CARMA is Now on Google Earth

Browsing CARMA data just got easier! With Google Earth's bird's eye view, you can quickly and easily explore the world's power sector and compare CO2 emissions from different countries.



Visit CARMA.org/earth to learn more.

(from CARMA team's email)

Dose Response Functions for Estimating Health Impacts of Air Pollution

Mortality	Morbidity

Click on the pages to enlarge view.
For a list of references, access the full report
"Estimating the Health Impacts of Urban Air Pollution"
which outlines the methodology for estimating health impacts of air pollution, database of dose-response functions, and example calculations.

Also see "In news: Mortality & Morbidity due to air pollution"

**************

What are the common health impacts of air pollution?

The pollutants listed below mostly experienced in an outdoor setting (from vehicle exhaust, road dust, industrial combustion, garbage burning, and atmospheric chemical reactions), but depending on the location are known to cause significant health damages in indoor settings.

Particulate Matter

PM (for short) of different size fractions consists of dust, mist, metals, and smoke. These particles when breathed in, lodge in our lung tissues and cause lung damage and respiratory problems. The importance of PM as a major pollutant needs special emphasis as

1. it affects outdoor and indoor environments and in urban and rural settings
2. it is the most studied pollutant
3. there is more epidemiological evidence on the PM exposure linking to mortality (premature deaths) and morbidity (like asthma and bronchitis)
4. more evidence is linking it to climate radiative forcing (via black carbon)
   
5. it is the most monitored pollutant, though data is limited from the developing country cities.
   

Sulfur dioxide

SO2 in the air is caused due to the rise in combustion of fossil fuels, primarily (to name a few) coal and diesel in the power plants, brick kilns, heavy duty vehicles, industries, and generator sets. It can oxidize and form sulfuric acid mist (aka acid rain). SO2 in the air leads to diseases of the lung and other lung disorders such as wheezing and shortness of breath. Long-term effects are more difficult to ascertain as SO2 exposure is often combined with that of PM (in the form of secondary aerosol sulfates).

Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx)

NOx emissions are the fastest growing in most urban centers, primarily from the vehicle exhaust. This gas can make children susceptible to respiratory diseases in the winters. NOx is the one of the main ingredients responsible for making of Ozone.

Carbon monoxide

CO combines with haemoglobin to lessen the amount of oxygen that enters our blood through our lungs. The binding with other haeme proteins causes changes in the function of the affected organs such as the brain and the cardiovascular system. It can impair our concentration, slow our reflexes, and make us confused and sleepy; and leading to premature death.

Volatile Organic Compounds

VOCs are the other main ingredient in the atmospheric formation of Ozone. In bulk, VOCs can cause irritation of the eye, nose and throat. In severe cases there may be headaches, nausea, and loss of coordination. In the longer run, some of them are suspected to cause damage to the liver and other parts of the body

Lead

Mostly controlled across the world, as a source from the vehicle exhaust.
Prolonged exposure can cause damage to the nervous system, digestive problems, and in some cases cause cancer. It is especially hazardous to small children.

Tobacco smoke

Tobacco smoke generates a wide range of harmful chemicals and is a major cause of ill health, as it is known to cause cancer, not only to the smoker but affecting passive smokers too. It is well-known that smoking affects the passive smoker (the person who is in the vicinity of a smoker and is not himself/herself a smoker) ranging from burning sensation in the eyes or nose, and throat irritation, to cancer, bronchitis, severe asthma, and a decrease in lung function.

Waste Dump?

..and we wonder why we have floods and clogged sewage.



Also see the previous post on Household Waste Management.

Transport Emissions Inventory in China Using Average Emission Factors

This article is also summarized in the SIM working paper (19-2009), "A Review of Air Pollution from Transport Sector in China".

The article in the Atmospheric Environment by Cai et al. titled, "Estimation of Vehicular Emission Inventories in China from 1980 to 2005", is an indication that average emission factors are enough for developing a reasonable and dependable emissions inventory.

Using average emission factors and other parameters, the authors conclude that the CH4, CO, CO2, NMVOC, NOx, PM10, and SO2 emissions increased from 5, 1066, 19 893, 169, 174, 26, and 16 thousand tons in 1980 to 377, 36 197, 674 629, 5911, 4539, 983, and 484 thousand tons in 2005, respectively.

Attached below are two tables from the journal article (click on the images to enlarge view size) summarizing the total transport emissions and geographical percentages by species.




The goal of this paper was not only to establish a baseline for the transport emissions in China, but also to illustrate the use of available data and demonstrate how an inventory can be done using simple equations and minimum databases, as long as the methodology and numbers used can be defended. Figures below presents the total emissions gridded at 40 km resolution, using various GIS databases, such as population census and GDP.





