Air Pollution and Climate Change - Environmental Professionals Connection

Why Were 2023 and 2024 So Hot?

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 7, 2025

Scientists are sounding the alarm because this warming is shockingly bigbigger than what we would have expected given the long-term warming trend from fossil fuel-caused climate change. Meanwhile, sharply cutting our use of fossil fuels is the best way to limit carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, the primary driver of climate change.

2024

2024 2023 Fossil Fuels Atmosphere

How Many Minerals Do We Really Need for EV Batteries?

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 18, 2024

Electric vehicles (EVs) are a cleaner option than gasoline alternatives and are essential for reducing emissions that cause climate change and illnesses. Make decisionmaking in transportation and land use planning more democratic, accessible, and equitable. But how we get to fully electric matters.

Recycling

Recycling Electricity Climate Change Air Pollution

1990: The Year the Courts Discovered Climate Change

Legal Planet

JANUARY 10, 2022

In an earlier post, I tried to figure out when the legal academy first discovered climate changes. Those first climate change cases shed light on how new issues get litigated and how courts respond to new science. There were two cases where climate change was a central issue: City of Los Angeles v.

Climate Change

Climate Change Greenhouse Air Pollution Government

NEPA in the Supreme Court (Part II)

Legal Planet

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

One issue in the Seven Counties case is whether the impact statement should discuss air pollution caused by refining the oil shipped over the proposed rail line. The argument is that the Board shouldn’t have to consider that because EPA has authority to regulate air pollution, not the Board.

Air Pollution

Air Pollution Pollution Control Law Regulations

Electric Vehicle Sales Continue to Grow, Despite What Some Automakers Are Saying

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

That’s not just what I think, it’s not just what is required to slow climate change, it’s what many of the world’s automakers have publicly stated. These standards are critical to reduce air pollution and to help curb climate change , and they are in part based on the demonstrated increasing availability of EVs.

Electricity

Electricity Air Pollution Climate Change 2025

Air Pollution Threatens Millions of Lives. Now the Sources Are Shifting

Scientific American

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

As EPA tightens air pollution standards for particulate matter, new research suggests some components of that pollution could worsen with climate change

Air Pollution

Air Pollution Climate Change

California’s Proposition 30 Would Put the Transition to Clean Transportation in the Fast Lane

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 6, 2022

Climate change in California isn’t a future threat; we are already dealing with extreme drought and destructive wildfires. Switching from gasoline and diesel engines to electric motors is one of the most effective ways to reduce both global warming emissions and air pollution. Who supports Proposition 30 and why?

Air Pollution

Air Pollution Electricity Climate Change 2030

Inequitable Health Impacts from Wildfire Smoke Increased by Danger Season

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research have been studying the health impacts of wildfire smoke and air pollution in populations in California, especially the Central Valley, for over a decade. Whose health is at greatest risk from wildfire smoke? My colleagues and I at the Sean N. Evidence informing action: what we can do.

Climate Change

Climate Change Air Pollution Clean Energy

Not Just About the Climate

Legal Planet

JULY 13, 2023

Pollution from these sources kills thousands of Americans a year and millions of people globally. Limiting climate change will itself protect ecosystems and biodiversity around the world. The disadvantaged face the biggest risks from climate change. Then there are the benefits of protecting nature.

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Air Pollution Natural Gas

Not The Winds Of Change We Wanted

Legal Planet

DECEMBER 15, 2022

But last week, these winds stopped, leaving a blanket of pollution over the city. Air Pollution In A Bombay Garbage Dump: More Work Where That Came From. This isn’t about a freak weather pattern: it is about climate. But I think that the overall point is a crucial one: you can’t run from climate change.

Air Pollution

Air Pollution Climate Change 2019 Politics

What If We Succeed?

Legal Planet

AUGUST 23, 2021

Suppose we bring climate change under control and deal with its fallout. Untamed climate change means an dangerous, ugly future for all of us on “Spaceship Earth.” I’m asking about something different, however: how will the world be better off than it would have been if climate change had never been a problem?

