Don’t hold your breath – the smoky air and fire smell isn’t going anywhere fast. New Jersey residents woke up on Friday to yet another day of haze and a distinct burning scent as teams continue to battle the Jennings Creek blaze in Passaic County – and experts warned that the wind could shift the poor air … Read more
India’s government banned non-essential construction in New Delhi, the world’s most polluted capital, and urged residents to avoid burning coal for heating, to combat worsening air quality that has disrupted flights and obscured the Taj Mahal. The new measures, which include sprinkling water with dust suppressants on roads, as well as mechanized sweeping that would help settle dust, will … Read more
A severe drought watch with no rain in sight has gripped the Northeastern U.S., creating “unprecedented” conditions for fire, say experts. Due to the driest fall on record, hundreds of brushfires have erupted from Virginia to Maine, including one that burned 2 acres in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Fires disrupted Amtrak service between Boston and New York, and a parks … Read more
Congestion pricing is full speed ahead — again. Gov. Kathy Hochul officially announced Thursday that she will lift her “pause” on the controversial toll program for New York City — paving the way it to take effect by the New Year. Cars entering Manhattan below 60th Street will face $9 day-time base tolls starting in … Read more
A dangerous wildfire threat still grips the Northeast with Fire Weather Warnings in effect across several states. High fire danger impacting 23 million people is forecast to last through the weekend, as the region remains bone-dry with little to no rain on the horizon. Northeast winds will bring in a very dry airmass from the north Wednesday, according to the FOX … Read more
People living in areas with higher levels of air pollution are more likely to have eczema, according to a new study published November 13, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Dr. Jeffrey Cohen of Yale School of Medicine, USA. The prevalence of eczema has increased globally with industrialization, suggesting a possible contribution from … Read more
A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports correlates higher levels of pollutant particulate matter to higher occurrences of head and neck aerodigestive cancer. The article, “Air Pollution Exposure and Head and Neck Cancer Incidence,” is the work of a multi-institutional collaboration with researchers from Wayne State University, Johns Hopkins University and Mass General … Read more
The wildfire threat across the Northeast is rising once again as winds increase behind a cold front that swept through the region Monday. The front did bring rain initially, but amounts were generally below a half-inch and did little to soak the parched region. The combination of strong winds, which could gust up to 35 mph, and increasingly dry … Read more
Fire authorities on Sunday described battling fierce, howling winds and rescuing people in a fast-moving Southern California wildfire that forced thousands of people to flee and destroyed at least 168 structures and damaged 67. Crews increased containment of the Mountain Fire to 31% in Ventura County northwest of Los Angeles, up from 26% on Sunday … Read more
NEW YORK – Raindrops of relief are expected to begin falling Sunday night for parched regions of the US, including the Northeast and mid-Atlantic plagued by extreme fire weather and poor air quality. This rain event won’t be drought-ending, but it’s a start. The first rounds of rainfall in weeks will help improve conditions for firefighters … Read more