Fires in Punjab Spewing Pollution in Delhi (November, 2014)

Every year, the northern state of Punjab collectively burns between seven and eight million tons of plant debris from its rice farms. The plumes of smoke that rise from the paddy fires have a lingering effect on the nearby Union Territory of Delhi. The fumes are so significant that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the United States took notice of the phenomenon a while ago and started releasing annual photos of the fires over the millions of hectares of agricultural fields in Punjab. More @ Scroll.in

Agricultural Waste Burning in Central India

“The Indian state of Punjab has two growing seasons: one from May to September and another from November to April," NASA said. "Many Punjab farmers rotate between crops, planting rice in May and wheat in November. In order to quickly prepare their fields for the wheat crop, many farmers simply burn leftover plant debris in late-October and November after harvesting rice. The practice is known as paddy stubble burning.”

15yr High for Air Quality Index in Singapore - Worsening due to Forest Fires in Indonesia

When NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer’s aqua-satellite passed over Punjab, it captured the thick blanket of fog lying just south of Punjab in Delhi.

NASA Links Urban Population to Urban Air Pollution

The image was taken on October 31 and the large area covered by the red dots is where the burning was taking place. Along with the fire, one can see a layer of aerosols, which include smoke, haze, dust and particulate air pollutants. Officials of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee officials along with scientists at System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research Centre have said that such burning is adding to Delhi's local pollution load.

Dust Storms, Fires, & Haze Pollution in Asia

“Pollution doesn't have boundaries," Anumita Roy Chowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment told The Economic Times. "All states need to act together."

The Punjab fires will only compound the smoggy conditions that Delhi is experiencing early in the mornings these days, and air pollution is only going to increase in the coming weeks.

Crop burning is already illegal in most states in India, including  Punjab, and violators are supposed to be booked under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.

Garbage in Bengaluru

Around 15,000 bulk generators, including hotels, apartments and business establishments who have failed to process the waste they generate, have been identified and the BBMP has issued notices to them, stated Mayor N. Shanthakumari.

115,000 MT of Solid Waste are Generated Every Day in India

With the deadline to stop dumping garbage at Mandur landfills drawing close, she urged citizens to segregate waste at source. After chairing a meeting with senior BBMP officials on Thursday, she told reporters that zonal commissioners had been directed to ensure that garbage is segregated in all wards and that is not mixed by contractors.

Zero-Waste to Landfills in Pune by 2015

The BBMP is committed to ensuring that garbage is not sent to Mandur from December 1. Already, the quantum of waste has reduced from 1,600 tonnes per day to around 650 tonnes. Garbage is now being sent to KCDC in Kudlu, Bingipura and Doddaballapura. New waste processing units at Doddaballapura, Lingadeeranahalli, Doddabidarakallu, Seegehalli, Subbarayanapalya and Kannahalli would be ready in two months.

Open Waste Burning Causing Pollution Problems in NOIDA

Trash Trail - Walk Through the Garbage of Bangalore

Garbage Burning Worsening Air Pollution Worldwide

Indian TV Show "Satyamev Jayate" Launches Campaign on Waste Burning in South Delhi

Composting Wet Household Waste for Green Surroundings !!

Beijing is Trying to Clean Air for Another International Event (APEC)

Later this week several major heads of state—including President Obama and Vladimir Putin—will arrive in Beijing to participate in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), to be held in the Chinese capital from November 7-12. In advance of the summit, Beijing constructed a hotel, villas, a new international convention center, and a highway linking the convention center to the city.
There's only one more thing that the Chinese government needs to do: provide clean air. Read more @ the Atlantic

Beijing's Marathon Masked with Air Pollution !!

In a city famous for terrible air pollution, smog-free days are never a given. But that hasn't stopped China from trying. The government has ordered a halt to heavy industry within a 124-mile radius of the capital, a region encompassing the heart of China's vast steel production industry.

Comparing Particulate Pollution in Beijing and Los Angeles

(Hebei, the province surrounding Beijing, produces more steel each year than the entire European Union.) The Beijing municipal government has granted most city residents a holiday during the summit and strongly encouraged them to leave town. Those who stay face restrictions in using their cars.