Climate Change

Climate Change Ozone Fossil Fuels Air Pollution

Congress Considers First-Ever Purchase Incentive for Commercial EVs

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 2, 2022

A key step towards addressing climate change and air quality. Cleaning up heavy-duty vehicles is one of the most consequential tasks in reducing climate-warming greenhouse gases and toxic air pollution from the transportation sector.

Nitrogen Oxides

Nitrogen Oxides Air Pollution Electricity 2030

How Post-War Justice Strategies Can Be Applied to the Climate Crisis

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

The climate crisis is one of humanity’s most complex conflicts yet. The dangerous impacts of a warming, fossil-fuel dependent world span from wildfires capable of destroying entire towns to cancer-causing air pollution that afflicts the next generation. Unfortunately, when it comes to climate change, the truth is often obscured.

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Paris Agreement 2010

Has Gasoline Use in California Peaked?

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 11, 2024

Switching from fossil fuels like gasoline to increasingly clean electricity sources is vital for hitting climate and air pollution goals. To meet emissions goals and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, this trend will need to accelerate over the coming decades. pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per gallon.

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon Dioxide 2005 Electricity Nitrogen Oxides

EPA Grant Program Helps to Accelerate Transition to Cleaner Ports

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 2, 2024

Air pollution from ports comes from many sources: ships, trains, tugboats, cargo equipment, and – quite importantly – the trucks that move cargo containers to and from ports. Because drayage trucks tend to be among the oldest tractor trucks on the road, they tend to pollute at greater rates than other tractors.

Air Pollution

Air Pollution Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Climate Change

How Should the USDA Spend its Research Budget? (We Have Some Ideas.)

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 6, 2022

Support climate change adaptation and mitigation research. The escalating effects of climate change on agriculture, including wildfires, floods, and droughts, are already affecting agricultural production. Without further ado, here are our three recommendations!

Climate Change

Climate Change Air Pollution 2016 2019

Today’s Electric Vehicles Can Greatly Reduce Emissions From Driving

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 20, 2023

Avoiding the worst impacts of climate change will require the rapid reduction in these emissions from the vehicles we drive. And walking and biking means avoiding air pollution and climate-changing emissions altogether. However, avoiding driving is even better.

Electricity

Electricity Air Pollution Climate Change Natural Gas

Climate Litigation in Japan: What to Expect in 2025

Law Columbia

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Japan ) and a second in Yokosuka in 2019 ( Yokosuka Climate Case ). In the 2019 case, the judgments focused on the procedural aspect of the replacement of the coal-fired power plant and discussion of the climate issues was limited. The court viewed climate change as an uncertain future danger.

2025

2025 Paris Agreement Climate Change Carbon Dioxide

Driving on Electricity Is Now Much Cleaner than Using a Gasoline Car

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 30, 2024

Transportation is the largest sector for emissions , and passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs are the majority of transportation emissions, so there is no way to slow down climate change without a fundamental shift from petroleum to clean electricity to power our vehicles.

Electricity

Electricity Fossil Fuels 2012 Climate Change

Finding Light in Dark Places: Specific Obligations for Climate Change and Ocean Acidification Mitigation

Law Columbia

JUNE 4, 2024

Can the new advisory opinion interpreting the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) move us beyond the lethargy of unmet climate change policy needs ? By accepting the COSIS request, ITLOS boldly advanced the international law of climate change to take full account of its harmful impacts on the marine environment.

Climate Change

Climate Change Ocean Paris Agreement Carbon Dioxide

California’s Thirsty Future: The Role of Vapor Pressure Deficit in Our Changing Climate and Drought

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 5, 2023

California is no stranger to the impacts of climate change. From droughts to wildfires to rising sea levels and torrential rains, the state has felt the effects of a changing climate in a variety of ways. Vapor pressure deficit is a measure of how dry or humid the air is. What is vapor pressure deficit?

