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Good News—and Bad—about Fossil Fuel Power Plants in 2023 

Union of Concerned Scientists

And fossil fuel power plants may not stick to their retirement schedules for a variety of reasons. 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.

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

Union of Concerned Scientists

But while greenhouse gas emissions may be reduced, a delivery fulfilled by a diesel-burning truck may lead to increases in emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and lung-damaging particulate matter. The number of available electric truck models in the US and Canada has surpassed 180.

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Oil Refineries: A Deadly Industry

Union of Concerned Scientists

The fossil fuel industry has systematically contaminated our environment with a wide range of toxic chemicals for over a century. Examples are benzene, hydrofluoric acid, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and many, many other toxic pollutants. Refining uses many risky industrial processes.

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Why UCS Supporters Are Pressing EPA to Let California Enforce Its Truck Pollution Rules

Union of Concerned Scientists

California’s leadership on reducing truck pollution has been on full display the past few years, passing critical regulations requiring 90 percent reduction in smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NO X ) emissions from diesel trucks and requiring manufacturers sell an increasing share of electric trucks to move away from fossil fuels altogether.

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Why the Bay Area’s Zero-Emission Appliance Rule is a Big Deal

Legal Planet

Several cities in California, including Los Angeles and in the Bay Area, have outlawed new gas hookups, but these are the first regulations that would effectively ban the sale of gas appliances. Such a Request for Information could be a potential first step toward implementing safety standards or other regulations governing their use.

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Statement on Thorold City Council’s Unanimous Vote Against a New Gas Plant in Niagara

Enviromental Defense

Respected bodies like the International Energy Agency have been clear – there is no room for new fossil fuel infrastructure if we want to hold warming to 1.5 Along with their contribution to larger climate change impacts, gas plants also cause local air pollution – mainly nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

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Gas Plants Have a Real Climate Problem. So Do Some Proposed Approaches for Addressing It. 

Union of Concerned Scientists

Burning hydrogen increases the production of nitrogen oxides, for example, which if not addressed can increase harms for people living near a plant. Renewable energy like wind and solar is a clear solution: generate more electricity from renewables, and you can use less gas, and minimize the range of harms that come with that gas.