Curbing Coal Consumption in Beijing

Although China suffers from a number of environmental problems, air pollution is a particular source of embarrassment for the ruling Communist Party. Heavy smog during the city's annual marathon last month caused runners to don face masks, which then featured prominently in a China Fashion Week collection.

Congestion Pricing Could Work for Beijing (EMBARQ)

Air pollution is also blamed for a decline in China's tourism industry. Visitors to China fell 2.5 percent in 2013.

IBM Mapping Air Pollution in Beijing in Search of Effective Management

Aesthetics aside, air pollution has severe consequences for China's population. The World Health Organization has linked more than 1.2 million premature deaths in China to pollution from PM2.5, a thin particulate matter measured in Beijing's air. According to ThinkProgress, 40 percent of global air pollution deaths are in China, which has roughly 20 percent of the world's population.

2014 Global Cities Index - Beijing @ No.8 and Delhi @ No.57

Government attempts to halt smog are not new in China, and in the past they've worked: The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing took place under mainly clear skies following measures to suspend industry and reduce car travel. But China is still far from finding a balance between clean air and breakneck economic growth.

Mountain Air Supplementing Polluted Air in Beijing

Lets Prepare for a New Climate - TED Talk by Vicki Arroyo

As Vicki Arroyo says, it's time to prepare our homes and cities for our changing climate, with its increased risk of flooding, drought and uncertainty. She illustrates this inspiring talk with bold projects from cities all over the world — local examples of thinking ahead.

 

Dancing Zebra's in La Paz

The streets of La Paz, Bolivia present severe risks for pedestrians. The country’s capital faces rising demand for cars, and has inadequate traffic signs and universally accessible pedestrian infrastructure. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the traffic fatality rate in La Paz is 12 deaths per 100,000 people, with 36% of these deaths involving pedestrians. However, the city also created one of the most innovative pedestrian-safety strategies, which saves lives while adding to the city’s character: dancing traffic safety zebras. As part of a broader program to hire at-risk youth for city improvement jobs, the city employs hundreds of 15 to 22 year olds who dress in full costume and are trained in street performance. These zebras jump and dance to direct cars to stop for pedestrians at crosswalks.

More @ the City Fix  and the Guardian

Air Quality in Hong Kong 2013

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 31) released the "Air Quality in Hong Kong 2013" report.

Fake Backdrop of Clean and Blue Skys in Hong Kong

The report summarizes air quality data collected in 2013 by the EPD's monitoring network, which comprises 11 general and three roadside air monitoring stations. The network monitors various air pollutants, namely sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), total suspended particulates (TSP), respirable suspended particulates (RSP or PM10), fine suspended particulates (FSP or PM2.5), lead and toxic air pollutants.

A 3-D Noise Map of Hong Kong Island

The spokesman stressed that Hong Kong's air quality policies are premised on the protection of public health and the Government is committed to improving air quality. The Environment Bureau released "A Clean Air Plan for Hong Kong" in March 2013, which outlines comprehensively the challenges Hong Kong is facing with regard to air quality as well as the relevant policies, measures and plans to tackle the problem. The Plan also gives a detailed account of improvement measures undertaken to tackle air pollution from land and sea transport, power plants and non-road mobile machinery and seeks to further strengthen collaboration between Guangdong and Hong Kong to deal with regional pollution.

Air Pollution in Hong Kong - November, 2012

The "Air Quality in Hong Kong 2013" report is available at www.aqhi.gov.hk/api_history/english/report/files/AQR2013e_final.pdf.

Local Sources are More Responsible for Air Pollution in Beijing

Most air pollution in Beijing is actually the result of local emissions of pollutants, which accounted for 64-72 percent of the smog in the Chinese capital last year, according to the latest research from the city's environmental protection agency.

