Air Pollution Alerts - September 26th, 2010

News & Information; Every Sunday
(Last on September 12, 2010)

Economic Times, September 26th, 2010
High road tax, parking rates can reduce car use in Delhi.

Xinhua Net, September 25th, 2010
London faces a Beijing 2008.

Hindustan Times, September 25th, 2010
BEST buses fail pollution test.

Times of India, September 24th, 2010
CO in Delhi air prime concern.

Wall Street Journal, September 24th, 2010
Can Delhi Pull Off the Commonwealth Games?

NDTV, September 23rd, 2010
CWG: Air quality monitoring system launched.

UN News, September 23rd, 2010
UN-backed ‘clean stove’ initiative to save lives and heal environment.

NDTV, September 23rd, 2010
India switches over to cleaner petrol, diesel.

INVC, September 23rd, 2010
Air Quality Forecasting System (SAFAR) andd Weather Services Dedicated to Nation Today for CWGs New Delhi 2010.

Times of India, September 23rd, 2010
Diesel gensets draw ire of green activists.

Christian Science Monitor, September 22nd, 2010
Privatizing electricity puts Nigeria on the right track.

CNN, September 21st, 2010
Balloon helps Parisians breathe easy.

Inquirer, September 21st, 2010
Metro Manila air quality worsening.

NY Times, September 20th, 2010
Developing Nations to Get Clean-Burning Stoves.

Hindustan Times, September 20th, 2010
LPG most polluting? Experts disagree.

Times of India, September 20th, 2010
Now, monster traffic jams hit Beijing.

The Hindu, September 18th, 2010
A depot for 1,000 buses for the Games.

Earth Observatory, September 18th, 2010
Drought and Air Quality in August 2010.

Bloomberg, September 17th, 2010
China Is Set to Lose 2% of GDP Cleaning Up Decades of Pollution.

People's Daily China, September 6th, 2010
Serious pollution ails 20% of Chinese cities, auto exhaust main source.

Science Daily, September 16th, 2010
Optimizing Climate Change Reduction.

People's Daily, September 16th, 2010
Air pollution more hazardous indoors than outdoors.

Inquirer, September 16th, 2010
DENR issues new limits on vehicular emissions to cut air pollution in Philippines.

Science Daily, September 15th, 2010
Self-Organizing Traffic Lights.

Deccan Herald, September 15th, 2010
India’s ‘slumdog’ reality.

Times of India, September 15th, 2010

Met predicts 20% chance of showers during Games.

Wall Street Journal, September 14th, 2010
Suzlon Plans China Export Hub.

Climate-L, September 14th, 2010
EEA Reports Decline in EU GHG Emissions.

Climate-L, September 14th, 2010
ADB Outlines Climate Change Priorities in Asia and the Pacific.

Washington Post, September 14th, 2010
Dust blows in from the ends of the Earth, even beyond.

Green Bubble, September 13th, 2010
The Financial Impact of Hong Kong Air Pollution.

Air Pollution - A Primary Concern for CWG 2010 in Delhi

Also see

• Press coverage on air pollution in Delhi during CWG
  
• Air quality management in Delhi - Then, Now, and Next
  
• Delhi to be the first Indian city to forecast air quality
• Monitoring what we want to manage and mapping urban air pollution in Delhi
• Urban passenger travel statistics in India
• Pollution due to heavy duty trucks
  
• Photochemistry of air pollution in Delhi
• Why ban autorickshaws in Delhi?
• How to Estimate Transport Modal Shares Using Minimum Information - Case Study of Delhi
• Air pollution and health benefits of metro system in Delhi
• Air pollution in Delhi
• Beijing to Delhi - Traffic problems highlighted
• Need to push for public transport in India

New Traffic Rules during the CWG 2010 in Delhi

Times of India, October 5th, 2010
Traffic police site to give updates on roadblocks.



