diseases. "The studies indicate several pulmonary and systematic changes, altered immunity and other health impairments associated with cumulative exposure to high level of particulate pollution that increases the risk of various diseases including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases," Nadda said.

From indoor air pollution, China accounted for nearly 1.5 million and India for close to 1.3 million. Between them, the two Asian giants accounted for nearly two-thirds of the global total. As for outdoor pollution, the south-east Asian region, which includes India in the WHO categorisation, accounted for about 9.4 lakh deaths and the category that includes China had 1.7 million. The two regions were home to over two-thirds of global deaths due to this cause. The WHO assessment also highlighted that around 30% of all lung cancer deaths can be attributed to the joint effects of household and ambient air pollution, emphasizing on the link between pollution and increasing disease burden.

Rising air pollution and the increasing disease burden due to it has emerged as a major concern. Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) also highlighted the issue in its 68th World Health Assembly, held in Geneva, where India assumed presidency after a gap of 19 years. As per WHO assessment, deaths due to air pollution have increased fourfold across the globe over the past decade. China and India are by far the worst affected countries. According to WHO, about 8 million deaths globally are attributable to air pollution, which includes about 4.3 million deaths each year associated with exposure to household (indoor) air pollution and further 3.7 million deaths because of ambient (outdoor) air pollution.

What Can Individuals do to Reduce Personal Health Risks from Air Pollution?

Abstract - In many areas of the world, concentrations of ambient air pollutants exceed levels associated with increased risk of acute and chronic health problems. While effective policies to reduce emissions at their sources are clearly preferable, some evidence supports the effectiveness of individual actions to reduce exposure and health risks. Personal exposure to ambient air pollution can be reduced on high air pollution days by staying indoors, reducing outdoor air infiltration to indoors, cleaning indoor air with air filters, and limiting physical exertion, especially outdoors and near air pollution sources. Limited evidence suggests that the use of respirators may be effective in some circumstances. Awareness of air pollution levels is facilitated by a growing number of public air quality alert systems.

Avoiding exposure to air pollutants is especially important for susceptible individuals with chronic cardiovascular or pulmonary disease, children, and the elderly. Research on mechanisms underlying the adverse health effects of air pollution have suggested potential pharmaceutical or chemo-preventive interventions, such as antioxidant or anti-thrombotic agents, but in the absence of data on health outcomes, no sound recommendations can be made for primary prevention. Health care providers and their patients should carefully consider individual circumstances related to outdoor and indoor air pollutant exposure levels and susceptibility to those air pollutants when deciding on a course of action to reduce personal exposure and health risks from ambient air pollutants.

Careful consideration is especially warranted when interventions may have unintended negative consequences, such as when efforts to avoid exposure to air pollutants lead to reduced physical activity or when there is evidence that dietary supplements, such as antioxidants, have potential adverse health effects. These potential complications of partially effective personal interventions to reduce exposure or risk highlight the primary importance of reducing emissions of air pollutants at their sources.

Read more of the review article @ JTD
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World Population @ 11 billion in 2100

The current world population of 7.3 billion is expected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion by 2050, and 11.2 billion in 2100, according to a United Nations report released today. The revised U.N. estimates counter previous projections, which had said that global population would peak at roughly 9 billion by 2050, then gradually decline. Most growth will occur in developing regions, the new report says, especially Africa, which is expected to account for more than half of the world’s population growth between 2015 and 2050. India is expected to become the most populous country, surpassing China around 2022.

Nigeria could surpass the United States by 2050, which would make it the third-largest country in the world, the U.N. projects. “The concentration of population growth in the poorest countries presents its own set of challenges, making it more difficult to eradicate poverty and inequality,” said John Wilmoth, a director in the U.N.’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Article @ Yale 360

World CO2 Emissions

Leveraging data from WRI’s CAIT Climate Data Explorer, the dynamic graph below allows you to explore just-released CAIT emissions data for 2012 by country and economic sector, and share this information on social media. Read more and access the more interactive version of the infographic @ WRI