More @ ECNS

Automobile traffic, coal consumption, industrial production and dust were the main sources of the PM2.5 that reduced the air quality in Beijing; they respectively contributed 31.1 percent, 22.4 percent, 18.1 percent and 14.3 percent of the hazardous particles discharged into the city's air. Restaurants, auto repair shops, livestock breeding facilities and building construction and renovation are responsible for the remaining 14.1 percent of PM2.5 discharge.

As for the composition of PM2.5, organic matter (OM), nitrates (NO3-), sulfates (SO42-), crustal elements and ammonium salts (NH4+) took up the largest shares, respectively contributing 26 percent, 17 percent, 16 percent, 12 percent and 11 percent of the total mass of PM2.5 in Beijing's air. The research also showed that secondary particles, i.e., particles formed by gaseous pollutants, accounted for 70 percent of all PM2.5 concentration, and were the primary reason for occasional heavy air pollution.

Automobiles also contributed considerably to the city's soaring PM2.5 readings. Apart from directly emitting polluting elements, vehicles also served as "blenders," stirring up dust in city streets.
Since cross-region transfer still constituted 28-36 percent of the PM2.5 mass concentration in Beijing, the research report urged joint efforts with Beijing's neighboring Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province to reduce the region's overall emissions of pollutants.

Pollution Clouding Cairo

A dark cloud once again hangs over Egypt's capital. It's not economic distress. It's quite literally a dark cloud — a concentrated layer of pollution that descends on Cairo every fall, engulfing the city and reminding residents of the government's inconsistent attempts to redress a constant problem.

Read the detailed article here.

The World Health Organization does not rank cities based on levels of outdoor air pollution, but data it compiled covering 2008-2013 show Cairo is more polluted than Bangkok, Mexico City and Beijing. Though Cairo's not as polluted as Delhi in India or Karachi in Pakistan, it still has a PM2.5 level — a measure of the concentration of fine particles in the air — that is more than seven times higher than WHO guidelines. High levels of PM2.5 have been linked to heart disease and cancer.

Dirtier and Hotter (the Guardian)

Residents describe the phenomenon that has occurred in Cairo in October and November for over a decade as a black cloud, but El-Dorghamy said it's really a "brownish cloud." "It's (comprised of) a mix of volatile organic compounds — carcinogenic substances — sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and also invisible gases like carbon monoxide and other gases," El-Dorghamy said.
Black or brown, the cloud is the result of a fusion of factors including the seasonal burning of rice straw by farmers seeking to clear their fields, the fumes emitted from Cairo's notoriously heavy traffic and industrial pollutants. "It's like having smokers in a closed room and then you start lowering the ceiling," El-Dorghamy said.

The cloud doesn't loom over Cairo alone. Ahmed Hassan, who lives in the Nile Delta region that fans out northward from the capital for more than a hundred miles, said he has been experiencing pollution-related illness that affects his throat. "Look at the sky — I can't breathe," said Hassan, a lawyer. "A lot of people are sick — children, old people — all over the place."

To address the problem, Egyptian authorities monitor emissions in the cement industry and have made waste burning illegal, according to the World Bank. They have invested in infrastructure such as metro lines that could reduce pollution, while natural gas has been widely introduced in the power, industrial, housing and transport sectors.

It's not clear whether it's helping. Grass-roots efforts are limited. The government faces a slew of other concerns that may prevent it from dealing with the problem. "You can talk about environment as much as you want, but if you can't feed people or maintain an economy, the environment becomes pretty unimportant," Molyneux-Berry said.

US Embassy Issues Air Quality Warning in Delhi

If you have children in New Delhi, you might not want to let them play outside today. The U.S. Embassy in the Indian capital said air quality – as measured at a monitoring station in the embassy compound – had reached “very unhealthy” levels on Wednesday morning. 

Article from the Wall Street Journal

On Wednesday at 10 a.m., the embassy said its air-quality index was 255 – a measure based on the amount of fine particulate, or PM 2.5, in the air. Such small particulates can enter the lungs and blood stream. They have been linked to severe health problems such as lung cancer. The U.S. Embassy’s website said that an air-quality index reading between 201 and 300 can cause “significant aggravation of heart or lung disease” and a “significant increase in respiratory effects in general population.” “Older adults and children should avoid all physical activity outdoors,” it said. “Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.”