Also see

• Press coverage on air pollution in Delhi during CWG
  
• Air quality management in Delhi - Then, Now, and Next
  
• Delhi to be the first Indian city to forecast air quality
• Monitoring what we want to manage and mapping urban air pollution in Delhi
• Urban passenger travel statistics in India
• Pollution due to heavy duty trucks
  
• Photochemistry of air pollution in Delhi
• Why ban autorickshaws in Delhi?
• How to Estimate Transport Modal Shares Using Minimum Information - Case Study of Delhi
• Air pollution and health benefits of metro system in Delhi
• Air pollution in Delhi
• Beijing to Delhi - Traffic problems highlighted
• Need to push for public transport in India

Air Pollution Alerts - September 12th, 2010

News & Information; Every Sunday
(Last on September 05, 2010)

InfoChange, September, 2010
Public transport vs personalised transport in India.

IPS, September 10th, 2010
Local Decisions Have Big Impact on Ecosystems.

Science Daily, September 10th, 2010
Main Climate Threat from Carbon Dioxide Sources Yet to Be Built.

Science Daily, September 10th, 2010
New Report Seeks to Improve Climate Forecasts.

New Mexico Independent, September 10th, 2010
Reducing coal power plant pollution will save lives.

CNN, September 9th, 2010
5 eco issues that could cripple India.

Mirror, September 9th, 2010
White roofs are cool.

Environmental Technology, September 9th, 2010
Air quality in Hong Kong 'at all-time low'.

Times of India, September 9th, 2010
IITM ready with Delhi's air pollution report.

Science Daily, September 9th, 2010
Energy Technologies Not Enough to Sufficiently Reduce Carbon Emissions.

Reuters, September 8th, 2010
Record Hong Kong air pollution sparks protest.

Science Daily, September 8th, 2010
Satellite Data Reveal Seasonal Pollution Changes Over India.

CNN, September 7th, 2010
Ship firm floats plan to cut Hong Kong smog.

RSC, September 7th, 2010
In full flight: making cruise emissions count.

Los Angeles Times, September 7th, 2010
Garbage-to-energy? California has second thoughts.

Shanghai Daily, September 6th, 2010
200m cars forecast for China's roads by 2020.

People's Daily, September 6th, 2010
Serious pollution ails 20% of Chinese cities, auto exhaust main source.

Environmental Technology, September 6th, 2010
China 'needs to do more to improve air quality on roads'.

The Hindu, September 6th, 2010
Don't fight dust, hedge it.

DNA India, September 6th, 2010
Don't allow black-and-yellow cabs to fade out.

Science Daily, September 2nd, 2010
Ozone Depletion: Paving the Way for Identification of Rogue CFC Release.

US EPA, August 31st, 2010
EPA and NOAA scientists test tools’ ability to forecast local ozone.

China Dialogue, August 27th, 2010
“China’s interests must come first”.

MoNRE, August 24th, 2010
HCMC City’s clean buses to be refueled.

MoNRE, August 20th, 2010
Polluting factories lack of land, capital stalls relocation process.

The Hindu, August 11th, 2010
Bus Karo in India.

Air Pollution Alerts - September 5th, 2010

News & Information; Every Sunday
(Last on August 29, 2010)

Times of India, September 3rd, 2010
As cities grow, transportation plans must head for the future.

On Earth, September 3rd, 2010
On The Bumpy Road To Livable Streets In India.

The Independent, September 3rd, 2010
Fuelling transport's revolution.

Bloomberg, September 2nd, 2010
Hong Kong's Pollution Above `Very High' for Sixth Day in Central District.

NPR, September 2nd, 2010
Foreign Policy: China's Traffic Jam Has Heart Of Coal.

European Parliament, September 2nd, 2010
MEPs back unspent money for local energy & transport investment.

The Hindu, September 2nd, 2010
Centre's carrot-and-stick policy for States on pollution control in India.

The Economist, September 2nd, 2010
Climate-change assessment - Must try harder.

Science Daily, September 2nd, 2010
Decrease in Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions; CO2 from China, India on the Rise.

