Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 13, 2024

Since its inception, the report has effectively heightened the awareness of some hazardous air pollutants, and engaged the public, media, advocates, and policymakers in the ongoing fight against air pollution. The air quality for this report was calculated using data reviewed by EPA from 2020, 2021, and 2022.

2024 271

2024 Fossil Fuels Ozone Air Pollution 271

PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 12, 2021

On an Air Quality Action Day, young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities. Posted: November 12 ,2021] PA Environment Digest Photo: U.S.

Air Pollution 98

Air Pollution Environmental Protection 2020 2021 98

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 1, 2024

A study from Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), an update of a 2021 collaboration ( here , here ) with Evolved Energy Research (EER), shows that we can meet US climate goals and have a fossil-free economy by mid-century, including the petroleum-guzzling transportation sector. percent in 2021 to about 16 percent in 2050.

Fossil Fuels 331

Fossil Fuels Biofuels Nitrogen Oxides Electricity 331

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 6, 2023

As early as 1966 , the state began to take regulatory action to reduce pollution from passenger cars and trucks. As a result of continuing progress on regulations, the air-polluting emissions of new passenger vehicles currently for sale are thankfully much lower than those of older vehicles. Combining the PM 2.5

Air Pollution 213

Air Pollution Nitrogen Oxides 2004 2003 213

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 20, 2024

To supercharge the transition to clean school buses, Congress amended and reinvigorated the Clean School Bus Program with a $5 billion dollars over 5 years investment as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). The figure below shows the results.

Electricity 273

Electricity Natural Gas Nitrogen Oxides Air Pollution 273

Real Climate

AUGUST 17, 2022

This is an historic effort though it falls short of the broader ‘ Green New Deal ‘ goals that were proposed in 2019, and doesn’t include all of the elements that were in the proposed 2021 reconcilliation package (the American Jobs Plan in “ Build Back Better “) that ultimately floundered.

Paris Agreement 349

Paris Agreement Air Pollution Renewable Energy 2030 349

PA Environment Daily

JANUARY 26, 2024

District Court on Monday a proposed consent decree in settlement of their federal Clean Air Act lawsuit against United States Steel Corporation. Clean air is a right, not a privilege, for all Pittsburghers,” said David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment , the citizen-based non-profit and state group for Environment America.

Air Pollution 112

Air Pollution Clean Air Act Pollution Control 2018 112

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

Last year, US drivers bought more than 800,000 new electric vehicles (EVs), 65 percent more than in 2021, even as overall car sales declined. percent in 2021. Since the beginning of 2022, electric vehicle sales in the United States have been downright electrifying. Those 807,956 EVs accounted for 5.8

Electricity 323

Electricity Air Pollution 2030 Clean Air Act 323

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 10, 2022

While the Governor signed a number of significant environmental laws, he also vetoed several, including laws intended to address impacts to low-income communities of color from air pollution, water pollution, and sea level rise. The post 2021-2022 California Environmental Legislation: What’s Been Enacted?

2021 130

2021 2022 Sea Level Clean Energy 130

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 21, 2023

A 2021 meta-analysis of over 40 peer-reviewed studies on the subject concluded that “there is no particular type of shopping that has an absolute environmental advantage and it is in no way possible to shop ourselves out of the environmental crisis.” How would that change if I hopped on the electric bus route at the end of my block?

Nitrogen Oxides 273

Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Fossil Fuels Air Pollution 273

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

They accounted for most of the failed generating capacity in a number of recent extreme weather events, including Winter Storm Uri in 2021 and Winter Storm Elliott in 2022, according to Gas Malfunction , a new Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) issue brief. First, there’s air pollution.

Clean Energy 326

Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Fossil Fuels Electricity 326

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

Since global and local pollutants are often byproducts of the same activities, mitigation policies for global warming emissions have the potential to simultaneously mitigate local air pollution 2. One good example of the nexus between global warming and local pollution is ground-level ozone. Bermix Studio/Unsplash PM2.5:

Ground-Level Ozone 230

Ground-Level Ozone Fossil Fuels Ozone Air Pollution 230

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 25, 2022

Electric vehicles (EVs) can eliminate tailpipe emissions altogether and so are an attractive option for reducing both global-warming and smog-forming air pollution. For example, the emissions from driving a 2021 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus in California equal those of a gasoline car getting 152 miles per gallon.

