air pollution

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Pakistan's Latest Weapon: Anti-Smog Guns

Lahore is fighting air pollution by spraying fine mists of water into the air

(Newser) - Pakistani authorities are using anti-smog guns in the eastern city of Lahore for the first time in a bid to combat hazardous air pollution, officials said Thursday. More than a dozen truck-mounted devices are spraying fine mists of water to help settle dust and airborne particles, said Sajid Bashir, a...

New Delhi Revelers Might Be Rethinking Those Firecrackers

Diwali celebrations cause air pollution to soar

(Newser) - Thick smog blanketed India's capital on Tuesday, a day after millions celebrated the Hindu festival of Diwali with fireworks that sent air pollution soaring to hazardous levels, per the AP . Revelers in New Delhi set off firecrackers late into Monday night, filling the air with smoke and fine particles...

Al Gore Turns His Focus to Soot
Al Gore Turns
His Focus to Soot
Sep 28, 2025 5:30 AM CDT

Al Gore Turns His Focus to Soot

His satellite and AI system is now tracking sources of deadly soot pollution

(Newser) - Particle pollution kills millions of people worldwide each year—and tens of thousands in the United States—according to scientific studies and reports. Soon people will be able to use satellite technology and artificial intelligence to track these tiny particles, often referred to as soot, in their neighborhoods—as well...

Wildfire Smoke Poised to Be Top Climate Health Threat

Study notes tens of thousands of annual deaths from smoke exposure, with more harm expected

(Newser) - A new study forecasts that wildfire smoke will become the leading climate-related health hazard in the United States, eclipsing risks like extreme heat by midcentury. The analysis estimates that smoke is already responsible for upward of 41,000 excess deaths annually—a figure more than double previous estimates. Researchers...

Something in the Air May Create Serial Killers

Could the Pacific Northwest's history of serial killers have been man-made?

(Newser) - Between the '70s and '90s, the Pacific Northwest wasn't just a foggy haven for flannel and coffee—it was ground zero for some of the most notorious serial killers in American history. One after another, the likes of Ted Bundy, the Hillside Strangler, and the Green River...

Contributing Factor in 15K US Deaths: Climate Change

Study attributes 15K deaths over 15 years to climate-fueled wildfires

(Newser) - Smoke from wildfires worsened by climate change has killed an estimated 15,000 people in the US over 20 years—and that's saying nothing about the economic costs. A new study published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment attempts to quantify just how much climate change is contributing...

After Halting Air-Quality Tests, a 180 by NPS

WaPo report on shuttering of monitoring in all 63 national parks seems to have changed NPS' mind

(Newser) - The Trump administration has halted air-quality monitoring at every national park in the country, though following media reporting, there are indications the stoppage will now be short-lived. The National Park Service falls under the Interior Department, which issued stop-work orders last week to the two contractors who run the monitoring...

In World's Coldest Capital, Trying to Stay Warm Can Kill

Thousands die each winter due to coal-related pollution in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

(Newser) - Half of all Mongolians now live in Ulaanbaatar, the world's coldest capital. Staying warm is killing some of them. As Tracy McVeigh writes in a lengthy piece for the Guardian , with temperatures dropping as low as -18 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, the population leans on coal for...

Paris Got Serious, and Cleaned Up Its Air

Over past 20 years, French capital has seen PM2.5 levels drop 55%, nitrogen dioxide levels by 50%

(Newser) - Paris just got some good news: Those roaming its streets are breathing in much cleaner air than a couple of decades ago. A new report from the independent air-quality monitoring group Airparif reveals that the City of Light has seen a 50% drop in nitrogen dioxide levels since 2005, as...

US Shuts Downs Air Monitoring at Embassies, Consulates

Critics say move not only stymies pollution research—it also threatens health of US staffers

(Newser) - For more than 10 years, 80 US embassies and consulates have collected and reported data on air pollution in countries around the world, in some areas serving as the only reliable disseminator of such information. Now, the Trump administration has put the kibosh on that global monitoring program, with the...

That Pretty Starship Explosion? A Lot of Pollution

Experts say atmosphere, ocean likely to have suffered

(Newser) - The explosion of SpaceX's Starship didn't just cause damage to islands hit by falling debris. It also likely damaged the ocean and atmosphere, Space.com reports. The rocket's stainless-steel upper stage, which weighed 85 tons without propellant, broke up at an altitude of around 90 miles, according...