CNN, September 1st, 2010
Guess who wants a carbon tax?

YubaNet, September 1st, 2010
Fine particle air pollution responsible for 9,000 premature deaths in California each year.

The Telegraph, September 1st, 2010

Dream wheels all set to roll out in Bhunaneswar and Puri.

Orissa Dairy, August 31st, 2010
Orissa to buy 125 busses to operationalise city Bus service for Bhubaneswar, Puri.

Tree Hugger, August 31st, 2010
Tapping the Energy Below the Earth's Surface.

Press Information Bureau, August 31st, 2010
MOEF Introduce Pat System to Control Air Pollution Pilot Projects in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Science Daily, August 31st, 2010
Shifting Ozone Hole Exposed South America to More Ultraviolet Light in 2009.

Climate-L, August 31st, 2010
Information and Communication Technologies as a Tool to Combat Climate Change.

The New Nation, August 31st, 2010
Green tech set for making less pollutant brick fields.

Times of India, August 30th, 2010
International cycling event touted as CWG trial flops.

X-Prize, August 30th, 2010
The Government of India and IIT Delhi Announce Partnership to Create Global Competition to Develop Clean-Burning Cookstoves.

Boston.Com, August 30th, 2010
Low prices stoke coal sales, despite pollution concerns.

Earth.Com, August 30th, 2010
Why Greening China is a National Priority.

Live Mint, August 30th, 2010
Running in the city.

Energy Bangla, August 30th, 2010
Green Tech Brick Kiln Project Launched.

The LiveMint, August 29th, 2010

The urban public transport debate.

Linking Transport, AQ, and CC, August 29th, 2010
Some Myths About Transportation Busted.

Times of India, August 29th, 2010
Study to check pollution level along BRTS corridor.

The Economist, August 26th, 2010
Jam tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow.

CNN, August 12th, 2010
What's behind the weather chaos?

Air Pollution Alerts - August 29th, 2010

News & Information; Every Sunday
(Last on August 22, 2010)

Reuters, August 29th, 2010
China coal drive will not end health risks.

Indian Express, August 29th, 2010
During Commonwealth Games, devices to measure pollution levels.

MSN India, August 28th, 2010
During Commonwealth Games, devices to measure pollution levels.

Energy Tribune, August 27th, 2010
Wind Energy Gets Huge Subsidies. So Where Are The CO2 Reductions?

AFP, August 27th, 2010
China urgently needs to reverse coal dependency: Greenpeace.

The Daily Star, August 27th, 2010
Take strict action against polluters, land grabbers in Dhaka.

Daily Monitor Uganda, August 27th, 2010
Western models cannot solve our traffic problem.

The Telegraph, August 27th, 2010
Dedicated cycle tracks to ease congestion in Kolkata.

City Fix, August 26th, 2010
Follow the Money for Sustainable Transport.

Times of India, August 25th, 2010
Delhi sees major traffic jam, water-logging.

India News, August 25th, 2010
CPCB can now access air quality data of NTPC power units via web.

Business Standard, August 25th, 2010
Indian Govt to soon notify fuel efficiency standards.

Los Angeles Times, August 25th, 2010
Traffic jam near Beijing stretches on for days.

Philippines Daily Enquirer, August 25th, 2010
DENR eyes 30% cut in Metro pollution.

Climate-L, August 25th, 2010
World Bank Presents Hands-on Energy Adaptation Toolkit.

Wall Street Journal, August 24th, 2010
China Traffic Jam Could Last Weeks.

eHow, August 24th, 2010
What Are the Causes of Air Pollution in Egypt?

Indian Express, August 24th, 2010
Colour code for air quality: meter designed in city is ready for CWG.

Press Information Bureau, August 24th, 2010
Emission Norms for Petrol & Diesel Vehicles in India.

Washington Post, August 24th, 2010
China's massive traffic jam could last for weeks.

Australia News, August 24th, 2010
Asia Expects a New Decade in Sustainable Transport.

