11 h. ago Delhi’s rich accused of setting off ‘revenge fireworks’ after years

Hospitals across Indian capital see surge in respiratory illnesses as air pollution worsens after celebration of Hindu festival

Events

15 h. ago Sadiq Khan's hated ULEZ expansion had NO impact on air pollution while raking in millions from drivers

Scientists at the University of Birmingham say the expansion of the ULEZ in August 2023 had no significant impact on lowering air pollution.

Politics

15 h. ago London's 2019 emissions policy quickly cut air pollution, but may leave little room for further gains

London's 2019 emissions policy quickly cut air pollution, but may leave little room for further gains  Phys.org

Events

59 h. ago London should be a ‘pioneer’ in cleaning up primary school air pollution across the UK, Mayor says

London should be a ‘pioneer’ in cleaning up primary school air pollution across the UK, Mayor says  Southwark News

Politics

5 d. ago London schools to get filters to cut classroom air pollution

London schools to get filters to cut classroom air pollution  BBC

Politics

5 d. ago Wood burning and gas cooking hugely costly to healthcare systems, New Zealand study finds

Experts suggest replacing gas hobs with electric ones, saying it is a win–win for health and the climateAir pollution from wood burning and gas cooking is massively costly to our healthcare systems and the economy. These are the conclusions of a peer-reviewed study from New Zealand that calculated the cost of hospital treatment, days off ill and early deaths from the air pollution produced by fireplaces, stoves, gas cooking and un-flued room heaters.Indoor air pollution from New Zealand’s 523,000 wood burners was estimated to account for 446 hospital admissions for heart and lung problems, and 101 early deaths annually, in a country with a population of just over 5 million people. Breathing fumes from gas cooking indoors created more than 1,000 hospital admissions, 208 early deaths and more than 3,000 new cases of childhood asthma each year. Continue reading...

Society

6 d. ago Can ‘green’ fireworks really prevent another Diwali air pollution bomb in Delhi?

So-called green fireworks may emit less smoke than conventional ones in controlled tests but scientists and doctors are sceptical about difference in real-world impact

Events

7 d. ago Battle to scrap south London LTNs after 'traffic just pushed elsewhere and no improvement to air quality'

Councillors ‘call in’ two traffic schemes for scrutiny as decision looms on whether to make them permanent

Events

8 d. ago Always in a rush? Experts say being 'time poor' could raise your risk of dementia

Living a busy life has joined smoking, high blood sugar, and air pollution as a key risk factor for developing the devastating disease.

Events

1 week ago London pollution has fallen, but Sadiq Khan is still full of hot air

London pollution has fallen, but Sadiq Khan is still full of hot air  The Telegraph

Politics

2 w. ago How toxic is YOUR air? Terrifying charts reveal the towns and cities around the world with the worst air pollution

Terrifying charts have revealed the towns and cities facing the world's highest levels of pollution - and it is bad news for residents of Asia and Africa.

Events

2 w. ago Frailty in ageing populations worsened by air pollution, global review finds

Coauthor of research says condition linked to heightened vulnerability and loss of independence – but is reversibleAir pollution increases the likelihood of people becoming frail in middle and old age, according to an international review of studies.People are living longer and, while this is often painted as a challenge to healthcare systems, it is also something to celebrate. There are many opportunities to increase the quality of life in old age, maximise independence and minimise the amount time spent being ill. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Interactive map shows how much pollution is blanketing your city

‘Facilities that burn fossil fuels are the overwhelmingly dominant source of heat-trapping pollution that is driving the climate crisis – by using the sky as if it were an open sewer,’ says Al Gore, whose climate group backed the tool

Politics

3 w. ago US Latinos mobilize to monitor – and improve – local air quality: ‘We have to fix it’

As Latino communities ramp up air quality monitoring, Trump’s EPA moves to weaken pollution regulationsOn a tree-lined street in a quiet suburb known by some as “Arbor City”, Eileen Miranda often watched her grandson race around the yard, trusting – like most – that the air they were breathing was clean. But data from an air quality sensor she recently installed outside her home showed otherwise. Now she wonders if it was the air that contributed to her eldest son’s childhood struggle with asthma.“It overwhelmed me,” Miranda said. “I thought the numbers would be low. This community is nice, but lo and behold”Eileen Miranda outside her home in La Mirada, California, in March. She is among many Latinos in the US who have installed monitors to stay informed about their neighborhoods’ air quality. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Eating this common food could protect your lungs from air pollution

The anti-oxidents in fresh fruit could combat harmful air pollution, scientists have suggested

Society

3 w. ago Eating fruit could slash effects of air pollution on the lungs, study finds

Eating more fruit could reduce the impact of air pollution on the lungs, a study has suggested.This could be down to the antioxidants naturally present in fruit, according to researchers.The effect was also more pronounced in women who consumed four portions of fruit or more a day.To explore the links between a healthy diet and better lung function, academics from the University of Leicester looked at UK Biobank data from 207,421 people.Researchers compared their diets, including intake of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, with lung function – or FEV1, the amount of air exhaled in one second.Air pollution was measured as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), the concentration of tiny particles released into the air by the likes of cars and factories.The team found that for every exposure to PM2.5 of five micrograms per cubic metre of air, FEV1 reduced by 78.1ml in people who did not eat a lot of fruit.This compared with a 57.5ml reduction in women who consumed a lot of fruit.Researcher...

Politics

4 w. ago The Guardian view on the climate crisis: green energy is booming – but fossil fuels need to shrink too | Editorial

The planet is nearing dangerous limits. Yet progress on clean energy shows what’s possible. With political will, cooperation can still avert the worst of the climate crisisAll is not lost, Simon Stiell, the UN’s climate chief, told the Guardian last week. But the latest planetary health check from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research is a brutal reminder of how close the Earth is being pushed beyond repair. Seven of the nine planetary boundaries are now breached, with ocean acidification added to the danger list. Yet the world has proved that cooperation works: the ozone layer is healing, air pollution controls are working. A decisive test looms at the end of the month, when governments must file new climate pledges, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). This is no time to ease off: the fossil-fuel era must end, and the clean‑energy transition must accelerate.There is real concern that big emitters, including China and the EU, will fall short of what is n...

Events

4 w. ago Fossil fuel burning poses threat to health of 1.6bn people, data shows

New interactive map tracking PM2.5 air pollution reveals 900m people in path of ‘super-emitting’ industrial facilitiesFossil fuel burning is not just damaging the world’s climate; it is also threatening the health of at least 1.6 billion people through the toxic pollutants it produces, data shows.Carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas from fossil fuel burning, does not directly damage health, but leads to global heating. However, coal and oil burning for power generation, and the burning of fossil fuels in industrial facilities, pollute the air with particulate matter called PM2.5, which has serious health impacts when breathed in. Continue reading...

Events

4 w. ago Air pollution could be harming children’s eyesight, study finds

Polluted air can cause inflammation and stress in the eyes, the researchers found

Society