It is important to know that an emission inventory like this does not come without uncertainties and simplifications have their limitations, but at the same time, they provide an understanding of the need for more data and disclosure of information for further similar analysis.

Also see

• Reducing Air Pollution from Urban Transport by the World Bank
• Reducing Vehicle Emissions in Asia by Asian Development Bank
• EE and CC Considerations for On-Road Transport in Asia by Asian Development Bank
• Climate Change Mitigation Strategies for Transportation Sector in China by ICET
• Future of Personal Transport in China by National Academies Press
  
• Transport in India
• National Urban Transport Policy by MoUD
  
• National Auto Fuel Policy of India by GoI
• Sustainable Transport & Climate Change in China by ADB
• Climate Change Mitigation and Co-Benefits of Feasible Transport Demand Policies in Beijing by U.Berkeley
• Four Simple Equations to Vehicular Emissions Inventory by UrbanEmissions
  
• Public Transportation in India by ITDP
• Nano-carnomics in India
• Mobile signals to understand congestion zones
• Transport for Livable Cities: A Symposium on the Problems of Urban Transport (Seminar, November, 2007)

Culture of Mobility (Documentary)

This post is an extract from an email by Dr. Daniel Rebolj, University of Maribor, Slovenia, on the sustran mailing list.

This evening, 6 February 2009, an interesting event will take place in my city. A thematic event has been organized, dedicated to the "Culture of Mobility". In this we want to show (again) that the culture of mobility and the culture of the city are one and the same.



Maribor, my beautiful city, the second-largest in Slovenia, is to become the cultural capital of Europe in 2012. Today's event will start with a documentary film to open up the perspectives of transportation decision-makers in the city of New York, "Contested Streets: a Mobility Tour of Four Great World Cities". "Contested" takes its point of departure from the old habit of automatically building new infrastructure for cars every time a traffic problem arose. The world-famous and world-practiced "forecast and build" culture.

This one-hour film shows very clearly what makes the difference between cities where one would like to live, and those where one has to survive.

You can order the DVD from the New York transportation alternatives group at http://www.transalt.org

Clean Air News - February 8th, 2009

On February 8th, 2009 (News Every Sunday)
See the last issue on February 1st, 2009

Birth defects soar due to pollution in China.
China Daily, January 31st, 2009.
BBC, February 1st, 2009.

Indian Express, January 31st, 2009
Delhi Metro saved Rs 2,000 crore in five years.

The Hindu, February 6th, 2009
Massive transition to public transport mooted.

Times of India, February 5th, 2009
Get ready for a cushy ride on city buses in Pune.

Times of India, February 7th, 2009
You could be taxed for driving on busy roads.

Economic Times, India, January 29th, 2009
Transport in policy spotlight.

Economist, Februrary 4th, 2009
Home again, Home again - Transport in London, Delhi, and Tokyo.

People and Planet, February 5th, 2009
Action plan agreed for India's polluted cities.

The Independent, January 30th, 2009
Tanzania develops low carbon economy.

China Dialogue, January 26th, 2009
Winds of change blow in India.

World Watch, January 26th, 2009
Capturing Carbon Emissions…in Cement?

Financial Mirror, January 30th, 2009
European Commission starts legal action on air pollution against Cyprus.

WBCSD, January 27th, 2009
China to subsidise purchases of clean-energy cars.

CBC Canada, February 4th, 2009
Montreal moves to snuff out wood stoves.

NPR, February 4th, 2009
Innovation Seen As Key To Curbing Climate Change.

State Hornet (California), February 4th, 2009
Air pollution fine is example of public agency money grab.

Science Daily, February 5th, 2009
Global Warming May Delay Recovery Of Stratospheric Ozone.

Guardian, February 4th, 2009
London will choke of pollution plan.

Scientific American, February 2009.
How Meat Contributes to Global Warming?

NewYork Times, February 4th, 2009
A Tough Week for Coal.

GibFocus, UK, February 2nd, 2009
Measures to Combat Air Pollution Required.

TMC net, February 4th, 2009
Karachi badly needs cycling, pedestrian tracks.

London, February 4th, 2009
Action needed over killer air pollution in London.

Environmental Health News, February 6th, 2009
Is recycling coal fly ash at farms environmentally safe?

New York Times, February 6th, 2009
Environmental Views, Past and Present.

Seven Point Action Plan for the Public Transport in the Indian Cities

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;
• devise an advertisement policy;
• devise a parking policy;
• devise a funding mechanism for public transport.