Air Pollution Could Explain Lung Cancer in Never-Smokers
Lung Cancer Rising
in Never-Smokers
NEW STUDY
Feb 4, 2025 10:05 AM CST

Lung Cancer Rising in Never-Smokers

Up to 70% of lung cancers in never-smokers are adenocarcinoma, linked to particulate matter

(Newser) - Cases of lung cancer in people who've never smoked cigarettes or tobacco are increasing, along with evidence suggesting air pollution plays a role, according to new research. Lung cancer in people who've never smoked is now "estimated to be the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide,...

It Fueled the Roman Empire —and Made Everyone Dumber
It Fueled the Roman Empire
—and Made Everyone Dumber
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jan 12, 2025 11:05 AM CST

It Fueled the Roman Empire —and Made Everyone Dumber

Romans' mining of silver put tons of lead into the air and lowered IQs

(Newser) - Ancient Romans weren't as bright as they might have been. According to a new study published Monday in the journal PNAS , the Roman Empire's mining of silver put so much lead in the air that it made everyone dumber. Crushing ore deposits to extract the silver that fueled...

In Major Pakistani City, Smog Is 'Apocalypse' Level

Lahore, nation's second-largest city, is forced to close schools for the week

(Newser) - Pakistan's second-largest city has closed schools for the week, not that students will be able to go outside. The air pollution in Lahore is now second-worst in the world only to New Delhi, India, according to the Swiss outfit IQAir , reports Reuters . Consider that an Air Quality Index above...

He Made $150K Taking Videos of Idling Trucks
He Made $150K Taking
Videos of Idling Trucks
longform
Sep 7, 2024 3:15 PM CDT

He Made $150K Taking Videos of Idling Trucks

In New York , Rafil Kroll-Zaidi reveals the lucrative NYC gig he and others have

(Newser) - Fun fact: It's illegal for trucks or buses to idle for more than three minutes in New York City, and the limit drops to 60 seconds around schools. Amazing fact: Rafil Kroll-Zaidi estimates he made $150,000 last year by taking more than 2,000 videos of idling scofflaws...

This Is the Filthiest City in America
This Is the
Filthiest City
in America
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jun 30, 2024 1:30 PM CDT

This Is the Filthiest City in America

California's San Bernardino claims dubious honor, while Virginia's Lynchburg is the cleanest, according to LawnStarter

(Newser) - If cleanliness is next to godliness, a bunch of US cities need to find religion. LawnStarter took a look at more than 300 major US metropolitan areas to figure out which ones are sparkling clean and which ones need some tidying up, factoring in nearly two dozen metrics in four...

SCOTUS Puts Brakes on EPA's 'Good Neighbor' Pollution Plan

5-4 ruling goes against Biden administration, blue states' attempt to rein in upwind air pollution

(Newser) - The Supreme Court is putting the Environmental Protection Agency's air pollution-fighting "good neighbor" plan on hold while legal challenges continue, the conservative-led court's latest blow to federal regulations. The justices in a 5-4 vote on Thursday rejected arguments by the Biden administration and Democratic-controlled states that the...

Munich Airport Shuts Down After a Most Sticky Situation

Police detained 6 climate activists who glued themselves to runway access roads

(Newser) - German authorities closed down Munich Airport temporarily on Saturday after six climate activists broke through a security fence and glued themselves to access routes leading to runways, officials and local media reported. The activists from the group Last Generation were protesting flying, the most polluting form of transportation, said the...

Trees Along Highways Don't Just Make the Drive Prettier

Study finds they can significantly reduce air pollution

(Newser) - It's arguably more pleasant to drive along a highway lined with trees and bushes versus one that lacks greenery. A new study finds the upside isn't just aesthetic. Georgia State University researchers report in a study published in PLoS One that vegetation along highways significantly reduces the air...

One Nation Claims Dozens of World's Most-Polluted Cities

India isn't breathing easy, per new air-quality report, which notes only 10 nations get WHO's thumbs-up

(Newser) - If your city's air pollution has you reaching for the N95, you're not alone. Per a new report from Swiss tech company IQAir, out of 134 nations and regions surveyed, only 10 of them meet an international air-quality standard set forth by the World Health Organization, reports CNN...

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