State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Tag: air pollution8

  • The Fracking Facts

    The Fracking Facts

    Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the controversial method for extracting natural gas, has become a hot button issue across the U.S. But let’s try to look objectively at its benefits and risks.

  • Getting a Whiff of Climate Change

    Getting a Whiff of Climate Change

    Monday was the day when millions of people in New York and New Jersey learned what climate change smells like, or at least what one of its aromas is.

  • The State and Future of Congestion Pricing in China

    The State and Future of Congestion Pricing in China

    To combat urban air pollution and traffic problems, some propose congestion pricing as a cost-effective policy to reduce pollution and improve productivity through improved travel speeds. Cities in China could implement this policy and ameliorate some of the negative effects of congestion-caused pollution. So why is congestion pricing dead on arrival in China?

  • Bottom Up or Top Down? Another Way to Look at an Air Quality Problem

    Bottom Up or Top Down? Another Way to Look at an Air Quality Problem

    While not all countries have the financial wherewithal and capacity to deploy ground-based instruments for air-quality monitoring, and for some countries monitoring information is not available to the public, for example, through health advisories, another way exists to assess air pollution levels: through satellites.

  • Data’s Power to Spur Environmental Progress

    Data’s Power to Spur Environmental Progress

    In January, 132 countries received their environmental report cards. The Environmental Performance Index has goaded leaders into action by letting them see their countries’ strengths and weaknesses compared to other countries.

  • The Fracking Facts

    The Fracking Facts

    Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the controversial method for extracting natural gas, has become a hot button issue across the U.S. But let’s try to look objectively at its benefits and risks.

  • Getting a Whiff of Climate Change

    Getting a Whiff of Climate Change

    Monday was the day when millions of people in New York and New Jersey learned what climate change smells like, or at least what one of its aromas is.

  • The State and Future of Congestion Pricing in China

    The State and Future of Congestion Pricing in China

    To combat urban air pollution and traffic problems, some propose congestion pricing as a cost-effective policy to reduce pollution and improve productivity through improved travel speeds. Cities in China could implement this policy and ameliorate some of the negative effects of congestion-caused pollution. So why is congestion pricing dead on arrival in China?

  • Bottom Up or Top Down? Another Way to Look at an Air Quality Problem

    Bottom Up or Top Down? Another Way to Look at an Air Quality Problem

    While not all countries have the financial wherewithal and capacity to deploy ground-based instruments for air-quality monitoring, and for some countries monitoring information is not available to the public, for example, through health advisories, another way exists to assess air pollution levels: through satellites.

  • Data’s Power to Spur Environmental Progress

    Data’s Power to Spur Environmental Progress

    In January, 132 countries received their environmental report cards. The Environmental Performance Index has goaded leaders into action by letting them see their countries’ strengths and weaknesses compared to other countries.