COVID-19: Link with Air Pollution? Italy’s and China’s Experience
Update 21 April 2020. A new study further confirms the link between the mortality rate of COVID-19 and air pollution. Carried out by Yaron Ogen, a scientist from the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Germany, it was just published in the journal
The Most Successful Air Pollution Treaty You’ve Never Heard Of
International consensus on cross-border environmental issues has been difficult to achieve, but the 40-year-old Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air-Pollution (or LRTAP as it is known to development professionals) has enjoyed great, if largely unsung, success in the fight against air pollution and
Australian Bushfires Continue to Wreak Havoc
Hundreds of wildfires have been raging across Australia for more than two months, destroying 7.4 million acres of land and hundreds of homes. While Australia typically experiences bushfires every year, this year’s fires began burning earlier in the season and
Capitalizing on a Crisis: Oxygen for Sale in New Delhi
Air pollution as a business opportunity, clean oxygen as the product. In the midst of the New Delhi air pollution crisis, a bar by the name of Oxy Pure has found a way to turn a profit. Customers pay 500
New Delhi Air Pollution Emergency: 10 Times the Safe Limit
Public health emergency declared in New Delhi as Air Quality Index (AQI) levels remain above 800– levels below 50 are considered to be safe. In simple words, pollution levels are 10 times the safe limit. As of Monday morning, several areas
Air pollution: UK in a national crisis mode
Air Pollution: Recent findings from a study by researchers at King’s College London have revealed that air pollution poses greater short-term health risks than once thought. High levels of air pollution in the UK causes hundreds more heart attacks, strokes,
Gasping for Air: A Look Inside Delhi
The 73rd Independence Day celebrations this year in India’s capital city of Delhi were different from past years, as the city experienced one of the cleanest airs in the last eight years. According to the Air Quality Index (AQI) –
Deal of the Week: The Uphill Battle for Better Air Quality
Air quality is not a problem that only pertains to specific areas of the world, but rather it affects us all—and most of us don't even know it. Recently, Mexico City, one of the largest cities in the Western hemisphere, had
Tackling Air Pollution — An Interview With Clarity
Air pollution is a well-known problem that leads to a drastic reduction in the quality of life. It doesn't only cause chronic diseases: according to a recent UN report, air pollution is the cause of between six and seven million
Health in the Sustainable Development Goals
EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS PIECE IS AUTHORED BY, DR MARGARET CHAN, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. THIS PIECE IS PART OF A SERIES EXPLORING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS. SEE THE INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES HERE. The world has changed dramatically since the start
China Plastics Challenge
In recent years, whenever you hear about China, you hear about its booming economy and increasing political weight on the world arena. However, you also hear about its environmental problems such as highly polluted air quality, which most of the