The message though hadn’t got through to the American Embassy School in Delhi on Wednesday morning. Kailash Sharma, a staff member at the school, which is located across the road from the embassy, said by telephone that “kids were playing outside.”

The U.S. embassy in Beijing, China, also monitors air pollution. 

Delhi’s air quality often deteriorates in winter, particularly in the days after the festival of Diwali when residue from fireworks displays adds to pollution levels.  India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences on Wednesday said its air-quality index was 121, a level described as “poor.” But it could be worse: some of the smoggiest days in New Delhi in December 2013 had air-quality index levels of 400, which are considered hazardous to health. India ranks last among the world’s 20 biggest economies in terms of air pollution levels, and along with China, has the highest average exposure to PM 2.5 in the world, according to a report published in January by the scientists at Yale and Columbia universities in the U.S. 

Air Pollution News & Alerts - October 25th, 2014

Last on September 16th, 2014

Economic Times, October 25th, 2014
Data thrown up by India's air quality monitoring stations during diwali riddled with flaws.

Times of India, October 25th, 2014
Diwali sends pollution levels spiralling in Delhi.

Asian Correspondents, October 24th, 2014
Beijing combats garbage crisis with new trash incinerator.

BBC, October 24th, 2014
EU leaders agree CO2 emissions cut.

The City Fix, October 23rd, 2014
How providing Wi-Fi can increase mass transit ridership.

The Guardian, October 22nd, 2014
China's coal use falls for first time this century.

Economy Watch, October 22nd, 2014
A Future with a Low-Carbon Asia.

Power Technology, October 20th, 2014
BHEL commissions 600MW thermal power unit in Madhya Pradesh, India.

World Coal, October 20th, 2014
China’s gas demand will grow but so will its need for coal.

ECNS, October 20th, 2014
'Mask show' at Beijing Marathon prompts calls for smog warning system.

The Hindu, October 20th, 2014
No Diwali crackers, no lung cancer, say Delhi doctors.

The Atlantic, October 19th, 2014
Beijing's Marathon Marred by Terrible Pollution.
 Indian Express, October 19th, 2014
Don’t have a pollution certificate? Can’t refuel.

Times of India, October 19th, 2014
Air pollution on Diwali getting worse.

Times of India, October 18th, 2014
Winter months worst for Delhi.

The Telegraph, October 18th, 2014
Cities to put figure on air pollution.

ECNS, October 16th, 2014
China launches new air quality inspections.

Grist Magazine, October 16th, 2014
Why fracking won’t solve climate change.

Energy Central, October 15th, 2014
Cloudy skies ahead for coal industry.

The Diplomat, October 15th, 2014
China Tries to Kick Its Coal Addiction.

Energy Central, October 15th, 2014
600mw Power Project Gets the Nod in Zimbabwe.

Energy Central, October 15th, 2014
Rising population hurting access to power.

ECNS, October 14th, 2014
Bus and subway fare rises a step nearer in Beijing.

Economic Times, October 14th, 2014
Why India’s numbers on air quality can’t be trusted.

Times of India, October 14th, 2014
Cyclone effect felt as pollution surges in Delhi.

ECNS, October 14th, 2014
Beijing given 10% of central funds to curb air pollution.

Energy Central, October 13th, 2014
Joint venture to begin working for 1320MW plant in Bangladesh.

Power Engineering, October 13th, 2014
World Bank ‘misguided’ on decision not to bankroll coal.

Indian Express, October 12th, 2014
AIIMS study links air pollution, arthritis.

Asia One Singapore, October 12th, 2014
One man's bid to map haze here through crowdsourcing.

Press TV, October 12th, 2014
Air pollution hits 20 times safe levels in northern China.

Greenpeace Blogs, October 11th, 2014
Airpocalypse hits Beijing- and breaks devastating new record.

LA Times, October 11th, 2014
Beijing smog a work hazard for Mariah Carey, soccer stars.

