Air pollution

Thick smog keeps schools closed

Tehran - Muslimchronicle

Schools were closed for a fourth straight day in Tehran on Wednesday as dangerous air pollution covered the Iranian capital and traffic restrictions failed to clear the thick smog. Average airborne concentration of the finest and most hazardous particles (PM2.5) was "unhealthy" at 160 microgrammes per cubic metre, slightly worse than Tuesday, authorities said. That is more than six times higher thanRead more

Pollution spikes in Delhi amid warnings

New Delhi - Muslimchronicle

Air pollution in New Delhi worsened again Sunday and officials warned of little relief in sight from the smog, which has even caused one airline to cancel flights to the world's most polluted capital. The US embassy website Sunday showed levels of the smallest and most harmful airborne pollutants reached 676, about 27 times the World Health Organization's safe maximum,Read more

Smog defies China's Communist Party congress

Beijing - Muslimchronicle

Beijingers are going without barbecue. Construction sites have halted work. Factories hundreds of kilometres away have halted production. Despite all-out efforts to give the Chinese Communist Party blue skies for its twice-a-decade congress, Beijing's notorious smog has cloaked the mega-city in its trademark toxic haze. The capital typically enjoys an unusual succession of clear days when the party holds majorRead more

Air pollution throws shade on India's solar success

Washington - Muslimchronicle

Air pollution is diminishing India's capacity to harness power from the sun, experts say, undermining billions being invested in renewables as the energy-hungry giant emerges as a solar superpower. New research has found the smog and dust that sickens millions across India every year is also sapping solar power generation by more than 25 percent, far beyond levels previously thought.Read more

Pollution Kills 1.7 Million Children Every Year

Geneva - Arab Today

Exposure to environmental pollutants kills 1.7 million children under the age of five each year, according to two reports released on Monday by the World Health Organization (WHO). Worldwide, more than one in four deaths among children under the age of five are attributable to environmental hazards such as indoor and outdoor air pollution, contaminated water, and poor sanitation, theRead more

Deep freeze claims six more victims in Poland

Warsaw - Arab Today

Six people died in Poland over a 24-hour period as temperatures plunged across Europe, bringing the toll of hypothermia deaths in the country to 71 since November, authorities said Tuesday. Police urged people to aid those most vulnerable to hypothermia, especially the homeless, as the mercury sank to below minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) in some regions. "Another sixRead more

Mongolian women protest against air pollution

Ulan Bator - Xinhua

Hundreds of Mongolian women took to the streets here Monday to vent their frustration over the capital's inability to reduce air pollution. The women, who were protesting in the city's central square, demanded that the president announce a state of emergency in Ulan Bator and hold his cabinet meeting in Bayankhoshuu slum district, which is most affected by air pollution.Read more

Schools shut, construction halted in Indian capital to tackle pollution

New Delhi - Arab Today

India’s capital announced a slew of measures Sunday to combat the crippling air pollution that has engulfed the city, including closing down schools, halting construction and ordering that all roads be doused with water to settle dust. New Delhi, one of the world’s dirtiest cities, saw levels of PM2.5 — tiny particulate matter that can clog lungs — soar toRead more

Air pollution costs global economy trillions of dollars, World Bank says

Washington - XINHUA

Premature deaths related to air pollution cost trillions of U.S. dollars for the world in 2013, according to a study by the World Bank. An estimated 5.5 million lives were lost in 2013 due to diseases associated with outdoor and household air pollution, causing human suffering and reducing economic development, said the World Bank in The Cost of Air PollutionRead more

Air pollution epidemic kills 50,000 people each year in Britain

London - Arab Today

Cars, buses and freight trucks are the principal cause of air pollution in over 95 percent of legally-designated air quality management areas in Britain, a research team from Bristol reported Tuesday. Current estimates show that over 50,000 deaths a year can be attributed to an air pollution epidemic in Britain, the report revealed ahead of a debate on Wednesday atRead more