Air

"Dense, choking smog blanketed several northern cities yesterday, with visibility in some areas reduced to less than 10 metres. Drivers complained they were unable to see traffic lights."

"AUGUSTA — Delaware and New York are opposing Maine’s proposal to loosen its anti-smog regulations, claiming it violates federal law and undermines efforts to reduce ozone and other air pollution in eastern states."

"The air we breathe is laced with cancer-causing substances and is being officially classified as carcinogenic to humans, the World Health Organization's cancer agency said on Thursday."

"Exposure to even low levels of common air pollutants during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of babies being born small, according to one of the largest studies of its kind."

"BOSTON -- A Massachusetts power plant recently cited by federal regulators as one of the state's heaviest polluters is planning to shut down."

"TOPEKA, Kansas -- The Kansas Supreme Court Friday invalidated the 2010 air pollution permit granted to Sunflower Electric Power Corp. by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment."

"Tackling climate change would save millions of lives a year by the end of the century purely as a result of the decrease in air pollution, according to a new study."

"The study is published as scientists from around the globe gather in Stockholm to thrash out final details of a landmark assessment of climate science. Their final report is due to be released on Friday 27 September and will set out projections of wide-ranging impacts of global warming from droughts to floods to sea-level rise.

"Drilling for shale gas through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, appears to cause smaller leaks of the greenhouse gas methane than the federal government had estimated, and considerably smaller than some critics of shale gas had feared, according to a peer-reviewed study released on Monday."

"Truckers want tougher enforcement and point to competitors who violate state rules to install filters or upgrade to cleaner engines."

"Something peculiar is happening to rivers and streams in large parts of the United States — the water's chemistry is changing. Scientists have found dozens of waterways that are becoming more alkaline. Alkaline is the opposite of acidic — think baking soda or Rolaids."