In 2019, London Mayor Sadiq Khan established the world’s first 24-hour Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in central London to protect the city’s residents from deadly air pollution. The ULEZ imposed £12.50 fines on vehicles whose emissions exceeded certain standards. Two years later, Khan expanded the zone to include inner London within the boundaries of the North and South Circular roads.
A satellite detected a 4.6-mile-long cloud of methane over Wyoming containing far more gas than the operator of the gas plant from which it likely originated told regulators it released. Bloomberg reports Tallgrass Energy’s Douglas Gas Plant told regulators it accidentally vented 2.1 metric tons of methane over five separate releases on December 6 and […]
The race to decarbonize passenger cars and light-duty trucks in the U.S. is accelerating. Battery electric vehicles accounted for almost 6% of all new vehicle sales in 2022, up from close to 3% in 2021, and demand is outstripping supply, even as manufacturers roll out new models and designs. The Biden administration is spending billions of dollars to build out EV charging networks and providing incentives for purchasing new and used EVs.
Los Angeles County banned new oil drilling and set a 20-year phase-out of existing wells in late January. The unanimous Board of Supervisors vote followed similar ordinances passed by Culver City in 2021 and Los Angeles City in 2022. Oil and gas wells are located near more than a million people throughout LA county and […]
Urban planners could save lives by planting more trees. A new study published in The Lancet Tuesday found that increasing the tree cover to 30 percent in 93 European cities could have prevented 2,644 heat-related deaths over a summer period. “We already know that high temperatures in urban environments are associated with negative health outcomes, […]
In a pilot program in the Bronx, New York, a switch from gas stoves to induction stoves led to a 35% decline in nitrogen dioxide, as well as a decrease in average carbon monoxide concentrations. Additionally, controlled cooking tests found higher amounts of air pollution for apartments with gas stoves. The pilot program, conducted by […]
Could New York City’s largest fossil fuel powered generator be reimagined as renewable energy infrastructure? Queens-based developer Rise Light & Power, LLC (Rise) unveiled a proposal Tuesday to repower its Ravenswood Generating Station in Long Island City using offshore wind energy, a conversion that would mark a national first. More From EcoWatch The Best Solar […]
If you live in a polluted neighborhood, allergy season could be worse for you. A new study published in PLOS ONE Wednesday found that silver birch trees growing in more polluted areas of Poland had higher levels of the allergen Bet v1. “This research aligns with previous studies that have found that levels of allergic […]
Researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria have found just how quickly air pollution can negatively impact the human brain. While previous studies have found links between traffic pollution and negative health outcomes, this study has found that diesel exhaust exposure can impair the brain in as little as two […]