Electricity 317

Electricity Air Pollution Climate Change Carbon Emissions 317

Breezometer

JUNE 16, 2021

Air quality awareness is growing, but many are still oblivious to the long-lasting consequences of pollution exposure in early life. As this year’s Clean Air Day 2021 focuses on children, let's explore the air quality impact in early life and examine how both businesses and individuals can take action against unhealthy air.

Air Pollution 59

Air Pollution Regulations 2021 Climate Change 59

Legal Planet

JUNE 13, 2022

In November 2021, Prime Minster Modi announced in Glasgow that India would get half its energy from renewables by 2030 as well as significantly cutting its emissions. Much of the shift may have been due to recognition that renewables would provide more energy independence and would help get India’s crippling urban air pollution under control.

2030 246

2030 Carbon Emissions 2027 Sea Level 246

Law Columbia

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

in 2021, which is 2% higher than the percentage before the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011. The citizens in the Kobe case argue that the aggravation of climate change and air pollution by the new power plants violate their rights. The court viewed climate change as an uncertain future danger.

2025 103

2025 Paris Agreement Climate Change Carbon Dioxide 103

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 23, 2023

GW record from 2021. In 2021 alone, the plants slated for retirement emitted more than 28,000 tonnes of nitrogen oxides (NO x ), 32,000 tonnes of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and 51 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), according to EIA data. pollution, which are particles with diameters of 2.5 micrometers or less.

Fossil Fuels 196

Fossil Fuels 2023 Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides 196

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 10, 2024

And all this polluting infrastructure has serious health and environmental implications for the surrounding communities. Air pollution Gas-fueled power plants and compressor stations release emissions that pollute local air and have dangerous health impacts to nearby residents.

Fossil Fuels 288

Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Air Pollution 288

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

The most recent extension expired at the end of 2021. Electric cars , trucks , and buses are a key technology to reduce climate-warming emissions as well as health-harming local air pollution, and those vehicles need readily available charging infrastructure. Why now and why in 2032? The big picture.

Electricity 242

Electricity Air Pollution Renewable Energy Technology 242

Capaccio

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

On December 22, 2021, EPA issued a final rule to add 1-Bromopropane, also known as n-propyl bromide (nPB), to the list of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). This is the first air pollutant to be added since the list was established in 1990. Additional Information can be found on EPA’s Website Here.

Air Pollution 52

Air Pollution 2022 2021 52

Breezometer

JANUARY 27, 2022

The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing has China pulling out all the stops to cut down on air pollution, which can impact people worse during intense physical activity. 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing - The Air Quality Problem. pollution in the 1st quarter of 2021 was 21% higher than in 2019 (!). Will they manage?

Air Pollution 52

Air Pollution 2022 2008 2014 52

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 24, 2023

If electric delivery vehicle deployment is maximized, this transition could have significant positive impacts on both air quality and the larger adoption of commercial electric vehicles. First and most obviously, replacing 30-plus-year-old delivery vehicles predominately with ZEVs will help to reduce air pollution in these areas.

Air Pollution 197

Air Pollution Electricity 2026 2022 197

Environmental News Bits

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

Unless global particulate air pollution is reduced to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guideline, the average person is set to lose 2.2 Residents of the most polluted areas of the world could… Read more → Download the document. years off their lives.

2021 80

2021 Air Pollution 80

Breezometer

APRIL 4, 2022

Exposure to air pollution during our regular, daily commutes is a major health risk. The Problem With Air Pollution On The Road. The average driver in some countries can spend as much as 4 years on the road throughout their lifetime, regularly exposing them to harmful levels of air pollution.

Air Pollution 105

Air Pollution Ground-Level Ozone Ozone 2021 105

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 22, 2022

Minnesotans are facing concurrent crises of climate change, high energy prices and inflation, and the inequitable public health impacts of fossil fuel air pollution. Renewable energy will help with all of that—but we need a grid that is designed for wind and solar instead of having to rely on expensive coal and gas plants.