Also see the 2008 report by the Ministry of Urban Development on Transport Policies and Strategies for Urban India.

Effective Climate Engineering Solutions (New Scientist)

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.

Read the article on New Scientist.

The full article is published in Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics (2009).

Check the "Climate Daily Debate" for similar posts.

Clean Air News - February 1st, 2009

On February 1st, 2009 (News Every Sunday)
See the last issue on January 25th, 2009

Guardian, January 25th, 2009
How green are wood-burning fires?

Scientific American, January 22nd, 2009
Wood and dung fires feed Asia's brown cloud.

Brookings, January 9th, 2009
Refuel Economy with Cash for Old Cars.

Morung Express, January 23rd, 2009
Dimapur's Brick kilns are Bio-hazards (Nagaland, India).

Terra Daily, January 25th, 2009
EU to pressure US, emerging countries on climate change.

NPR, January 23rd, 2009
Examining Climate Change On The Air.

NPR, January 21st, 2009
Is reducing Carbon emissions worth the cost?

Vanguard, January 23rd, 2009
Vehicle emission tests coming to Lagos, Nigeria.

Washington Post, January 25th, 2009
Environmental protection takes hit under fiscal crunch.

EuroCities, January 26th, 2009
Milan and Istanbul honoured for innovative public transport strategies.

NewYork Times, January 23rd, 2009
All electric vehicles bought for Westchester airport (USA).

USA Today, January 27th, 2009
Old TVs cause new problems.

Bloomberg, January 27th, 2009
London too polluted to meet EU air quality standards.

Express India, January 27th, 2009
Euro-IV norms by 2010 in Indian cities.

WBCSD, January 27th, 2009
Energy efficiency is the way forward.

Guardian, January 26th, 2009
Why California is leading u-turn on vehicle emissions?

Gibraltar, January 28th, 2009
Gibraltar faces court case on air pollution.

Gulf Daily News, January 28th, 2009
Poison in the air we all breathe... in Bahrain.

Huffington Post, January 28th, 2009
Obama and the California Way On Climate.

NPR, January 28th, 2009
Revisiting The 'Keeling Curve'.

Science Daily, January 29th, 2009
Climate Change is largely irreversible for next 1000 years (NOAA report).

Manteca Bulletin, January 28th, 2009
A true breath of fresh air from Washington.

BBC, January 29th, 2009
Britain warned over air quality.

Scientific American, January 29th, 2009
Clear the Air Down South.

IGSD, December, 2008
Reducing black carbon maybe the fastest way to stop climate change growth.

CNN, January 29th, 2009
Clearing the air on California emissions.

Star Press, January 29th, 2009
Reducing air pollution is an inside and outside job.

Clean Air London, January 29th, 2009
European Commission starts legal action against the United Kingdom to enforce health based air quality laws for particulate matter (PM10) in London.

IRIN, January 31st, 2009
Kabul air pollution a major health risk.

Philippines News, January 30th, 2009
MMDA reduces carbon footprint in Manila.

MSNBC, January 31st, 2009
Most EU nations fail to meet air standards.

Reuters, January 30th, 2009
Waste could be crucial in search for cleaner fuels.

Air Pollution in Hyderabad, India

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

Source emissions and health impacts of urban air pollution in Hyderabad, India
Journal article in Air Quality, Atmosphere, & Health (2014)

Receptor model based source apportionment of particulate pollution in Hyderabad, India
Journal article in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (2013)

***********



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.

Final report, including the co-benefits analysis is available @ www.urbanemissions.info

Green Essentials in Goa, India

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.


See the movie "Garbage, the revolution starts at home" and read more at their website.

Is Reducing Carbon Emissions Worth The Cost? (NPR)

An intriguing debate on NPR on January 21st, 2009, "Is Reducing Carbon Emissions Worth The Cost?"

FOR THE MOTION

• 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.

Photo Diary of Air Pollution in Beijing

I found this website very innovative in portraying the real time problem of air pollution in Beijing.

Room with a View

Previous posts on air pollution in Beijing

• Sensing air quality in Beijing (Interactive Maps)
• Beijing still hazy !!
• Air pollution in Beijing

Previous posts on public awareness of air pollution

• Illuminating air pollution from power plants
  
• Using balloons to visualize air pollution
• Walkability scores for your neighborhood
• How it all ends (Youtube Video)
• Mobile signals to identify congestion zones
• It's all about Carbon on NPR
• An illustrated "Primer on Air Quality Management"
• Interactive 3D map of air pollution in London
• Interactive Smog City simulation