Climate Change

Climate Change 2018 Atmosphere Sea Level

The Ten Most Important U.S. Environmental Laws

Legal Planet

JUNE 27, 2024

My own priorities are public health, climate change, and preservation of biodiversity/ecosystems. In public health terms, what makes air pollution distinctive is the millions of people exposes to common pollutants such as particulates and smog. I included all laws passed in the U.S.,

Law

Law Clean Air Act Endangered Species Act Clean Water Act

Losing Chevron: What Does It Mean for California?

Legal Planet

JUNE 28, 2024

In the case of ACT, the public health and environmental consequences are high: The diesel engines that the rule is seeking to replace cause serious air pollution in some of the state’s most pollution-overburdened communities, which are primarily low-income communities of color.

Clean Air Act

Clean Air Act Regulations Climate Change Air Pollution

Summer Air Pollution Trends: Factors Affecting Air Quality

Breezometer

AUGUST 16, 2021

Southern parts of Europe, closer to arid African regions, frequently experience worsening air pollution during the summer seasons. The phenomena of Thunderstorm Asthma can occur when there is lots of pollen in the air and certain weather conditions coincide: hot, dry, windy, and stormy. Luckily, we’re not powerless.

Air Pollution

Air Pollution Ground-Level Ozone Ozone 2020

Electric Vehicle Sales in US Hit the Accelerator Pedal

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Gasoline continues to be at near-record prices and as we see more impacts from climate change people are interested in what they can do to lower emissions. Switching vehicles from gasoline to electricity is one of the most effective actions households can take to reduce their contribution to climate change.

Electricity

Electricity Climate Change 2010 Air Pollution

How Will the Rise of WFH Help Us to Adapt to Climate Change?

Environmental and Urban Economics

MAY 19, 2022

Given that global greenhouse gas emissions are likely to continue to rise as the world’s population and per-capita income grows faster than the decarbonization of the world economy (declining GHG emissions per dollar of GNP), the climate change challenge will grow more severe over time. spikes during summer months.

Climate Change

Climate Change 2016 2020 Air Pollution

In An Unusual Step, a Top Medical Journal Weighs in on Climate Change

Inside Climate News

JUNE 16, 2022

The New England Journal of Medicine kicks off a series of articles Thursday with an examination of the effects of air pollution on children’s health. Martin For years, research journals devoted to the earth sciences have warned of the dire consequences that could result from global warming and pollution going unchecked.

Climate Change

Climate Change Air Pollution

Moms Clean Air Force: Pennsylvanians Call On State Leaders For Protection From Fossil Fuel And Plastic Industry Expansion

PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

Families need protection from the petrochemical industry’s harmful air pollution and planned expansion that impacts health, contributes to climate change, and perpetuates environmental injustices." Click Here for a video of the press conference. Click Here to sign the petition.

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Climate Change Air Pollution

I’m With Paul

Legal Planet

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

They also reduce air pollution and benefit public health. We should also keep in mind that climate change itself is likely to be a drag on economic growth. In short, maybe we can have our cake and eat it too. Download as PDF The post I’m With Paul appeared first on Legal Planet.

Carbon Emissions

Carbon Emissions Fossil Fuels 2007 Air Pollution

Earth Day 2024: The Climate Benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act Are Worth Celebrating

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 22, 2024

It’s also worth noting that while the IRA will make a massive difference in our fight against climate change, it alone won’t be enough to help us meet the US’s Paris Climate Agreement commitment of reducing its economy-wide emissions by 50% to 52% by 2030. It is made up of $4.75 Will you join me?

Earth Day

Earth Day 2024 Renewable Energy Air Pollution

Are There Enough Materials to Manufacture All the Electric Vehicles Needed?

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 15, 2022

The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is necessary to decrease climate-changing emissions. By using recycled instead of newly mined materials, reduction of climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions is approximately 64%. The short answer is yes. But this is a complicated question, so let’s dig in further.

