When lives are assigned a higher dollar value, stricter pollution standards tend to clear the 'economic efficiency' sniff test, resulting in cleaner air. But that improved air quality comes at the expense of America's industrial industries, which have to invest in pricey systems to reduce the amount of these pollutants they spew down to acceptable levels.
On Friday the Trump administration officially rolled back a series of Biden-era environmental regulations on coal plants, including some intended to clamp down on mercury pollution. Environmental advocacy groups and experts have decried the decision as risking human healthmercury has been shown to cause serious neurological damage, especially in infants. The decision effectively reverts regulations to those set in 2012 by the Obama administration.
As a child, Marcel Mazur had to hold his breath in parts of Krakow thick with so much smoke you could see and smell it. Now, as an allergy specialist at Jagiellonian University Medical College who treats patients struggling to breathe, he knows all too well the damage those toxic gases do inside the human body. It's not that we have this feeling that nothing can be done. But it's difficult, Mazur said.
Hazardous conditions along the US southern border have prompted health officials to warn Americans to stay indoors with the windows shut. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued its highest level of alert about the air quality over Texas and New Mexico, calling the pollutants currently in the air over a 150-mile swath of land 'hazardous' to human health.
Greenwich Council has denied claims it airbrushed evidence of public opposition in reports concerning a contentious Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) scheme. The South London authority also firmly rejected the notion that the consultation for the West and East Greenwich Neighbourhood Management scheme was biased, undemocratic or secretive. The council implemented the first stage of the LTN scheme in November 2024, trialling the project in an attempt to reduce traffic and improve air quality in two residential areas in Greenwich.
But to environmental advocates, the announcement sounded less like relief and more like a bill for working people, one that would result in higher fuel costs, increased pollution, and a slower path to clean energy. Critics warn that the decision represents a blow to the energy transition and a significant setback in the fight against climate change overall.
Last month, the government backed the airport's proposals for a third runway, which could increase the annual number of flights from 480,000 to 756,000. In its letter to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, the cross-party group with the exception of Reform UK Assembly Member Keith Prince said the impact of aircraft noise from London's multiple airports was "already too great." The government said any airport expansion "must be in line with environmental targets".
Poor air quality in the area is common in November and December, with historical fine particulate air quality numbers spiking to nearly 300 parts per million (ppm) annually since 2015. Winter-time inversions lead to the buildup of pollutants around the New Delhi area, which has a population of over 30 million people. Several factors combine to increase the number of pollutants in the air, including farmers burning their fields in preparation for the spring.
For decades, the humidifier has been a purely utilitarian appliance, a necessary evil we tolerate for the sake of our sinuses during dry winter months. We buy them, use them, and then promptly hide them away when guests come over. They are often clunky, noisy machines that leave a fine white dust on our furniture or create damp spots on the floor.
It is a rule of thumb that for every person who marches, there are 10 to 20 who sympathize. That would equate to 70 million to 140 million people, as a record 7 million participated. While some complain that these rallies don't do anything, they are an essential demonstration of the depth and breadth of popular sentiment and resistance, and they serve to hearten and motivate people to engage.
Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending
A final decision on whether two unpopular Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) in Greenwich will become permanent will be made next month. Greenwich Council launched the West and East Neighbourhood Management Trial Scheme last November, aiming to reduce traffic and improve air quality in two areas of Greenwich by issuing fines to motorists who drive through certain areas at peak times.
The Bay Area received rain over four days during the past week, although it was distributed unevenly with the North Bay having more on some days and the South Bay getting wetter later in the week. With at least 10 days of sunny weather expected in the forecast through mid-October, dry conditions are back. And the light rain of the past week wasn't enough to end fire season, experts say.
Amato Evan was in the desert when the dust storm arrived. Evan was near Ocotillo Wells, in the western foothills of the Imperial Valley. The winds approached from the West as the sun was setting, stirring up the powdery soil. Suddenly, the dust was all around them. Evan tried to keep an eye on the ground, but he could barely see where he was going. His heart raced.