Des Moines Registrar, October 11th, 2014
Iowa roots: James Hansen speaks truth to power.

China Daily, October 10th, 2014
Beijing to keep the lid on air pollution for APEC.

ECNS News, October 10th, 2014
China speeds up national standard for anti-pollution masks.

China Daily, October 10th, 2014
Pilot program to test air pollution at schools.

Power Engineering, October 10th, 2014
Unrest continues to impact on Ukrainian power plants.

BBC, October 10th, 2014
Heavy Smog engulfs parts of northern China.

IEA News, October 10th, 2014
Drax, UK: Coal and biomass, synergies and differences, Coal Science lecture.

Energy Central, October 9th, 2014
New 5-year plan to raise goals for renewables.

Global Times, October 9th, 2014
China to resume coal import tariffs.

South China Morning Post, October 9th, 2014
Beijing on alert as smog sets in.

The Himalayan, October 8th, 2014
Dust particles found in excess in mornings‚ evenings.

Live Mint, October 7th, 2014GMR operationalises first unit of Chhattisgarh supercritical thermal power plant.

Scientific American, October 7th, 2014
Clean Coal Era Begins.

Indian Express, October 6th, 2014
Discussion on Thermal Plants Held.

The Hindu, October 6th, 2014
The case against flyovers.

Financial Express, October 5th, 2014
Dhaka's air pollution falls after a decade.

DNA India, October 5th, 2014
Additional Solicitor General clears Delhi government's proposal for pollution checks for motorists.

Counter View, October 5th, 2014
Modi's smart cities: Top urban planner wonders if one can have islands of prosperity amidst ocean of poverty.

Power Engineering, October 3rd, 2014
China and Japan drive resurgence in clean energy investment.

The Telegraph, October 3rd, 2014
Scotland power shortage warning as coal plant faces closure.

Air Quality News, October 3rd, 2014
Nissan mural highlights London car pollution.

Inquirer, October 3rd, 2014
Amid dirty Metro air, group raises doubts over emission test centers.

One India, October 3rd, 2014
Clean India movement should also clean the air.

Times of India, October 3rd, 2014
Coal shortage leads to power cuts in rural areas.

Economic Times, October 3rd, 2014
Coal stocks at 56 thermal plants critical, says Central Electricity Authority.

India Today, October 3rd, 2014
Government denies 2014 a drought year despite high rain deficit.

Times of India, October 2nd, 2014
Coal shortage likely to result in power cuts across Maharashtra.

Eco Business, October 1st, 2014
'Strictest' air pollution laws introduced in Shanghai.

Medical Daily, September 30th, 2014
Avoiding Air Pollution Key To Reducing Asthma Symptoms; Changing Lifestyle Yields Dramatic Improvement.

Times of India, October 1st, 2014
Centre to help Madhya Pradesh (India) improve performance of thermal power plants.

Phys.Org, October 1st, 2014
Fall in monsoon rains driven by rise in air pollution.

Times of India, October 2nd, 2014
Avoid air pollution to manage asthma.

Tempo, October 1st, 2014
Metro Manila’s air pollution.

UK Independent, October 1st, 2014
A onesie that purifies polluted air? Beijing Design Week exhibits wearable filter BB.Suit 2.0.

Medical Express, September 30th, 2014
Expect 6,000 more Australian deaths if pollution rises to 'safe' threshold.

Down to Earth, September 30th, 2014
Coal quandary in India.

Wall Street Journal, September 29th, 2014
China Wants to Know Why Foreigners Are Fleeing Beijing.

Bloomberg, September 29th, 2014
Smog Clouds Shanghai’s Drive to Become Global Financial Center.

Global Post, September 29th, 2014
When this Chinese city got serious about improving air quality its air quality improved.

Deccan Chronicle, September 28th, 2014
Air pollution touching critical levels in city.

Down To Earth, September 28th, 2014
Message to India from UN: empower city mayors to curb emissions.

NY times, September 26th, 2014
Who Made That Charcoal Briquette?

Business Standard, September 26th, 2014
Bhel to build two power plants in Telangana.