Press India Bureau, August 24th, 2010
Effects of Introduction of Gaseous Fuels for Public Transport.

CNN, August 23rd, 2010
Solar energy brings power to rural Africa.

Daily Star, August 23rd, 2010
Congestion conundrum in Dhaka.

NY Times, August 23rd, 2010
EPA Delays Release of Final Ozone Standards.

Wall Street Journal, August 23rd, 2010
Wind Power Won't Cool Down the Planet.

Durango Herald, August 23rd, 2010
Public is invited to air-quality meetings.

Times of India, August 22nd, 2010
Electric vehicles for Sustainable Transport.

NY Times, August 20th, 2010
The Fire Down Below.

China Daily, August 20th, 2010
More old cars need to be junked.

Science Daily, August 18th, 2010
How to Reduce UK Transport Carbon Emissions by 76 Per Cent by 2050.

China Daily, August 17th, 2010
Athletes to get cleaner air in Guangzhou.

NASA, July 14th, 2010
NASA Wins Grant to Begin Multi-Year Air Quality Campaign.

Eurasia Review, June 23rd, 2010
Black carbon’s global warming role ‘still unproven’.

Car Control Options (Down to Earth)

An article in Down to Earth, August edition discusses options to control car movement and examples from the world cities, where problems were successfully implemented. Among the programs are

• Congestion tax in London and Stockholm
• Public transport in Berlin
• Road pricing in Singapore
• Limiting car ownership in China

The SIM-air working paper No.33 on the Singapore road pricing is referred in the article. This paper (with Prof. Gopnath Menon, NTU, Singapore) presents an overview of how ERP was implemented in, experiences and lessons from, Singapore.

Air Pollution Alerts - August 22nd, 2010

News & Information; Every Sunday
(Last on August 15, 2010)

Down to Earth, August, 2010
Car Control.

ACP, August, 2010
Air quality during the 2008 Beijing Olympics: secondary pollutants and regional impact.

The Daily Star, August 22nd, 2010
The hidden costs of traffic.

Business Standard, August 22nd, 2010
Ahmedabad rapid bus system catches fancy of several countries.

IGREC, August 21st, 2010
Do Forests Provide Mitigation Benefits Twice Over?

Star Phoenix, August 21st, 2010
Blame British Columbia forest fires for hazy days.

Deccan Herald, August 21st, 2010
Charting a green future.

Sydney Morning Herald, August 20th, 2010
Growth undermining improved air quality.

Business Standard, August 19th, 2010
WB clears $430 million for Mumbai Urban Transport Project.

The Hindu, August 19th, 2010
See the building as a whole system.

The Hindu, August 19th, 2010
Maruti Suzuki launches new CNG models.

Green Bang, August 19th, 2010
How to make coal ‘clean(er)’.

Press Information Bureau of India, August 19th, 2010
528 Projects of Rs.27852.07 crore approved under JNNRUM.

The Daily Star, August 19th, 2010
Failed drive against unfit vehicles in Bangladesh, why?

The Herald, August 19th, 2010
Sun answer to Zimbabwe’s energy challenges.

Energy Bangla, August 18th, 2010
ADB to Extend Loan to Boost Natural Gas Supply in Bangladesh.

Reuters, August 18th, 2010
How coal may fit with China's new energy plan.

UB Post, August 17th, 2010
MCA To Assist Fight with Air Pollution in UB City.

Newsweek, August 16th, 2010
China Can’t Keep Up With Its Cars.

New York Times, August 16th, 2010
China's Ticking Time Bomb.

Business Standard, August 16th, 2010
Transport us, Dr. Mohan (PM), India.

Hindustan Times, August 16th, 2010
Pollution alert system ready to be launched.

Daily Nation, August 15th, 2010
Mumbai: A throbbing, vibrant and crumbling mess of a metropolis.

Hindustan Times, August 13th, 2010
Capital's cold Bed & Breakfast.

