Category Archives: World News

Going Up in Smoke: Why You Should Care About Indonesia’s Fires

Sumatra’s forests are on fire again, less than a year after blazes burned large areas and covered Singapore and parts of Malaysia in thick smoke. While the fires in Indonesia might seem far away for many people, they are everyone’s … Continue reading

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Africa’s air pollution underestimated in climate change models

Human activity in Africa significantly contributes to air pollution. However, no detailed data regarding country-by-country pollutant emissions in the continent was available until now. To remedy this, a joint French-Ivory Coast team headed by the Laboratoire d’Aérologie (CNRS / Université … Continue reading

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Strawberry plants measure air quality

In Antwerp, researchers of the AIRbezen project are using strawberry plants to measure the amount of fine dust in the city. It’s the first time this kind of bio-monitoring has been applied on such a large scale. The initiative is … Continue reading

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Paris restricts car use after pollution hits high

Alternative driving days are being introduced in the French capital, Paris, in an attempt to tackle dangerous levels of air pollution. From Monday, drivers will only be able to use their vehicles every other day. This is only the second … Continue reading

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A warning to all Parisians: Breathing can damage your health – and could possibly kill you

Avoid going outdoors in the early morning if you’re in Paris. Avoid going out in the late afternoon. If you are over 65, or under five, you should stay indoors. Do not drive. If you have to drive, drive slowly. … Continue reading

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Riyadh in list of cities with worst air pollution

Riyadh to get $186.6mn special needs medical city | New cement plant to be built in Riyadh | Downtown Riyadh set for massive redevelopment A report by the World Health Organization has included the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh in … Continue reading

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Paris makes its bike share free to cut down on air pollution

The bad news: Air pollution in northern France has been at a dangerous high for three days running now, with nearly a third of the country’s 22 regions on maximum alert. Concentrations of PM2.5 Thursday in Paris reached 100mg/m3 — … Continue reading

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Nine Chinese cities suffered more days of severe smog than Beijing

Photographs of a smog-wreathed Tiananmen Square and the iconic headquarters of China Central Television dominated reports of Chinese pollution last year, but analysis shows nine other Chinese cities suffered more days of severe smog than the capital in 2013. The … Continue reading

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