Electricity

Electricity Recycling Nitrogen Oxides Climate Change

COP28 Global Methane Pledge Efforts Still Not Enough

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

This is essential, because scientific monitoring efforts suggest that for all emissions sources, the actual emissions are higher than what countries are reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in their own emissions inventories.

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Climate Change 2030

Governors Present Bold Vision for Investing in a New Forest Economy

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 22, 2024

These fires, often deliberately set as part of land clearing efforts for cattle or agriculture, are becoming even more intense in the face of the climate crisis and exposing millions to dangerous air pollution. Our strategies to address them must also therefore be aligned and coordinated.

Deforestation

Deforestation Rainforest Government Air Pollution

Lung Cancer in Nonsmokers? Study Identifies Air Pollution as a Trigger

Inside Climate News

OCTOBER 5, 2022

Researchers have discovered how tiny particles from fossil fuel emissions exploit a gene mutation to promote the growth of cancer. By Victoria St. Martin The cough just wouldn’t go away.

Air Pollution

Air Pollution Fossil Fuels Climate Change

Don’t Believe the Lies: Five Facts to Consider as the UN’s COP27 Comes to a Close

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

When thinking about global emissions, don’t picture an individual—point your finger at powerful corporations, specifically the 88 companies that are largely responsible for climate change. They obviously include climate change, but it also include health impacts from air pollution and water pollution.

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide

PennFuture 25th Anniversary Celebrations Honor 7 Pennsylvanians For Fighting Climate Change, Industrial Pollution

PA Environment Daily

MAY 17, 2024

PennFuture celebrated 25 years of fighting climate change and industrial pollution by holding anniversary celebrations in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to honor seven Pennsylvanians for their contributions to restoring and protecting the environment. Prior to her involvement in environmental advocacy, Ms.

Climate Change

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 2006

Banking and Exchange Programs to Mitigate Vehicle Miles Traveled

Legal Planet

MARCH 7, 2025

Lets fast forward to today; more than half a century of government housing policy favoring sprawling, car-dependent development has spawned long commutes, increased exposure to air pollution, and segregated communities. And across the United States, the transportation sector is now the largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Nitrogen Oxides

Nitrogen Oxides Air Pollution Government 2013

Chile Adopts New Climate Change Framework Law: A Paradigm Shift

Law Columbia

JUNE 22, 2022

On June 13, 2022, Chile published its Climate Change Framework Law (“the Climate Act”). The Climate Act includes a binding goal of net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, following the recommendations of the IPCC. In 2019, Chile became President of the 25th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25).

Climate Change

Climate Change Law Government Air Pollution

LA’s big step toward building electrification

Legal Planet

JANUARY 4, 2023

Cutting fossil fuels out of new buildings will reduce indoor air pollution , help prevent natural-gas explosions and leaks , and contribute to the fight against climate change, which is already impacting Los Angeles residents—especially low-income and non-White people.

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels Electricity Climate Change Natural Gas

What Are the Benefits of Switching from Gasoline-Powered Cars and Trucks to Electric?

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 25, 2022

Limiting climate change will require the rapid reduction in these emissions from the vehicles we drive. Electric vehicles (EVs) can eliminate tailpipe emissions altogether and so are an attractive option for reducing both global-warming and smog-forming air pollution.

Electricity

Electricity Air Pollution Climate Change Carbon Emissions

Diesel is the Reason for the Sneezin’: Cleaner Holiday Deliveries are on the Horizon

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 21, 2023

Upcoming research from my colleague Dave Cooke shows that electric delivery trucks can reduce climate-warming emissions from driving by up to 92 percent and reduce lifecycle public health impacts by up to 85 percent compared to today’s average fossil-fueled delivery trucks.