MONRE, August 12th, 2010
Ha Noi anniversary projects polluting city.

MONRE, August 6th, 2010
Building dust chokes Da Nang. Hanoi.

MONRE, August 4th, 2010
HCM City buses, vans fail to meet emission standards.

MONRE, August 2nd, 2010
Chinese aluminum maker poisons air, waterways in Hai Duong.

Pollution Alert System Ready for Launch in Delhi

Article from Hindustan Times on August 16th, 2010

Pollution Alert System Ready to be Launched in Delhi, India
The apex pollution watchdog is ready with the country’s first air-pollution forecast and alert system, meant to serve the organisers of the Commonwealth Games.

The system will issue alerts with focused information on all the stadium areas and the Games Village, 48 hours in advance. “We will use September as the trial month and commission the system right before the Games,” said D. Saha, senior scientist at the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The program will cover all of the National Capital Region (NCR) — 50 km north to south and 50 km east to west — so that a forecast is available for every nook and corner, including transport, residential, and industrial hot spots.

“We have previously developed similar systems for Beijing Olympics in 2008 and are also developing one for Rio de Janeiro as part of Olympics 2016 preparations,” said Sarath Guttikunda, deputy programme manager of Aria Technologies, one of two French firms developing the system for the CPCB, with financial support from the French government.

“In Delhi, it is meant for the Commonwealth Games, to begin with and will continue to serve the city after that,” Guttikunda added.

For easy understanding of the degree of air-pollution risk as forecast in the alerts, the architects of the system have devised a simple 150-point scale to measure pollution, after computing the latest official standards for each air pollutant, like particulate matters, noxious gases etc.

And going by the present status, air at most places in Delhi crosses the 150 mark, around 76 per cent of the days in a year, architects of the system have found.

Along with data from the CPCB’s monitoring stations, the makers have also installed four — three stationary and one mobile — advanced pollution monitors called Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) machines for optical remote sensing, to measure pollutant concentrations and wind.

The system’s accuracy is designed to distinguish between biomass burning, dust, and other kinds of air pollution.

************
In the blog, on air pollution in Delhi

• 2010 CWG Games and news coverage on air pollution
  
• Air quality management in Delhi - Then, Now, and Next
  
• Delhi to be the first Indian city to forecast air quality
• Monitoring what we want to manage and mapping urban air pollution in Delhi
• Urban passenger travel statistics in India
• Pollution due to heavy duty trucks
  
• Photochemistry of air pollution in Delhi
• Why ban autorickshaws in Delhi?
• How to Estimate Transport Modal Shares Using Minimum Information - Case Study of Delhi
• Air pollution and health benefits of metro system in Delhi
• Air pollution in Delhi
• Beijing to Delhi - Traffic problems highlighted
• Need to push for public transport in India

Air Pollution Alerts - August 15th, 2010

News & Information; Every Sunday
(Last on August 08, 2010)

World Bank, August, 2010
Energy Outlook in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The Guardian, August 15th, 2010
Climate scientists in race to predict where natural disaster will strike next.

Science Daily, August 14th, 2010
Ocean's Color Affects Hurricane Paths.

Scientific American, August 14th, 2010
Your Opinion Of Climate Change Depends On Your Social Psychology.

New York Times, August 14th, 2010
In Weather Chaos, a Case for Global Warming.

Andina News, August 13th, 2010
Peru opens air quality management forum today.

Durango Herald, August 13th, 2010
Air pollution - Obstacles to improvement harder to see.

Charcoal Project, August 13th, 2010
Stop Throwing Stoves at Black Carbon.

Reuters, August 13th, 2010
New systems needed to measure extreme weather - WMO.

Press Information Bureau, August 13th, 2010
National Urbanization Policy in India.

Nagaland Post, August 13th, 2010
Govt to phase out polluting vehicles.

The Guardian, August 13th, 2010
A changed climate on climate change.

Science Daily, August 13th, 2010
Fires Around Moscow: Satellite Perspective Reveals Startling Images of Massive Smoke Clouds.

