Air pollution raising alarm bells

Any of you living in Europe’s major cities has probably already been affected by health alerts about the high levels of dangerous emissions. Fiona Harvey writes an important article in The Guardian about what this is costing us in terms of early deaths and disease. She shows that the costs of dirty air are equivalent … Continue reading Air pollution raising alarm bells →

The blame game underway for Delhi’s air pollution crisis

Every week we are hearing about the serious air pollution facing cities on all continents. Already this year we have had major alerts in Paris and London, in major Chinese cities and Delhi and other Indian cities. Indian capital’s toxic air is by some measures the world’s dirtiest, writes Amy Kazmin in the Financial Times, … Continue reading The blame game underway for Delhi’s air pollution crisis →

Increased concerns about urban pollution in New Delhi

There is only recent awareness of the problems in New Delhi that we are well aware of in cities such as Beijing. Gardiner Harris writes in the New York Times of this growing awareness. Delhi Wakes Up to an Air Pollution Problem It Cannot Ignore For years, this sprawling city on the Yamuna River … Continue reading Increased concerns about urban pollution in New Delhi →

Most British buses are below EU emission standards

Jane Wild explains in the Financial Times that bus companies have found loopholes to buy cheaper, dirtier buses, thus circumventing EU standards. It is worrying because as Wild reports, the finding will add to the UK’s poor record on air quality, with other European countries having already acted to close similar loopholes. UK buses … Continue reading Most British buses are below EU emission standards →

Vehicle emissions tests to reflect reality better

It is never easy to fully model real conditions for emissions tests but, according to Arthur Neslen in The Guardian, the European Commission is going to require tests that are comparable to when driving on roads and in traffic rather than in ideal laboratory-like conditions. Car makers face 'real world' emissions tests in EU … Continue reading Vehicle emissions tests to reflect reality better →

Comparing air pollution levels around the world

The New York Times has a service called The Upshot that undertakes targeted news analysis, data visualisations, commentary and historical context. Recently Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman professor of economics at the University of Chicago, who heads the Energy Policy Institute, wrote an analysis about comparing the pollution challenges globally. It does provide some interesting … Continue reading Comparing air pollution levels around the world →

Looking to Denmark to inspire China’s ‘war on pollution’

Christian Oliver writes an excellent analysis in the Financial Times about the lessons China is learning from Denmark about addressing urban air pollution. There are lessons for more than China. The urban environment: Clean-up time Before China’s leaders declared their “war on pollution” in March, they had already recruited help from abroad. The northern … Continue reading Looking to Denmark to inspire China’s ‘war on pollution’ →

Emphasis on promoting diesel has totally shifted in Paris

For years, the French government felt that diesel vehicles were the solution to saving energy and improving air quality. Well, they have recently found out that is not true, yet diesel fuel still remains cheaper than gasoline – for the present time. There are other ways of looking for other options, as Anne Penketh writes … Continue reading Emphasis on promoting diesel has totally shifted in Paris →

New report from European Environment Agency: Industrial air pollution has high economic cost

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has come out with an important new study on industrial air pollution. Air pollution and GHG emissions from industry cost Europe between €59 and €189 billion in 2012, the report shows. The upper estimate is approximately equivalent to the GDP of Finland or half the GDP of Poland. Over the … Continue reading New report from European Environment Agency: Industrial air pollution has high economic cost →

Beijing’s war on pollution

When air pollution is causing more than 3.7 million deaths a year and costing the global economy over $3.5tr a year in sickness and premature deaths, not to mention the effect on climate change, something must be done. In China there is growing public unrest. BusinessGreen provides a good article on how coal consumption in … Continue reading Beijing’s war on pollution →