NPR, September 26th, 2014
Rethinking The Relationship Between Civilization And Nature.

The Energy Collective, September 25th, 2014
China Can Rise to the Challenge on Climate Change and Air Pollution.

Washington Post, September 25th, 2014
China’s smaller environmental footprint.

Xinhua Net, September 25th, 2014
Major pollutants drop in first half of year.

Nature Climate Change, September 25th, 2014
Mitigation and health: Climate policy not so costly.

Business Today, September 25th, 2014
The Coal Mess in India.

Watching Washington, September 24th, 2014
U.S. Clean Air Act cited as big first step in emissions control.

Science Daily, September 24th, 2014
Natural gas usage will have little effect on carbon dioxide emissions.

New York Times, September 24th, 2014
Emissions From India Will Increase.

Vietnam Net, September 24th, 2014
HCM City air pollution causes major health problems.

Business Standard, September 23rd, 2014
UP targets doubling power availability by 2016-17.

Cycling News, September 23rd, 2014
Tour of Beijing to stop after 2014.

Green Car Reports, September 22nd, 2014
Diesel Pollution In London Makes Air Worse Than Beijing For Nitrous Oxides.

Live Mint, September 22nd, 2014
New Emission Concerns in India.

NPR, September 22nd, 2014
Climate Activists Look For Solutions From Business, Diplomats.

Japan Times, September 20th, 2014
Liberalizing the power market.

Reuters, September 19th, 2014
China power plants exempt from ban on using low-quality coal.

Business Recorder, September 19th, 2014
Up in the air for Pakistan.

The Olive Press, September 19th, 2014
Spain warned to tackle ‘poor’ air pollution.

Economic Times, September 18th, 2014
NTPC eyes stake in overseas coal mines.

Phys.Org, September 18th, 2014
The causes of China's record level fine particulate pollution in winter 2013.

The Guardian, September 18th, 2014
High air pollution levels hit south-east England.

Humanosphere, September 17th, 2014
Silent killer: Visualizing air pollution.

World Coal, September 17th, 2014
China introduces coal import regulations.

New York Times, September 17th, 2014
Can the U.S. and China Find Harmony in Pursuing Climate Progress?

The City Fix, September 17th, 2014
How cities can save trillions, curb climate change, and improve public health.

New York Times, September 16th, 2014
U.S. Moves to Reduce Global Warming Emissions.

Wall Street Journal, September 16th, 2014
Indonesia Ratifies Regional Pollution Treaty as Haze Spreads to Neighbors.

New York Times, September 16th, 2014
Fixing Climate Change May Add No Costs.

The City Fix, September 16th, 2014
Can auto-rickshaw fare reform in Chennai lead users to choose sustainable transport?

Marine Link News, Setpember 15th, 2014IGCC System for Tokyo Electric Power.

Wooeb News, September 13th, 2014
EU is on track to achieve two of its 2020 environmental targets.

Power Engineering, September 9th, 2014
Asia urged to avoid “coal is cheap, let’s pollute” mentality.

Power Engineering, September 9th, 2014
Sustainability is about more than CO2 – it’s about economic growth.

Power Engineering, September 11th, 2014
Malaysia coal use to hit 40m tonnes a year.

Beijing's Marathon Masked with Air Pollution !!

Even by the city's standards, Beijing was very polluted on Sunday. The PM2.5 scale, which measures the number of micrograms of "particulate matter" per cubic meter, came up to a whopping 344. (To put that figure in perspective, the World Health Organization considers 25 micrograms to be healthy.)  The pollution was so bad that the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center warned the elderly, the sick, and children to stay indoors, and everyone else to avoid outdoor activity.

Read more @ the Atlantic

To say the least, these weren't ideal conditions for a marathon. But that race is precisely what took place on Sunday, as tens of thousands of runners braved the conditions to complete the 34th annual Beijing International Marathon.

Event organizers were aware that the air wouldn't be good on Sunday, but determined it was too late to postpone the race, which had attracted participants from throughout China and around the world. To help runners clean detritus from their skin, organizers supplied over 140,000 sponges placed at stations throughout the course.

