Asian Air Pollution
The New World Leader in the Fight Against Climate Change
With the Trump administration's abdication of its predecessor's position on fighting climate change, a void has been left in global climate change leadership. One expert believes that China may have already filled the leadership role.
Smog So Bad United Airlines Won't Fly There
It's not the poor visibility but the air quality, ten times worse than Beijing, that has caused the airline to stop flying to New Delhi.
Volvo Makes History in Embrace of Electric Vehicle Technology
In a major announcement that could shake-up the auto industry, Volvo Cars declared it will initiate a gradual divorce from autos solely powered by internal combustion in two years. The Chinese-owned company wants to reduce its environmental impact.
Energy Agency Totals Annual Death Toll from Air Pollution at 6.5 Million
The study by the Paris-based International Energy Agency finds a direct connection to the energy industry. Credit goes to IEA executive director Fatih Birol for expanding the organization's mission beyond its traditional purpose, energy security.
What If Buses Could Pass Over Cars?
The latest from China: a concept for street-straddling buses that cars could pass underneath. The giant vehicles could improve worsening traffic and already-dire pollution levels, taking the place of many conventional buses.
Odd-Even Licensing Worked, So Why Is New Delhi Halting It?
Reporting from the world's most polluted capital, Julie McCarthy speaks with Ari Shapiro on NPR's "All Things Considered." McCarthy talks glowingly about how successful the two-week trial went in reducing pollution and congestion even more so.
New Delhi Restricts Diesel Cars; Beijing Issues Second Red Alert
It took an act of the Supreme Court for India to address the incredibly unhealthy levels of particulate matter in New Delhi. New rules are aimed at diesel cars, SUVs, and taxis. In Beijing, pollution triggered a red alert for only the second time.
Good News on Bad Air Day in Beijing
Calling Monday's air pollution a 'bad air day' is a gross understatement. The "soupy metallic haze" was comparable to walking through a coal mine. People were told not to go outside. But the good news is how the government is addressing pollution.
Can Beijing Return to its Transportation (and Communist) Roots?
Beijing has strayed so far from its roots as a bicycling city that it now claims the title of the world's largest auto market, while only 12 per cent of commuters use bicycles. City planners wants to make it popular again to reduce air pollution.
China Bans the Use of Coal Around Cities
In this Sunday Review editorial, The New York Times applauds China's announcement that it will ban coal burning in the Beijing region by 2020, but warns that some solutions to air pollution will exacerbate climate change.
Air Pollution Kills 7 Million Annually
In September, 2011 the above title read two million. Figures from both years are based on reports from the World Health Organization, a United Nations agency. Is air quality getting worse, or are more deaths being attributed to air pollution?
Pollution from China Doesn't Stay There
A new study reveals two findings on air pollution spewing from China's coal-burning factories. First, the pollution blows to the U.S and other nations. Second, 20% of the pollution can be traced to Western demand for cheap goods from those factories.
China's Annual Air Pollution Death Toll: Half A Million People
The admission is the first from a Chinese official that puts a human cost on the country's huge air pollution problem, largely stemming from coal-burning power plants. But Shanghai had good news this week too. Rain brought blue skies and clean air.
Victims of China's Air Pollution: Lung Cancer in 8-Year-Olds
Though smoking is on the decline in China, lung cancer rates are rising. Twenty-year olds have joined seniors as likely patients, attributed to the toxic clouds containing particulates that regularly envelope China's eastern cities.
Synthetic Natural Gas will be China's (and the World's) Climate Nightmare
China's drive to reduce urban air pollution and increase energy security will unleash massive carbon and toxic emissions, almost tripling its current emissions over 40 years. The plan is to build 40 plants to convert coal to synthetic natural gas.
New Report Quantifies Coal's Role in Reducing Chinese Longevity
An NAS study released July 08 shows that if you live in north of the Huai River in China, you can expect to live about 5.5 years less than those to the south. Air pollution, specifically particulate matter from burning coal, is the primary culprit.
Beijing Smog Levels "Off The Scale"
In Beijing, the level of air pollution is the highest the monitors at the U.S. embassy have ever recorded since put in place in 2008. The pollution results from a combination of weather conditions and particulate matter - most from coal burning.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
