Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, is a term for fine particulates that are typically the by-product of car exhausts or coal-fired power plants. Their tiny size enables them to travel deep…Continue readingAir pollution behind over 250,000 deaths in Europe in 2021: agency
Tag: health
US industry disposed of at least 60m pounds of PFAS “forever chemical” waste over the last five years, and did so with processes that probably pollute the environment around disposal sites,…Continue readingUS industry disposed of at least 60m pounds of PFAS waste in last five years
Extreme droughts that have wrecked the lives of millions of people in Syria, Iraq and Iran since 2020 would not have happened without human-caused global heating, a study has found. The…Continue readingHuman-caused heating behind extreme droughts in Syria, Iraq and Iran
Heat waves have always been part of summer, but the familiar short periods of oppressive conditions have grown into weeks to months of sweltering heat. Research has shown that heat waves…Continue readingHere are the places that could become too hot for humans due to climate change
Authorities in Pakistan ordered schoolchildren in the smog-smothered city of Lahore to wear masks during lessons starting Thursday, an effort to protect against hazardous levels of polluted air. The Punjab state…Continue readingStudents ordered to wear masks in smog-hit Lahore
China’s weather office has said “foggy and hazy” conditions are prevalent in the capital Beijing, the megacity of Tianjin, and parts of the provinces of Hebei, Shandong and Hubei, home to…Continue readingChina’s smog problem
Earth’s vital signs have worsened beyond anything humans have yet seen, to the point that life on the planet is imperiled. William Ripple, a distinguished professor in the Oregon State University…Continue readingClimate report: ‘Uncharted territory’ imperils life on Earth
A withering drought has turned the Amazonian capital of Manaus into a climate dystopia with the second worst air quality in the world and rivers at the lowest levels in 121…Continue readingDrought turns Amazonian capital into climate dystopia
The water level at a major river port in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has hit its lowest point in at least 121 years, as a historic drought upends the lives of hundreds…Continue readingWater level at Amazon port in Brazil hits lowest point in 121 years amid drought
For the past couple of decades, tens of thousands of people living in rural Sri Lanka have been devastated by kidney failure due to unclear causes, also known as CKDu. Similar…Continue readingRoundup herbicide ingredient connected to epidemic levels of chronic kidney disease
As the ice melts, the hunters in the village of Ittoqqortoormiit—home to one of the last Inuit hunting communities—worry where they will get water. On a headland of barren tundra some…Continue readingGreenland’s Inuit falling through thin ice of climate change
Dressed in a full-body protective suit, an elderly pest control worker could last no more than 15 minutes spraying pesticide along a Hong Kong pavement before the summer heat became too…Continue reading‘In a sauna’: Hong Kong’s laborers swelter as temperatures rise
About 90% of water samples taken over the last 10 years from the Great Lakes contain microplastic levels that are unsafe for wildlife, a new peer-reviewed paper from the University of…Continue reading90% of Great Lakes water samples have unsafe microplastic levels
The water of as many as 26 million Americans is contaminated, according to an analysis of the new EPA data performed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington DC-based non-profit.…Continue readingDrinking water of millions of Americans contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’
The flooding in Pakistan in August and September 2022 – described by UN secretary general António Guterres as a “monsoon on steroids” – led to the deaths of more than 1,700…Continue readingA year on, the devastating long-term effects of Pakistan’s floods are revealed
Extreme temperatures and a lack of electrical power are a deadly combination, and one that is being felt across Iraq. The country is one of the world’s most vulnerable to climate…Continue readingExtreme heat hits Iraq, as temperatures exceed 50 degrees Celsius
At least 97% of the blood samples contained a type of PFAS known as PFOS, associated with multiple serious health problems.Continue readingResearchers find evidence of ‘forever chemicals’ in blood of pregnant women
China Tourists flocked to a giant thermometer in China showing surface temperatures of 80 degrees Celsius (176 degress Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, the latest extreme weather sparking havoc and curiosity around the…Continue readingHeatwaves set more records across Europe, Asia and US
Algeria In Algeria, five states were listed as places with the highest temperatures in the world in recent days, according to El Dorado Weather, which keeps a log of daily temperature…Continue readingFrom Algeria to Syria, heatwaves scorch Middle East, North Africa
A total of 130,000 healthy years of life are lost to noise pollution in the UK each year alone, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), with 40%…Continue readingLight and noise pollution are neglected hazards
