ozone layer

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EPA to Toughen Smog Rules
 EPA to Toughen Smog Rules  

EPA to Toughen Smog Rules

Measure would be costly but yield huge health savings

(Newser) - The EPA wants to ramp up smog standards in a significant way from the Bush administration. Assuming today's proposal goes through after a 60-day period for public comment, the agency projects the new standards would prevent 12,000 premature deaths and yield huge savings in health costs. The rules limit...

Nearby Star Could Doom Earth, Scientists Warn

... in 10 million years

(Newser) - The T Pyxidis binary star system is a lot closer than earlier believed, and that could be very bad news for Earthlings, according to a team of astronomers. One of its stars is a white dwarf set to become a Type 1A supernova—10 million times stronger than a regular...

Sea Rise Estimates Double
 Sea Rise Estimates Double 
So Long, New York

Sea Rise Estimates Double

Antarctic melt will threaten major world cities

(Newser) - Accelerated melting of Antarctic ice is set to send sea levels rising double previous estimates, researchers warn. The seas will rise by 4.5 feet by the end of this century if temperatures continue climbing at the current rate, threatening coastal cities like New York and Shanghai, according to the...

The Latest Ozone Villain: Laughing Gas

Nitrous oxide nothing to chuckle about, climate scientists say

(Newser) - Nitrous oxide is the new chlorofluorocarbons. A study published today fingers N2O, aka laughing gas, as the most dangerous ozone-depleting gas in the air, Time reports. Nitrous oxide isn’t as dangerous as CFCs, but it’s incredibly common, emitted by everything from fertilizer to sewage treatment plants to cars....

Cataract Risk Linked to Climate Change

Rising UV levels will hit developing countries hardest

(Newser) - As climate change drives ozone depletion and increases the level of ultraviolet rays reaching Earth's surface, humans' eyesight will be suffering more and more, AFP reports. UV rays are one of the leading causes of cataracts, which in turn cause 50% of avoidable blindness worldwide. The trend is likely to...

Star Could Fire Death Ray at Earth
Star Could Fire Death Ray
at Earth

Star Could Fire Death Ray at Earth

Perfect spiral 8K light years away produces gamma rays

(Newser) - Don't freak out, but an unstable star a mere 8,000 light years away could go supernova at any time, sending a massive gamma ray burst hurtling toward Earth, possibly destroying the ozone layer and blasting half of the planet with deadly radiation. WR 104 is what's known as a...

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