Bush moves to allow coal-fired plants nearer US land preserves
Washington Post Nov 19, 08 6:29 AM CST
(Newser)
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Polluting facilities like coal-fired power plants could soon be allowed to operate closer to national parks, according to documents obtained by the Washington Post . Rules being finalized by the EPA—against strong objections from several officials—will weaken Clean Air Act protections by averaging out emission counts over a year, meaning pollution spikes at peak times will soon be legal.
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Toxic air kills more than car crashes in some areas, researchers find
Los Angeles Times Nov 13, 08 2:40 AM CST
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Health problems caused by pollution choke $28 billion out of California's economy every year, according to a new study. Most of the cost is linked to 3,000 smog-related deaths each year, along with days of work missed by workers with respiratory problems aggravated by pollution spewed from tailpipes and smokestacks, reports the Los Angeles Times.
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Researchers saw more cases of appendicitis on days with poor air quality
BBC Oct 6, 08 3:38 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Pollution may boost your chances of getting appendicitis, the BBC reports. A Canadian study suggests that human tissue—such as the appendix—gets more inflamed on days when the ozone level is high; patients were 15% more likely to be hospitalized on bad-air days, researchers found. Infections can cause appendicitis—when the appendix gets inflamed and fills with pus—but sometimes there's no explanation.
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But pollution readings by BBC tell a different story
BBC Aug 7, 08 1:50 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The International Olympic Committee says there is nothing wrong with the air in Beijing and praised China's "extraordinary" efforts to clean up pollution ahead of the Games' kick-off tomorrow. But the BBC disagrees, reporting its own analysis that shows Beijing's air pollution at nearly four times World Health Organization standards.
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But Yank, Brit protesters busted for 'Free Tibet' banner
Reuters Aug 6, 08 3:24 AM CDT
(Newser)
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After a beleaguered relay dogged by Tibet protesters in many of its legs around the world, the Olympic flame finally reached Beijing today. Ecstatic crowds under smog-choked skies shouted "Go Olympics, go Beijing" to greet torchbearers in Tiananmen Square, with Chinese basketball sensation Yao Ming holding the torch above "a sea of beaming faces," Reuters reports. Four British and American protesters who unfurled a giant "Free Tibet" banner near the main stadium were quickly arrested.
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ANALYSIS
Independent readings, photos show smog persists despite pre-Olympic crackdown
Wired Aug 5, 08 1:49 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The Chinese government’s goal of dispersing the thick smog around Beijing is not working, Wired reports after analyzing independent data. Efforts including factory shutdowns, car bans, and cloud seeding have not improved air quality, with pollution levels still far above the World Health Organization’s standards on most days. Heavy rain has been the only factor that truly diminishes particulate matter, scientists say.
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Chinese people want some, but not too much, for Olympics
Washington Post Jul 31, 08 1:33 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Talking about the weather isn’t just idle conversation in Beijing these days—it’s a national obsession, the Washington Post reports. The country is so anxious for a sunny Olympics—with just enough rain to clear the smog, of course—that changes in the forecast have become front-page news. Monday even saw the launch of Olympic Weather News , a daily newspaper devoted entirely to the topic.
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New cuts on factories, cars as air flunks tests ahead of Olympics
New York Times Jul 31, 08 8:28 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Beijing today rolled out new emergency measures to ease pollution, with the Olympics just more than a week away. The new rules will close more factories and take more vehicles off the road, in a wider radius around the capital, in the event of “extremely unfavorable weather conditions"—like hot, humid air that traps pollution. Beijing failed to meet China's national standards for air quality—already more lenient than those of the US—for 4 consecutive days recently, the New York Times reports.
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City closes streets in three neighborhoods
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Jul 31, 08 2:07 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Seattle is about to stage a series of "Car-Free Sundays" to encourage people to drive less, save money and combat global warming, reports the Seattle Post Intelligencer . The city will close streets in three neighborhoods in August and September, and the mayor aims to expand the program next summer if it's successful. A number of business owners are upset about the plan they say will reduce customers, but the mayor urged everyone to "chill."
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Despite traffic restrictions, skies hazy as always
Associated Press Jul 27, 08 5:55 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Beijing has just 12 days left to clear its skies before the start of the Summer Olympics and things are still looking mighty smoggy, reports the AP. Visibility was a mere half-mile in some parts of the city and the Athletes’ Village was invisible from the nearby Olympic Green, despite drastic traffic restrictions in the capital. “It doesn't really look so good,” an Olympic committee member said.
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Move to clear noxious air in countdown
to Olympics
Associated Press Jul 21, 08 1:10 PM CDT
(AP)
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Half of Beijing's drivers left their cars at home today and took public transportation on the first workday under new restrictions meant to clear the city's notoriously polluted skies before the Olympics. Under the plan that kicked in yesterday, half of the capital's 3.3 million cars will be removed from city streets each day, alternating odd and even license plates. Those caught driving on days they shouldn't will be fined $14, a pricey penalty even for China's capital.
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Specially designed masks would blunt smog—and irk hosts
Wall Street Journal Jul 21, 08 11:34 AM CDT
(Newser)
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To protect its athletes from Beijing’s polluted air, the US Olympic Committee has secretly developed a mask for them to wear during next month’s Games, the Wall Street Journal reports. But if the 600-plus American Olympians decide to wear the high-tech filter, they risk insulting their Chinese hosts—not to mention looking like geeks.
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Option available in 34 states seen to help costs, environment; invasiveness an issue
Los Angeles Times Jul 15, 08 1:48 PM CDT
(Newser)
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An alliance of insurance companies and environmentalists are pushing to bring pay-as-you-drive auto-insurance, available from a handful of companies in other states, to California in a big way, the Los Angeles Times reports. The system, which charges premiums based on mileage, as recorded by a GPS tracking device, gives drivers financial incentives to conserve, and has multiple benefits on roadways and for the environment.
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