The wetlands system processes about 60 percent of Kolkata’s sewage free of charge, saving the city over $64 million a year. Farms in the wetlands provide about 150 tons of vegetables…Continue readingThe ‘kidneys of Kolkata’: Indian wetlands under threat
Swaths of the United States home to more than 80 million people were under heat warnings or advisories Sunday, as relentless, record-breaking temperatures continued to bake western and southern states. In…Continue readingUS West and South bake under extended heat wave
Tourists collapse in Greece and Italy and worker killed near Milan amid heatwave worsened by carbon pollution.Continue readingHealth alerts issued as blistering heat scorches southern Europe
Arizona’s capital city is nicknamed “Valley of the Sun”, and residents are used to scorching heat. But by day 12 of a vicious heatwave that’s sent temperatures soaring into triple digits,…Continue reading‘Hell on earth’: Phoenix’s extreme heatwave tests the limits of survival
Published in Science of The Total Environment, the researchers collected and filtered samples of air from seven indoor environments on the Gold Coast where people spend most of their time, including…Continue readingResearchers evaluate levels of indoor microplastics in Australia
Agricultural pesticides leach far from their original sources into the world’s waterways, according to new research which finds pesticides exceed safe levels in 13,000km of rivers globally. Analysing 92 of the…Continue readingPesticides from farming leach into world’s waterways at rate of 710 tonnes a year, UN research shows
Drinking water from nearly half of U.S. faucets likely contains “forever chemicals” that may cause cancer and other health problems, according to a government study released Wednesday. The synthetic compounds known…Continue readingStudy says drinking water from nearly half of US faucets contains potentially harmful chemicals
With nine million hectares (22.2 million acres) already gone up in smoke—11 times the average for the last decade—the absolute annual record set in 1989 has been surpassed. Authorities tallied 677…Continue readingWildfires ‘off the charts’ in Canada as temperatures climb
Seven out of eight US kale samples recently tested for toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” contained high levels of the compounds. The testing looked at conventional and organic kale bought at grocery…Continue readingNew report finds most US kale samples contain ‘disturbing’ levels of ‘forever chemicals’
Extreme heat is fast becoming a public health crisis in India, with more than 150 people dying during the latest brutal heat wave in June. Prolonged heat waves, sometimes classified as…Continue readingIn rural India, summer’s heat can be deadly. Ambulance crews see the toll up close.
As of Wednesday, more than eight million hectares (20 million acres) of forests and grasslands had burned across Canada, breaking an annual record of 7.3 million hectares set in 1989. And…Continue readingCanada wildfire smoke chokes millions in North America
At least 13 people have died from the extreme heat wave that has been tormenting the southern United States for two weeks. In recent days, temperatures in some southern US cities…Continue readingAt least 13 die in extreme heat wave in US
More than 2,000 people suffered heat stress during the hajj pilgrimage, Saudi officials said on Thursday, after temperatures soared to 48˚C (118˚F). Over 1.8 million Muslim worshippers performed the days-long hajj,…Continue readingThousands suffer heat stress on hajj pilgrimage as temperatures reach 48˚C
France is being badly hit by climate change, is not prepared for its effects and is failing to sufficiently reduce its emissions, an independent climate body warned. The record heat and…Continue readingFrance badly hit by climate change and ill-prepared
Twenty-three deaths were reported on Thursday and another 11 died on Friday, Ballia’s Chief Medical Officer Jayant Kumar said. “All the individuals were suffering from some ailments and their conditions worsened…Continue readingDozens die as northern India swelters under heatwave
Environmental groups are suing the US Environmental Protection Agency over pesticide-coated seeds they say have “devastating environmental impacts” and are spread largely without regulatory oversight. The suit alleges the neonicotinoid seeds…Continue readingEPA sued over pesticide-coated seeds’ ‘devastating impacts’ on US wildlife
DuPont scientists found PFAS enlarged lab rats’ livers and likely caused birth defects in workers. Still, the company told its employees the cancer-linked compounds are “about as toxic as table salt”.…Continue readingChemical industry used big tobacco’s tactics to conceal evidence of PFAS risks
Countries didn’t get around to talking about plastic until the third day out of five, stuck in a prolonged debate over voting rules and points of procedure — led by oil-rich…Continue readingGlobal plastic treaty talks limp on despite blockade by oil-rich countries
Concentrations of plastics in round-the-world race through remote ocean environments found to be up to 18 times higher than during previous event in 2017-18.Continue readingMicroplastics found in every sample of water taken during Ocean Race