Renewable Energy 348

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Solar Power Electricity 348

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 20, 2022

US ratepayers very likely will pay even more for electricity and heating this winter compared to the already-expensive winter of 2021-2022. Between 2015 and 2021, 274 North American oil and gas producers filed for bankruptcy with a debt load of $177 billion. The bankruptcies were set in motion even before 2020.

Fossil Fuels 300

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Electricity Natural Gas 300

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

New in this UCS analysis is a look at the public health co-benefits of reducing air pollution from fossil fuels that occur from decarbonizing our economy. A 2021 study found that a majority of PM 2.5 By reducing harmful levels of pollution, we can save tens of thousands of lives as shown in the chart below. Source: UCS.

Fossil Fuels 265

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Air Pollution 265

Enviromental Defense

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

Back in 2021, the federal government committed to ending the export of thermal coal before 2030. Air pollutants from coal plants are linked to chronic heart and respiratory disease, and a host of acute ailments. In 2021, the federal government introduced a policy to end mining for thermal coal.

Air Pollution 130

Air Pollution Carbon Dioxide Fossil Fuels Greenhouse 130

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

IRA clean energy investments also will protect public health by cutting key toxic air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, by more than 50 percent by 2050, and drastically reduce fine particulate matter, which will save hundreds of billions of dollars in 2035 alone from avoided premature deaths.

Carbon Emissions 320

Carbon Emissions Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 2030 320

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

As with too many other air pollutants, people of color face a disproportionate impact from sterilizers that pose greater cancer risks, co-located facilities, and those violating the Clean Air Act. This is also not the first time the sterilization industry has attempted to weaken these regulations.

Clean Air Act 252

Clean Air Act Regulations 2005 Environmental Protection 252

Environment, Law, and History

APRIL 29, 2022

The recently published open-access book, Greening Europe: Environmental Protection in the Long Twentieth Century – A Handbook , edited by Anna-Katharina Wöbse and Patrick Kupper (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2021), has a number of law-related chapters.

Air Pollution 96

Air Pollution Environmental Protection Politics Law 96

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 31, 2022

We’ve seen some significant progress on the policies needed to get there, thanks to leadership in the House, which passed 100-percent carbon-free electricity standards in 2019 and 2021, as well as sizeable investments in equitable clean energy in 2022. billion in public health cost savings overall.

Renewable Energy 238

Renewable Energy Clean Energy Electricity Fossil Fuels 238

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 4, 2022

In 2021, DEP reported 236,150 cubic feet of TENORM (Technically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material) was sent to LLRW facilities for disposal, while all other industries combined in the four state compact sent 46,546 cubic feet of traditionally defined low-level radioactive waste. Read more here.

Waste 98

Waste 2016 2021 Radiation 98

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 1, 2022

Environmental justice analysis: DTE’s energy plan includes an assessment of environmental justice that utilized US Environmental Protection Agency screening and mapping tools to evaluate its facilities’ air pollution and health impacts. Smaller amounts of efficiency: Unfortunately, DTE is targeting only a 1.5

Clean Energy 280

Clean Energy 2028 Electricity Wind Power 280

Breezometer

MARCH 23, 2022

In the world of air pollution and air quality, there is a lot of discussion about Particulate matter (PM) and its impact on the health of people all over the world. But what exactly is PM pollution and how does it affect us? In 2021, the WHO even tightened its annual and daily limits for PM 2.5

Air Pollution 133

Air Pollution Ground-Level Ozone Nitrogen Oxides Carbon Monoxide 133

Environmental News Bits

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

A 2021 Mountain State Spotlight and ProPublica story detailed how largely Black … Continue reading A Black community in West Virginia sues the EPA to spur action on toxic air pollution

Air Pollution 45

Air Pollution Environmental Protection Regulations 2021 45

PA Environment Daily

AUGUST 16, 2022

On August 16, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Conservation District released a study linking contamination in Pittsburgh’s urban soils to historical air pollution emissions and atmospheric inversions. Urban soils are known to contain various harmful contaminants that pose health risks.

Air Pollution 52

Air Pollution Conservation Atmosphere Environmental Protection 52