A study from the American Lung Association has found that over 40% of Americans live in areas with poor air quality. For the 23rd annual State of the Air Report, the findings show that there are more people, over 137 million, in the U.S. exposed to harmful air pollution compared to previous years. Many Americans […]
It is possible to breathe in microplastics. A study accepted for publication in Science of the Total Environment last month detected microplastics in the lung tissue of living people for the first time, and much deeper than the researchers expected. “We did not expect to find the highest number of particles in the lower regions […]
Almost everyone on Earth breathes unhealthy air. That’s the alarming conclusion from the latest update of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) air quality database, which drew on data from more than 6,000 cities in 117 countries. The organization argued that the figures were another argument in favor of phasing out the use of fossil fuels. […]
Switching to electric vehicles could save lives. That’s the conclusion of a new report from the American Lung Association (ALA), which found that a national transition to electric vehicles powered by renewable energy could prevent more than 100,000 early deaths. “Zero-emission transportation is a win-win for public health,” ALA National President and CEO Harold Wimmer […]
An environmental activist group called the Tyre Extinguishers has deflated hundreds of SUV tires in Britain in order to send the message that the luxury, off-road vehicles are not welcome in urban areas. The group said it is the first in what is to be a series of protests. Thus far, Tyre Extinguishers has “disarmed” […]
The legacy of U.S. racism has permeated the very air of its cities. In a textbook example of environmental racisim, a new study from UC Berkeley and the University of Washington (UW) found that neighborhoods subject to discriminatory housing practices nearly 100 years ago still have higher levels of air pollution today. “Racism from the […]
An extraordinary number of people in the U.S. of adult age by 2015 were exposed to dangerous lead levels when they were children, new research has found. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, estimated that about 170 million adults in the U.S. have been exposed to over 5 […]
Radiation at the Chernobyl nuclear plant spiked above control levels, Ukraine warned on Friday. The announcement came the day after Russian forces captured the infamous plant on Thursday during the country’s invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported Thursday. “The control levels of gamma radiation dose rate in the Exclusion zone were exceeded,” the State Nuclear Regulatory […]
A majority Latino neighborhood on Chicago’s Southeast Side has won a major environmental justice victory. On Friday, the city denied a permit for a metal shredder that community members fought with a month-long hunger strike last year. “This is a testament to the love and pride we have for the Southeast Side,” activist Gina Ramirez […]