Pollution
How to Protect Yourself from Smoky Wildfire Air
As giant plumes from fires in Canada billow over the U.S., experts explain what smoke does to your health—and how to protect yourself
Pollution103 articles archived since 1845
Pollution
Carbon Capture Projects Get $1 Billion in New Federal Funding
This first-of-its-kind federal funding is meant to jump-start a new industry that can siphon climate pollution from the air
Pollution
How to Use the Air Quality Index
Wildfire smoke from Canada is causing poor air quality along the East Coast. Here’s what those air quality alerts mean
Pollution
Proposed EPA Rule That Companies Must Report Toxic ‘Forever’ Chemicals Lacks Limits and Cleanup Requirement
A federal rule would require companies to disclose whether their products contain chemicals known as PFASs
Pollution
How to Destroy ‘Forever Chemicals’
Health-damaging PFASs are nearly impossible to break down—but a new hot-water technique can destroy them
Pollution
Poisons and Perils on the Salton Sea
Toxic dust plagues marginalized communities on the shores of this disappearing salt lake.
Pollution
Gas Stoves Emit More of the Carcinogen Benzene Than Expected
Stanford University researchers found high levels of the carcinogen benzene in California and Colorado homes that used gas stoves
Pollution
Switching to Electric Cars Could Prevent 89,000 Deaths in the U.S.
The American Lung Association says a proposed EPA rule to curtail tailpipe pollution, which would bolster electric car adoption, could help the country avoid premature deaths and millions of asthma attacks...
Pollution
Wildfires Will Only Get Worse. We Need Satellite Tracking of Air Pollution
Satellite monitoring of air quality could help reduce premature death from smoke exposure
Pollution
Here’s What the Supreme Court’s Clean Water Act Ruling Means to You
Formerly “adjacent” wetlands in more than half of all states may be dredged or filled now that their federal protections have been stripped
Pollution
Wildfire Smoke Reacts with City Pollution, Creating New Toxic Air Hazard
Wildfire smoke not only contains dangerous-to-breathe particles but also can react with urban air pollution to create toxic ozone
Natural Disasters
See How the Wildfire Smoke Spread Across the U.S.
Most of the eastern U.S. has been swathed in smoke billowing off more than 400 wildfires across Canada
Pollution
Fossil-Fuel Interests Try to Weaken Global Plastics Treaty
Good news: the world is discussing a treaty to stem plastic pollution. Bad news: fossil-fuel interests are trying to weaken it
Climate Change
Ozone Treaty Delayed Arctic Melting by 15 Years
The Montreal Protocol was intended to save Earth’s ozone layer, but it also helped slow global warming and delayed the melting of Arctic sea ice
Pollution
Concrete Made with Shredded Diapers Is Just as Strong and Saves Landfill Space
Used diapers can replace up to 40 percent of the sand that is typically used in making concrete, lowering costs and keeping more trash out of landfills
Fossil Fuels
New EPA Rules Would Slash Power Plant Emissions
The EPA has announced new draft rules that would require power plants that burn fossil fuels to capture 90 percent of their climate-warming emissions
Pollution
New Technique Can Map Ocean Plastics from Space
Researchers figured out how the flow of microplastics flattens ocean waves, letting satellites paint a clearer picture for future policy and cleanup efforts
Public Health
The Health Risks of Gas Stoves Explained
Gas stoves produce emissions that can harm human health and the environment. Experts answer questions about the dangers and how to limit them
Pollution
Will the Chesapeake Bay Become a Dead Zone?
The country’s largest estuary is under critical threat from pollution and climate change. The question is: Can it be saved?
Conservation
How Winners of the ‘Green Nobel’ Are Protecting the Environment
The Goldman Environmental Prize has announced its 2023 awards. Three winners speak about their efforts to protect wilderness and fight polluters