Nitrogen Oxides

Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Fossil Fuels Air Pollution

California Needs to Focus on Electrifying Big Rigs

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 21, 2022

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is currently considering one of the most critical rules for air quality and climate change in many, many years. CARB must account for the varying levels of pollution of the different trucks and a lower fleet threshold for tractor trucks is the most effective way to do this.

Nitrogen Oxides

Nitrogen Oxides Air Pollution Regulations Climate Change

Canadian wildfires and climate change

Environmental News Bits

JUNE 8, 2023

Air pollution levels (PM2.5) reached “hazardous” levels, the worst air pollution since modern records began in the region. Large parts of Canada and the Eastern US were engulfed in haze as nearly 250 fires … Continue reading Canadian wildfires and climate change

Climate Change

Climate Change Air Pollution

China, Climate, and Clean Energy

Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

Chinese government support for manufacturing of clean technologies may be partly due to concern about climate change and urban air pollution. car industry fears that Chinese EVs “could end up being an extinction-level event for the U.S. auto sector.”

Clean Energy

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 2009

Why Were 2023 and 2024 So Hot?

How Many Minerals Do We Really Need for EV Batteries?

Trending Sources

1990: The Year the Courts Discovered Climate Change

NEPA in the Supreme Court (Part II)

Electric Vehicle Sales Continue to Grow, Despite What Some Automakers Are Saying

Air Pollution Threatens Millions of Lives. Now the Sources Are Shifting

California’s Proposition 30 Would Put the Transition to Clean Transportation in the Fast Lane

Inequitable Health Impacts from Wildfire Smoke Increased by Danger Season

Not Just About the Climate

Not The Winds Of Change We Wanted

What If We Succeed?

Congress Considers First-Ever Purchase Incentive for Commercial EVs

How Post-War Justice Strategies Can Be Applied to the Climate Crisis

Has Gasoline Use in California Peaked?

EPA Grant Program Helps to Accelerate Transition to Cleaner Ports

How Should the USDA Spend its Research Budget? (We Have Some Ideas.)

Today’s Electric Vehicles Can Greatly Reduce Emissions From Driving

Climate Litigation in Japan: What to Expect in 2025

Driving on Electricity Is Now Much Cleaner than Using a Gasoline Car

Finding Light in Dark Places: Specific Obligations for Climate Change and Ocean Acidification Mitigation

California’s Thirsty Future: The Role of Vapor Pressure Deficit in Our Changing Climate and Drought

The Ten Most Important U.S. Environmental Laws

Losing Chevron: What Does It Mean for California?

Summer Air Pollution Trends: Factors Affecting Air Quality

Electric Vehicle Sales in US Hit the Accelerator Pedal

How Will the Rise of WFH Help Us to Adapt to Climate Change?

In An Unusual Step, a Top Medical Journal Weighs in on Climate Change

Moms Clean Air Force: Pennsylvanians Call On State Leaders For Protection From Fossil Fuel And Plastic Industry Expansion

I’m With Paul

Earth Day 2024: The Climate Benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act Are Worth Celebrating

Are There Enough Materials to Manufacture All the Electric Vehicles Needed?

COP28 Global Methane Pledge Efforts Still Not Enough

Governors Present Bold Vision for Investing in a New Forest Economy

Lung Cancer in Nonsmokers? Study Identifies Air Pollution as a Trigger

Don’t Believe the Lies: Five Facts to Consider as the UN’s COP27 Comes to a Close

PennFuture 25th Anniversary Celebrations Honor 7 Pennsylvanians For Fighting Climate Change, Industrial Pollution

Banking and Exchange Programs to Mitigate Vehicle Miles Traveled

Chile Adopts New Climate Change Framework Law: A Paradigm Shift

LA’s big step toward building electrification

What Are the Benefits of Switching from Gasoline-Powered Cars and Trucks to Electric?

Diesel is the Reason for the Sneezin’: Cleaner Holiday Deliveries are on the Horizon

California Needs to Focus on Electrifying Big Rigs

Canadian wildfires and climate change

China, Climate, and Clean Energy

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