Air pollution is a growing problem in most cities (big and small). The "Daily Dose" aims to disseminate the best available information on air pollution and engage in discussions to better understand the process of air quality management. For more details visit https://www.urbanemissions.info
A seven point action plan was announced by Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), the pollution monitoring arm of the Supreme Court, on February 6th, 2009, for the public transport in the Indian Cities.
The cities are Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Bangalore (Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Kanpur and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) and Pune and Sholapur (Maharashtra).
The agenda requests the cities to
devise a strategy for bus ownership and management in the city, based on current best practices and feasible options;
understand the costs associated with bus management and options for financing and management, including fiscal reforms;
examine the possibility of dedicated and or demarcated bus lanes in the city;
understand the availability and costs of urban buses in the country, so that decisions can be facilitated;
Prof. Tim Lenton of the University of East Anglia, UK, has put together the first comparative assessment of climate-altering proposals such pumping sulphur into the atmosphere to mimic the cooling effect of volcanic emissions, or fertilising the oceans with iron.
Andhra Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (APPCB) operates and maintains the monitoring network in Hyderabad. Below are some figure excerpts from the "Air Pollution and Co-benefits Analysis of an Action Plan for Hyderabad" report. Two journal articles also published out of this study
This study was conducted in 2005-06, including a year long (three seasons) monitoring for PM10 and PM2.5 for source apportionment, emissions inventory development, and air pollution analysis of an action plan for the city of Hyderabad, India.
Click on the images to enlarge.
Figure represents averaged monitoring data (RSMP - PM10) from multiple stations. Blue line represents the urban stations, while the green represents the background stations.
Figure represents an average result of the source apportionment study - following monitoring at three stations for three seasons, chemical analysis, and CMB modeling. This project was conducted under the USEPA's Integrated Environmental Strategies Phase 2 program for Hyderabad, India.
Figure represents a comparison of vehicular growth vs. average PM10 concentrations in the city. The city of Hyderabad is experiencing an average of 10 percent annual growth in vehicular population.
Figure represents modeled annual average PM10 concentrations in Hyderabad. Additional information (in the report) includes maps of seasonal contribution of various sources to ambient air pollution, and percent contribution of sources such as industries, transport - direct vehicular exhaust and indirect road dust, domestic combustion, open burning in the city, and background concentrations.
At Green Essentials, we sell natural and eco-friendly alternatives to several every-day products used in most of our homes. These products can make a real difference to your immediate environment by making it cleaner, chemical-free and beautiful.
Put simply, our goal is to encourage (and enable) doing small things to produce less waste, eat healthier and release fewer chemicals in the environment.
Most importantly, we believe that ‘Going Green’ doesn’t have to be a full-time job nor should it become ‘another mouth to feed’. Which is why the ‘green’ products we offer fit into your life seamlessly, making it easier, not harder and are so affordable that you don’t end up spending any more than you normally do.
Some of the products that you can currently find at our store are:
Garbage management products – Composting pots for apartment dwellers (from Daily Dump in Bangalore)
Natural insect and pest repellents – Mosquito repellent cum air freshener, Plant-pest repellent, General insect repellent
Natural home decor – Indoor plants, Kitchen herb pots, Planters and pots
And more will follow...
Find us @ Taliegao, Panjim, Goa. Right on the new Taleigao-St. InezRoad, near Ideal Primary School.
You can also contact "Green Essentials" @ +91-832-2451823 or +91-9960643250.
Peter Huber, the co-author of The Bottomless Well, is a partner at the Washington, D.C., law firm of Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans and Figel, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a columnist for Forbes.
Bjorn Lomborg, the author of Cool It and The Skeptical Environmentalist, is an adjunct professor at the Copenhagen Business School. In 2004, he began the Copenhagen Consensus, a conference of top economists who come together to prioritize the best solutions for world problems.
Philip Stott, professor emeritus and a biogeographer from the University of London, was the editor of the Journal of Biogeography for 18 years.
AGAINST THE MOTION
L. Hunter Lovins is president of Natural Capitalism Solutions, which creates practical tools and strategies aimed at enabling companies, communities and countries to increase prosperity and quality of life. Lovins consults for industries and governments globally.
Oliver Tickell is the author of Kyoto2, in which he sets out an international framework for the control of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere intended to be effective, efficient and equitable.
Adam Werbach, global chief executive officer at Saatchi & Saatchi S, a sustainability consulting division of Saatchi & Saatchi, is regarded as one of the world's premier experts in sustainability. At age 23, he was elected as the youngest president ever of the Sierra Club, the oldest and largest environmental organization in the United States.
For air quality analysis, monitoring of various pollutants is very crucial for public health, compliance, and regulation. Here are some links to air pollution monitoring data from Asian megacities.
aka Atmospheric Brown Cloud over Asia, is back in the news.
(1) Science Daily - Sources of climate and health effecting pollution over South Asia identified. (2) TIME (CNN) - Study gets inside the world's "Brown Cloud". (3) BBC - Asia's Brown Clouds 'warm planet'. (4) Int. Herald Tribune - Haunting Asia, a brown cloud blots out sun. (5) New York Times - Study pinpoints main source of Asia's Brown Cloud. (6) Times of India - Wood fires fueling India's brown haze. (7) Scientific American - Wood and dung fires feed Asia's brown cloud. (8) Live Mint (WSJ) - Burning biomass contributes 70% of brown cloud soot. (9) Scientific American - Clear the air down south.
Here is a list of interesting (and useful) publications, news, and journal articles on ABC in the past