Science Daily, August 12th, 2010
Greenhouse Gas Calculator Connects Farming Practices With Carbon Credits.

New York Times, August 12th, 2010
Despite Costs, ‘Clean Coal’ Remains Obama Priority.

New York Times, August 12th, 2010
Pakistani Site Tops Asian Heat Charts.

New York Times, August 12th, 2010
Think Globally, Compromise Locally.

Science Daily, August 12th, 2010
Charcoal Takes Some Heat Off Global Warming.

CNN, August 12th, 2010
What's behind the weather chaos?

Economist, August 12th, 2010
How the heatwave in Russia is connected to floods in Pakistan?

New York Times, August 12th, 2010
To Cut Demand for Electricity, Some Customers Agree to Unplug.

BBC, August 12th, 2010
Bangladesh to shut gas stations amid power crisis.

Bloomberg Businessweek, August 12th, 2010
China Solar Projects Draw Interest From 50 Companies.

Times of India, August 12th, 2010
Marred by delays, Delhi comes clean on air.

The Guardian, August 12th, 2010
Dream kitchen of the future is green.

Boston.com, August 11th, 2010
A purple, smog-eating skycraper.

Worldwatch Institute, August 11th, 2010
China Prepares to Steal United States’ Thunder, May Launch Cap-and-Trade within Five Years.

The Business Times, August 11th, 2010
Steps for reporting carbon emissions.

China Dialogue, August 11th, 2010
Dangers of the deep.

iGovernment, August 10th, 2010
JNNURM buses for two more Jharkhand cities ready.

India Infoline, August 10th, 2010
Shiela Dikshit flags-off E-rick in New Delhi.

Daily Commercial News, August 10th, 2010
Alternative Fuel Systems announces project for India's Bajaj Auto Limited.

AlterNet, August 10th, 2010
Burning Coal + Hot Days = Unhealthy Air Warnings.

Reuters, August 10th, 2010
Indonesian SMART gets mixed score in green audit.

Reuters, August 10th, 2010
Russia's fires cause "brown cloud," may hit Arctic.

Reuters, August 10th, 2010
Rising temperatures threaten rice yield growth.

New York Times, August 9th, 2010
Portugal Gives Itself a Clean-Energy Makeover.

CNN, August 9th, 2010
Heat and smog double death rate in Moscow.

Science Daily, August 8th, 2010
NASA Instrument Tracks Pollution from Russian Fires.

Scientific American, August 8th, 2010
Can Charcoal Slow Climate Change and Improve Agriculture?

Guardian, August 6th, 2010
Coal: The cheap, dirty and direct route to irreversible climate change.

Worldwatch Institute, August 6th, 2010
Sanitation Too Often Overlooked in Developing Nations.

Guardian, August 5th, 2010
Do environmentalists hold back sustainable lifestyles?

The Guardian, August 5th, 2010
Can Brazil become the world's first environmental superpower?

New York Times, August 2nd, 2010
Gulf Spill Is the Largest of Its Kind.

New York Times, July 31st, 2010
Is It Hot in Here? Must Be Global Warming.

Do Environmentalists Hold Back Sustainable Lifestyles?

See the Guardian article "Do environmentalists hold back sustainable lifestyles?".

Air Pollution Alerts - August 8th, 2010

News & Information; Every Sunday
(Last on August 01, 2010)

CNN, August 7th, 2010
Muscovites struggle to breathe as acrid smoke grips city.

Mother Jones, August 6th, 2010
The Smog of War.

Reuters, August 6th, 2010
'Desert dust' days may worsen kids' asthma.

PhysOrg, August 6th, 2010
Increasing 'Bad' Ozone Threatens Human and Plant Health.

New York Times, August 6th, 2010
A ‘Small’ Spill: China’s Environmental Tango.

Times of India, August 6th, 2010
What your car costs the city.

Times of India, August 6th, 2010
Crackdown on polluting vehicles.