To help extract oil, companies pump large quantities of water into the ground. For each barrel of oil, many of which are later exported to Europe, up to three barrels of…Continue readingIraq’s oil boom blamed for worsening water crisis in drought-hit south
Parks in the city of eight million people are now plunged into total darkness after 11 pm, while two-thirds of street lights are also switched off at the same hour. In…Continue readingHeatwave prompts Hanoi to reduce street lights as power cuts loom
The temperature at the bustling station climbed to 36.7˚C later in the afternoon, Shanghai’s meteorological service said. Parts of India saw temperatures reach 44˚C (111˚F) in mid-April with at least 11…Continue readingShanghai records hottest day in May in 100 years
About 19 million leisure journeys by car are expected on Britain’s roads over the next four days, and more than 3,000 planes are scheduled to take off on Friday.Continue readingBusy roads and airports expected over late-May UK bank holiday weekend
A new study found that the feces of four primate species living in Uganda’s Kibale National Park, including chimpanzees and red colobus monkeys, contained significant levels of pesticides and flame retardants.…Continue readingEndangered chimpanzees contaminated with pesticides and flame retardants
Since the 1950s about 8bn tonnes of plastic has been produced. The Greenpeace report catalogues peer-reviewed research and international studies showing not only that just a tiny proportion (9%) of plastics…Continue readingRecycled plastic can be more toxic and is no fix for pollution, Greenpeace warns
The dangerous and destructive myths of conventional economics include the claims that: Since planetary boundaries have already been exceeded and low-income countries must develop, social justice demands that the rich countries…Continue readingSaving humanity: Here’s a radical approach to building a sustainable and just society
Residents have watched ruefully for years as solar plants crept over the horizon, bringing noise and pollution that’s eroding a way of life in their desert refuge. Kevin Emmerich worked for…Continue readingHow solar farms took over the California desert: ‘An oasis has become a dead sea’
Micro and nanoplastics are pervasive in our food supply and may be affecting food safety and security on a global scale, a new study led by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency,…Continue readingPlastic pervasive in food supply, says new study
50 researchers, 40 years, 28 countries, 550 million fewer birds.Continue readingIntensive farming is biggest cause of bird decline in Europe, study says
The drought that has left some 4.35 million people in the Horn of Africa in dire need of humanitarian aid – with 43,000 in Somalia estimated to have died last year…Continue readingGlobal warming made Horn of Africa drought possible: WWA study
The ferocious temperatures, which have persisted across parts of Asia for more than a week, amounted to the “worst April heatwave in Asian history ongoing in more than a dozen countries”.Continue readingAsia’s prolonged April heatwave concerns scientists
About 2.4 million people in Thailand have sought hospital treatment for medical problems linked to air pollution since the start of the year, health officials said, as toxic smog chokes parts…Continue readingThailand air pollution leads millions to seek medical help
Extreme temperatures described as ‘worst April heatwave in Asian history’ as records threatened in India, China, Thailand and Laos.Continue readingSevere heatwave engulfs Asia causing deaths and forcing schools to close
As far as is known, five of the compounds detected have never before been reported in groundwater anywhere in the world.Continue readingNew types of chemicals found in Danish drinking water
The United States is Earth’s punching bag for nasty weather. Blame geography for the U.S. getting hit by stronger, costlier, more varied and frequent extreme weather than anywhere on the planet,…Continue reading“Buckle up. More extreme events are expected,” says head of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The race for high-tech metals has sparked a cobalt boom in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has come at a steep human cost. In an e360 interview, author Siddharth…Continue readingFor Your Phone and EV, a Cobalt Supply Chain to a Hell on Earth
First analysis of plastics’ hazards over life cycle – from extraction to disposal – also shows ‘deep societal injustices’ of impact.Continue readingPlastics cause wide-ranging health issues from cancer to birth defects, landmark study finds
A new report released by the Somalian government suggests that far more children died in the country last year due to the ongoing drought than previously realised. Half of the deaths…Continue readingDrought caused 43,000 ‘excess deaths’ in Somalia last year, half of them young children
Oil companies plan to pump crude oil from Lake Albert, Uganda to the coast of neighbouring Tanzania, with the goal of producing 1.4bn barrels over the next two decades. But the…Continue readingCounting the cost of Uganda’s east Africa oil pipeline – in pictures
