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THE WITNESS
The levels of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached 400 parts per million for the first time in human history. The last time levels were this high global average temperatures eventually reached 3 or 4C° higher than now, the polar regions were up to 10C° warmer than today the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets were smaller and Sea level ranged between five and 40 meters (16 to 131 feet) higher than today. Continue reading
Originally posted to Think Progress
China’s air pollution crisis is more evident than ever. A new research report, conducted under the World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease project, shows that over 1.2 million premature deaths were caused by PM2.5 pollution (fine particles like soot, mostly resulting from fossil fuel combustion). That accounts for 15 percent of the total deaths in China during 2010 and 40 percent of global air pollution-related deaths. The data also showed that Chinese people’s average exposure to PM2.5 increased 50 percent from 1990 to 2010, compared to 10 percent globally. Continue reading
A fix is at hand for reducing air pollution from pulp mills all across the nation — if you will pitch-in with a short comment to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Kraft paper mill in South Carolina
Although every eight years EPA is required by the Clean Air Act to review and improve its regulations controlling air emissions from these mills, it has missed all three of the required reviews since 1986! The regulations now in force date to 1978, and being based on the 34-year old technology they need a thorough overhaul.
We now have a strong foothold for setting this right. Last month EPA tentatively agreed to a good settlement of a lawsuit Greenpeace and two co-plaintiffs filed against EPA in December over the agency’s neglect. Continue reading