Girhay Birhanu Gebru of Ethiopia won the men's competition for the second consecutive year, finishing in 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 42 seconds. His compatriot Fatuma Sado Dergo, meanwhile, captured the women's title at 2 hours, 30 minutes, and 3 seconds.

But these accomplishments were overshadowed by the sight of thousands of runners, many wearing face masks, streaking through a city so polluted that many nearby buildings could not be seen from the course.

Gong Lihua, a participant from China's Inner Mongolia region who finished third in the women's race, shrugged off the bad air.

"Today the smog did have a little impact on my performance, but not a major one," she said.
The Chinese government has struggled to balance environmental concerns with economic activity, and periodically closes factories located near the capital in order to reduce air pollution. But despite Beijing's ever-improving living standards, the city still endures a reputation as being uninhabitable. The Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, a prominent government think tank, found in February that only Moscow had worse environmental credentials than Beijing.

India Launches Methodology to Present Air Quality Index

India launched an index on Friday to measure air quality across the country, which is home to some of the most polluted cities in the world. It will measure eight major pollutants that impact respiratory health in cities with populations exceeding one million in the next five years and then gradually the rest of the country, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters. The Air Quality Index will warn residents when pollution levels shoot past dangerous levels.

More @ The Guardian

Who Made This Charcoal Briquette - Linking Motoring and Outdoor Cooking

In the summer of 1919, a Michigan real estate agent named Edward G. Kingsford was invited on a camping trip by his wife’s cousin, the industrialist Henry Ford. In addition to Ford, the adventurers included Thomas Edison, the tire magnate Harvey Firestone and the naturalist John Burroughs. Although the group called themselves the Vagabonds, they traveled with chauffeurs and a chef in a convoy of six vehicles, one of which was a fully equipped kitchen truck.

Link to the article @ NY Times.

Kingsford was invited to join this annual adventure so that he and Ford could discuss timber, specifically the timber that might be found in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Americans bought one million Model T’s in 1919, and between the frame, wheel spokes, dashboard and running board, each car contained about 100 board feet of hardwood. So Ford wanted to produce his own. By the following spring, Kingsford had helped the industrialist acquire 313,000 acres of timberland in Iron Mountain, Mich. Ford built a sawmill and a parts plant there, along with a neighboring town — named Kingsford — to house the workers.

The mill produced plenty of lumber for Ford cars, but it also generated waste in the form of stumps, branches and sawdust. This irked Ford, who didn’t like to leave money lying on the ground. The solution came from a University of Oregon chemist named Orin Stafford, who had invented a method for making pillow-shaped lumps of fuel from sawdust and mill waste combined with tar and bound together with cornstarch. He called the lumps “charcoal briquettes.” Ford, ever efficient, shortened the word to “briquet.”

Edison designed a briquette factory next to the sawmill, and Kingsford ran it. It was a model of efficiency, producing 610 pounds of briquettes for every ton of scrap wood. At the beginning, the charcoal sold to meat and fish smokehouses, but supply exceeded demand. By the mid-1930s, Ford was marketing “Picnic Kits” containing charcoal and portable grills directly from Ford dealerships, capitalizing on the link between motoring and outdoor adventure that his own Vagabond travels popularized. “Enjoy a modern picnic,” the package suggested. “Sizzling broiled meats, steaming coffee, toasted sandwiches.”

But the Great Depression might not have been the best time to evoke the charm of outdoor cooking, which must have called to mind the Hooverville shantytowns springing up in every city. It wasn’t until after World War II that backyard barbecuing took off, thanks to suburban migration, the invention of the Weber grill and the marketing efforts of the businessmen who bought Ford Charcoal in 1951. They renamed it Kingsford Charcoal and persuaded the major supermarket chains to carry it. By 1963, barbecues, like cars, were icons of American leisure. As an article in Reader’s­ Digest observed, “Cooking with charcoal . . . is now as deeply ingrained in American life as the long weekend and the servantless kitchen.”