The University of Melbourne study estimated that 11,105 people die prematurely from transport emissions, many more than past figures.Continue readingCar pollution kills more Australians than crashes, new research finds
Far more tiny particles now come from tyres than are emitted from exhausts.Continue readingHealth impact of tyre particles causing ‘increasing concern’, say scientists
Analysis says hundreds of animals are contaminated with dangerous compounds linked to cancer and other health problems.Continue readingAlarming toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found in animals’ blood – study
Study also says eating one serving of fish with PFAS could be equivalent to drinking contaminated water every day for a month.Continue readingFreshwater fish more contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’ than in oceans
It’s lost 73% of its water and is unable to sustain some wildlife – and could soon negatively affect human health.Continue reading‘Last nail in the coffin’: Utah’s Great Salt Lake on verge of collapse
At the bottom of a crater in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, 20,000 people work at a cobalt mine, in shifts of 5,000 at a time.Continue readingDR Congo’s faltering fight against illegal cobalt mines
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a class of about 12,000 chemicals typically used to make thousands of products water-, stain- and heat-resistant. They do not naturally break down and accumulate…Continue readingToxic ‘forever chemicals’ detected in commonly used insecticides in US, study finds
Toxic air pollution particles have been found in the lungs, livers and brains of unborn babies, long before they have taken their first breath. Researchers said their “groundbreaking” discovery was “very…Continue readingToxic air pollution particles found in lungs and brains of unborn babies
Rainwater everywhere on the planet is unsafe to drink due to levels of toxic chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). PFAS were initially found in packaging, shampoo or makeup…Continue readingRainwater unsafe to drink due to chemicals
In its State of the Climate report for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) for 2021, the WMO said ecosystems, food and water, human health and welfare were all taking a…Continue readingBattered by climate change, Latin America must brace for worse
Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in southern China, according to state media, amid floods and landslides triggered by the heaviest rainfall the region has seen…Continue readingHundreds of thousands evacuated in China amid heavy rains, floods
Experts say the catastrophic rain-triggered floods, which submerged large part of the country’s northern and northeastern areas, are an outcome of climate change. Saiful Islam, director of the Institute of Water…Continue readingBangladesh floods: Experts say climate crisis worsening situation
Floodwaters have inundated more of Bangladesh and northeast India, officials say, as authorities struggle to reach more than 9.5 million people stranded with little food and drinking water after days of…Continue readingBangladesh, India floods kill over 100; millions in need of aid
Niger is on the frontline of the climate crisis. Increasingly erratic rainfall and longer dry seasons mean that many parts of the country have not had a good harvest in a…Continue readingNiger is in the eye of the climate crisis – and children are starving
Muhammad Akbar, 40, sells dried chickpeas on a wheelbarrow in Jacobabad, and has suffered heatstroke three times in his life. But now, he says, the heat is getting worse. “In those…Continue reading‘It seems this heat will take our lives’: Pakistan city fearful after hitting 51˚C (124˚F)
Iraq closed public buildings and temporarily shut airports Monday as another sandstorm—the ninth since mid-April—hit the country. More than 1,000 people were hospitalised across the nation with respiratory problems. The Iraqi…Continue readingIraq sandstorm grounds flights, sends 1,000 to hospitals
While driving an electric car has fewer environmental impacts than gasoline-powered cars, the production of the parts necessary for these green technologies can have dire effects on human well-being. After studying…Continue readingCobalt’s human cost: Social consequences of green energy must be assessed in addition to environmental impacts
Concurrent heatwaves the size of Mongolia or Iran were 7x more frequent in 2010s than 1980s. And their intensity rose 17%, and geographic extent increased 46%.Continue readingConcurrent heatwaves seven times more frequent than 1980s
In the largest city of Nicaragua’s sugar cane-growing region, agricultural workers – who have scant labour protection and usually come from poor families – see little option but to risk their…Continue readingGlobal heating is having a deadly impact on Nicaragua’s sugar cane workers, who toil in temperatures of up to 45˚C
The nightmare scenario: Year 2100, global waming exceeds 4˚C:→ Massive frequent wildfires→ Dead coral reefs→ Frequent prolonged droughts→ Increased air pollution→ Ice-free Arctic summers→ Rapid sea level rise→ Abandoned small island nations→…Continue readingClimate change: how bad could the future be if we do nothing?