Bloomberg, August 5th, 2010
Proposed Law Would Fine Engine Idlers as Hong Kong Pollution `Very High'.

Economist, August 5th, 2010
Pollution in China: Raising a stink.

Global Times, August 5th, 2010
Energy efficiency drops despite new green regulations in China.

Times of India, August 5th, 2010
Pune 69th among 91 most-polluted cities.

Daily Times, August 4th, 2010
Dream of a mass transit system inching into reality in Islamabad.

Science Daily, August 4th, 2010
New Inexpensive Solar Cell Design.

Straits Times, August 4th, 2010
Getting it half-right in China.

The New Nation, August 4th, 2010
Urban air pollution three to four times higher than standard level' in Dhaka.

Science Daily, August 3rd, 2010
New Carbon Dioxide Emissions Model.

Science Daily, August 3rd, 2010
Travelling by Car Increases Global Temperatures More Than Travelling by Plane, but Only in the Long Term.

Borne Post, August 3rd, 2010
‘Green’ transport: Bye-bye fuel price hike, traffic congestion, limited parking space, pollution.

BBC, August 3rd, 2010
Shanghai gets back in the saddle.

New York Times, August 1st, 2010
In India, Using Facebook to Catch Scofflaw Drivers.

China Daily, July 31st, 2010
New plan targets more pollutants.

The Economist, July 29th, 2010
Mexico's environment - A breath of fresh air.

The Economist, July 29th, 2010
Efficiency drive - Cutting carbon is appallingly complex as well as costly.

Bloomberg, July 29th, 2010
Fossil Fuel Subsidies Are 12 Times Support for Renewables.

China Daily, July 27th, 2010
Air quality drops in first half of year.

China.Org, July 24th, 2010
6 firms punished for violating emission reduction rules.

Xinhua Net, July 20th, 2010
China's reliance on coal to drop 7% by 2015.

The Economist, July 15th, 2010
Budding greens - A new generation of climate-change activists in China.

Air Pollution in China !!

An article published in The Economist on August 5th, "Pollution in China" is very intriguing, especially the image published below.



The picture presents the percentage of clean air days in Beijing, accounted in terms of air quality index.

Residents of Beijing, who hoped the clear skies they enjoyed during the 2008 Olympic Games would persist, have also resumed their grumbling. Smog is back with a vengeance. A stimulus-encouraged car-buying spree has further clogged city streets. Provinces around Beijing account for much of China’s recent record levels of (air-fouling) steel and coke production.

Definitely, during the Olympic Games, the city experienced the best of the clean air days, for a number of reasons, including stringent regulations for multiple sectors to ensure the same (see UNEP Assessment report), but since then it has deteriorated gradually.

The impact of air pollution on the human health and the ecosystem is increasingly being linked to the growing transport sector.

Another article in the Economist, praised the efforts of China in promoting the electric motor cycles, which provide 30-50 kilometers for a fraction of the cost of the fuel spent in the regular motorcycle. The charging takes 5-8 hours, depending on the battery power, but the travel is safer and faster than the regular bicycles, and the environment is clean.

In 2008, 21 million electric bicycles were sold in China. Were there any subsides involved? Chinese makers are also in the business plug-in hybrids, expecting to sell at least 400,000 in 2009.

Henry Li, the head of BYD Auto's export and trade division (China) says, "We are not trying to save the world, we are making money. Our strategy aims to give value to shareholders. If we can help the planet at the same time, all the better" and well positioned to be the World's Leader in electric cars (NY Times).

Yes, we need to find ways to power these vehicles. Power plants are an option (in spite of Dr. Hansen saying no to them). As far as the air pollution is concerned, emissions of PM, SO2, NOx, and the likes are easy to control at a power plant than emitted at the ground level and into our noses on a road (and causing more health damage). The pollution out of a power plant stack disperses farther than the emissions out of a car or a bus.

There is silver bullet to cure air pollution.. more awareness is required on the sources and mitigation at the source is the best solution !!