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PM2.5 density in Chinese cities drops

BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) — PM2.5 density, a main measure of air pollution, dropped by 7.9 percent in 74 major Chinese cities in the first half of 2014 compared with the same period last year. The density of PM10, particles under 10 microns in diameter, was down by 6.5 percent, according to a report on the enforcement of the Law on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, which was submitted to the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, China’s top legislature, for deliberation on Wednesday. China has vowed to strengthen air pollution control. Smog-prone Beijing will adopt a special air pollution control plan for the upcoming APEC meetings, featuring temporary closure of factories in the event of a pollution warning. Shen Yueyue, NPC Standing Committee vice-chairwoman, told lawmakers that China has continuously increased charges for emissions of major pollutants, with charges in key cities such as Beijing and […]

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Chinese local gov’ts to be graded on pollution reduction

Chinese local governments will be graded for their achievements in reducing PM 2.5 and PM 10, both being indicators of air pollution, according to plans unveiled on Friday. Local governments will be graded for two tasks: improving air quality, and preventing air pollution. They will be given percentage grades for both tasks, with 100 as the maximum, according to the plan posted on the website of the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). Reductions of average PM 2.5 and PM 10 density will be the major determinant of governments’ grades for improving air quality. If both density readings rise compared to the previous year, the responsible governments will be graded zero. Governments’ grades on preventing air pollution will be determined by a string of indicators measuring factors including industrial restructuring and clean production. The plan was put forward by the MEP, the National Development and […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Chinese local gov'ts to be graded on pollution reduction

Chinese local governments will be graded for their achievements in reducing PM 2.5 and PM 10, both being indicators of air pollution, according to plans unveiled on Friday. Local governments will be graded for two tasks: improving air quality, and preventing air pollution. They will be given percentage grades for both tasks, with 100 as the maximum, according to the plan posted on the website of the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). Reductions of average PM 2.5 and PM 10 density will be the major determinant of governments’ grades for improving air quality. If both density readings rise compared to the previous year, the responsible governments will be graded zero. Governments’ grades on preventing air pollution will be determined by a string of indicators measuring factors including industrial restructuring and clean production. The plan was put forward by the MEP, the National Development and […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Test carbon capture plans start in Kentucky

The U.S. Department of Energy said construction started on a $19.5 million carbon capture research project at a coal power station in Kentucky. Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and state Energy Secretary Len Peters joined Department of Energy officials and other dignitaries for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the construction of the pilot project at Kentucky Utilities’ E.W. Brown Generating Station near Harrodsburg, Ky. The facility is designed to strip carbon dioxide from the flue gas at the power station. The project, developed in part by the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, was selected to receive the majority of its funding by the Department of Energy in a competitive process in 2011. Eli Capilouto, president of the university, said results from the pilot project could determine if it’s ready for commercial-scale use for a state dependent on coal. "Coal has been the lifeblood of Kentucky and the most […]

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Corralling Carbon Before It Belches From Stack

So much soot belched from the old power plant here that Mike Zeleny would personally warn the neighbors. “If the wind was blowing in a certain direction,” Mr. Zeleny said, “we’d call Mrs. Robinson down the street and tell her not to put out her laundry.” That coal plant is long gone, replaced by a much larger and cleaner one along the vast Saskatchewan prairie. Sooty shirts and socks are a thing of the past. But as with even the most modern coal plants, its smokestacks still emit enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, the invisible heat-trapping gas that is the main contributor to global warming. So this fall, a gleaming new maze of pipes and tanks — topped with what looks like the Tin Man’s hat — will suck up 90 percent of the carbon dioxide from one of the boilers so it can be shipped […]

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Study: Pollution laws reduce deaths from lung illness

North Carolina study finds lung disease mortality rates fell sharply after state passed 2002 air quality law Girls play on a soccer field near a complex operated by Duke Energy in Wilmington, N.C., on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014. Randall Hill / AP Regulations designed to reduce air pollution in North Carolina have led not just to cleaner air but to fewer deaths from lung diseases, according to a new  study report released Monday . Researchers at Duke University reviewed 17 years of state air quality data and death records, and found a distinct correlation between the start of stricter pollution rules in 2002 and a marked decline in the number of people perishing from emphysema, asthma and pneumonia. The report was published in the International Journal of COPD.  The evidence pointing to the consequences of air pollution rules likely applies globally, the study’s head author said, adding that it […]

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China to take 6 million older vehicles off roads

China’s government plans to take 6 million older, polluting vehicles off the road this year in an effort to revive stalled progress toward cleaning up smog-choked cities. The plan also calls for filling stations in Beijing, Shanghai and other major cities to switch to selling only the cleanest grades of gasoline and diesel, according to a Cabinet statement issued Monday. The order comes after China failed to meet official pollution-reduction goals for 2011-2013, the statement said. It said vehicles registered before 2005 that fail to meet cleaner emissions standards will be "phased out," though it did not say how. It called the country’s environmental situation "extremely grim." China’s major cities are smothered in eye-searing smog. The country has some of the world’s strictest emissions standards, but authorities have refrained from enforcing them until now to avoid forcing older, pollution-belching trucks off the road and hurting small […]

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China scraps high-pollution vehicles in air cleanup

The Chinese government announced on Monday the country will eliminate 6 million high-polluting vehicles before the end of 2014 in a move to bring down air pollution. The mandatory rule applies to vehicles that do not meet exhaust emissions standards. Of the vehicles to be eliminated this year, 20 percent are in the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin, as well as Hebei Province — all northern regions frequently troubled by smoggy air in recent years. In a further step, more vehicles will be scrapped next year, involving up to 5 million units in the nation’s economically developed regions, such as the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regions, according to an action plan published by the State Council, China’s Cabinet. "Strengthening control on vehicle emissions will be a major agenda item for the country’s energy savings, emissions reductions, and low-carbon development […]

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Southern states get gasoline break from EPA

WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) –The Environmental Protection Agency said it waived gasoline requirements for parts of North Carolina and Florida because of good air quality standards. EPA said it was responding to requests from state authorities to remove counties from certain gasoline requirements for the summer. EPA said it was taking the action because states or counties have demonstrated they’re in compliance with ozone quality standards. The so-called winter blend of gasoline is cheaper to manufacture than the summer blend because of processes needed to decrease emissions that contribute to heightened ozone and smog levels. Summer blends give drivers better gas mileage, though it’s expensive to produce. Heather McTeer Toney, a regional administration for the EPA, said the waiver is a direct result of collaborative efforts to improve air quality in the respective districts. "This action is especially important during hurricane season when greater adaptability is needed for the […]

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WHO data: global annual PM10 increased by 6% during recent 3-year period; based on data from 851 cities

Regional city‐population weighted comparisons in annual mean PM for a three‐year period, by region, for cities present in both versions of the AAP database. The mean for the World is based on weighting by regional urban population. Source: WHO. Click to enlarge. Air quality in most cities worldwide that monitor outdoor (ambient) air pollution fails to meet World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for safe levels, putting people at additional risk of respiratory disease and other health problems, according to WHO’s expanded ambient (outdoor) air pollution (AAP) in cities database 2014 . WHO’s 2014 AAP database consists mainly of urban air quality data—annual means for PM10 and/or PM2.5—and covers 1,600 cities across 91 countries. Only 12% of the people living in cities reporting on air quality reside […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple