Burning candles and fumes from cooking is harmful for people with mild asthma

Burning candles and fumes from cooking is harmful for people with mild asthma

A cosy set table, a nice steak in the pan, and romantic candlelight may sound like the start of a lovely evening. However, a new study from the Department of Public Health at Aarhus University suggests that you should be cautious about inhaling too much of the cosy atmosphere. Karin Rosenkilde Laursen, a postdoc at … Read more

Using evidence from last Ice Age, scientists predict effects of rising seas on coastal habitats

Using evidence from last Ice Age, scientists predict effects of rising seas on coastal habitats

The rapid sea level rise and resulting retreat of coastal habitat seen at the end of the last Ice Age could repeat itself if global average temperatures rise beyond certain levels, according to an analysis by an international team of scientists from more than a dozen institutions, including Rutgers. In a study published in Nature, … Read more

50 most polluted regions of world in India’s northern plains: University of Chicago report

A denser population means more human lives are impacted by each pollution source. Photo: iStock The world’s 50 most polluted regions belong to the Northern Plains of India, showed the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report for 2023 by the University of Chicago.  Seven states and Union territories that include Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, … Read more

Emphasizing the need for energy independence could change the views of climate deniers, study says

Emphasizing the need for energy independence could change the views of climate deniers, study says

Emphasising the need for energy independence and environmental stewardship could help to change people’s minds about the climate crisis, a new study says. Climate change deniers focus on what they can see and have experienced personally, so solutions need to be framed in a way which makes sense to local communities. But for this to … Read more

Can this forest survive? Predicting forest death or recovery after drought

Can this forest survive? Predicting forest death or recovery after drought

Researchers from UC Davis can now predict which forests could survive despite future drought. Their new method links precipitation to tree growth, and it can help people decide where to put their resources as climate change affects patterns of snow and rainfall that impact the health of forests. “If a forest is doing OK, but … Read more

A new way to capture and recycle carbon dioxide from industrial emissions

A new way to capture and recycle carbon dioxide from industrial emissions

Carbon capture is a promising method to help slow climate change. With this approach, carbon dioxide (CO2) is trapped before it escapes into the atmosphere, but the process requires a large amount of energy and equipment. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have designed a capture system using an electrochemical cell that can easily … Read more

Long time lag in heavily polluted regions as improvement in air quality warms climate

Long time lag in heavily polluted regions as improvement in air quality warms climate

In a recent study, scientists at Leipzig University have revised previous assumptions about the influence of pollutant particles, known as aerosols, on global warming. Using satellite data, Dr Hailing Jia and Professor Johannes Quaas have shown that the relationship between water droplets in clouds and aerosol concentration is more non-linear than previously thought. Specifically, in … Read more

How China became king of new nuclear power, how U.S. could catch up

How China became king of new nuclear power, how U.S. could catch up

Cranes stand at the construction site of the second phase of Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant, invested by state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and China Huaneng Group, on June 28, 2023 in Changjiang Li Autonomous County, Hainan Province of China. China News Service | China News Service | Getty Images China is the breakaway global … Read more

Fine particulate air pollution shortens average Indian’s life by 5.3 years: University of Chicago

Nearly 40% of India’s population concentrated in Indo-Gangetic Plain to be affected most due to air pollution   The Taj Mahal in Agra on a foggy day. Photo: iStock India is the world’s second most polluted country where fine particulate air pollution (Particulate Matter 2.5) shortens an average Indian’s life expectancy by 5.3 years, according … Read more

Pollution poses greater risk to all human life than tobacco, alcohol: report

Pollution poses greater risk to all human life than tobacco, alcohol: report

This report may not be the breath of fresh air climate experts hoped. Air pollution reduces the average life span globally by 2.3 years, making it the “greatest external threat to human life expectancy,” according to the annual Air Quality Life Index report published Tuesday. Researchers from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of … Read more