From 2011 to 2015, California experienced its worst drought on record, with a parching combination of high temperatures and low precipitation. Drought conditions can have complicated effects on ozone air quality, so to better understand the process, researchers have analyzed data from two ozone-polluted cities before, during and after the... Read more →
According to a new study published by the ifo Institue Center for Economic Studies (CESifo) in Germany, EVs will barely help cut CO2 emissions in the country over the coming years, as the introduction of electric vehicles does not necessarily lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions from road traffic... Read more →
The California Air Resources Board announced a settlement with Fiat Powertrain Technologies Industrial S.p.A for emissions-related violations affecting nearly 2,000 on-road and off-road diesel engines. The settlement includes a mandatory recall of affected vehicles and $6.4 million in penalties. The enforcement case began after the company informed CARB in 2015... Read more →
A new California-wide program will make it easier for communities to get funding for clean mobility projects to improve their sustainability and quality of life. The program enables smaller groups and communities of concern that may not have the resources available to access funds for clean transportation choices. The $17-million... Read more →
Researchers from Northwestern University and Princeton University have explored the impact on US air quality from an aggressive conversion of internal combustion vehicles to battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs). In a paper published in the journal Atmospheric Environment, they report on the findings from a suite of scenarios designed to quantify... Read more →
Year-over-year, US greenhouse gas emissions were 0.5% lower in 2017 than the prior year (after accounting for sequestration from the land sector), and power sector emissions fell 4.2%, according to the 2019 edition of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) annual report on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This decrease was... Read more →
Air pollution from diesel engines may worsen allergy-induced lung impairment more when tiny particles are filtered from the exhaust than when they are not, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. This counter-intuitive result may be due to... Read more →
About 4 million children worldwide develop asthma each year because of inhaling nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution, according to an open-access study published in The Lancet Planetary Health by researchers at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH). The study, based on data from... Read more →
Carbon Recycling International has been awarded a €1.8-million (US$2.0-million) grant under the EU Horizon 2020 Research Programme to increase the scale of its CO2-to-methanol technology, marketed under the trademark Emissions-to-Liquids (ETL). The grant will allow CRI to accelerate efforts to commercialize large scale production plants, expanding the market for ETL... Read more →
A new study by a team from the University of New Mexico, University of Washington and the University of Minnesota examines the health and economic impacts of PM2.5 pollution (particulates and precursors) in the United States. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study estimates that... Read more →
The Health Effects Institute (HEI) has released the annual State of Global Air (SoGA) 2019 report and website. This year’s report includes the latest results on air pollution exposure and its health burden around the world based on the 2017 GBD (Global Burden of Disease) study. Among the findings of... Read more →
A study by a team from North Carolina State University, with colleagues from the Urban Air Initiative and 3DATX Corporation, has shown that non-FFVs (flexible-fuel vehicles) can adapt to a mid-level ethanol blend—specifically E27. The study was commissioned by the Urban Air Initiative. As reported in a paper in the... Read more →
In a survey of 2,000 adults across the UK, Nissan’s research found that only 1 in 3 were aware of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) going live on 8 April—yet almost half of all respondents support the daily charge’s introduction. The ULEZ now operates 24 hours a day, 7... Read more →
All but three European car manufacturers met their specific emission targets in 2017, based on current European vehicle test rules. Nevertheless, average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new cars sold in the European Union in 2017 rose by 0.4g of CO2 per km from 2016, according to final data published... Read more →
Most vehicles, including cars, vans, motorcycles and scooters, will need to meet new, tighter exhaust emission standards or pay a daily charge to travel within the area of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which comes into effect today. Motorbike insurer Bikesure recently surveyed 1,000 commuters in London to find out... Read more →
A new study released by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) finds greenhouse gas emissions from corn-based ethanol are about 39% lower than gasoline. The study also states that when ethanol is refined at natural gas-powered refineries, the greenhouse gas emissions are even lower—around 43% below gasoline. The study, led... Read more →
A new study finds that environmental damage caused by corn production results in 4,300 premature deaths annually in the United States, representing a monetized cost of $39 billion. The paper, published in Nature Sustainability, presents how researchers have estimated for the first time the health damages caused by corn production... Read more →
According to an independent study by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), more than 674 million Indian citizens are likely to breathe air with high concentrations of PM2.5 in 2030 even if India were to comply with its existing... Read more →
The Volkswagen Group said that since August 2017, more than 300,000 old diesel vehicles to exhaust emissions standards Euro 1 to Euro 5 have been exchanged throughout the Group. The old diesels have been replaced by new or nearly new cars from the participating Group brands with efficient powertrains of... Read more →
An annual ' tracking the progress of California Climate Investments, released by the California Air Resources Board and the California Department of Finance, finds that nearly $1.4 billion in new funding last year went to projects across all of California’s 58 counties—almost double the $720 million spent in 2017. The... Read more →
Catalytic converters have been used in the US since the 1970s as a way to clean up pollutants from vehicle exhaust. In the catalytic process, rare metals such as platinum, are used in a chemical reaction to convert carbon monoxide and other pollutants to non-toxic carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water.... Read more →
Energy demand worldwide grew by 2.3% last year, its fastest pace this decade, an exceptional performance driven by a robust global economy and stronger heating and cooling needs in some regions, according to the IEA. Natural gas emerged as the fuel of choice, posting the biggest gains and accounting for... Read more →
Carbon dioxide emissions from S energy consumption will remain near current levels through 2050, according to projections in EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2019. The AEO2019 Reference case, which reflects no changes to current laws and regulations and extends current trends in technology, projects that US energy-related CO2 emissions will be... Read more →
California air quality regulators released a report recommending actions to improve emergency and routine air monitoring at California’s major oil refineries and in the communities that surround them. Many communities near major refineries live in fear of exposure to airborne pollutants during a major refinery incident—or during normal operations. The... Read more →
The US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT’s) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the opportunity (FTA-2019-001-TPM-LOWNO) for eligible applicants to apply for up to $85 million in competitive grant funds through FTA’s Low- or No-Emission (Low-No) Bus Program. The main purpose of the Low-No Program is to support the transition of the... Read more →
Commercial workboat engines are staying in service more than two times longer than predicted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to new research from the Diesel Technology Forum (DTF) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). This finding reveals important opportunities for clean air improvements, especially in large port cities... Read more →
The US Securities and Exchange Commission charged Volkswagen AG, two of its subsidiaries, and its former CEO, Martin Winterkorn, for defrauding US investors, raising billions of dollars through the corporate bond and fixed income markets while making a series of deceptive claims about the environmental impact of the company’s “clean... Read more →
Nanoparticles particles in air pollution inhaled by pregnant women may damage fetal cardiovascular development, according to a study by Rutgers researchers. What a mother inhales affects her circulatory system, which is constantly adapting to supply adequate blood flow to the fetus as it grows. Exposure to these pollutants can constrict... Read more →
Fiat-Chrysler of America (FCA) will recall more than 850,000 gasoline-powered passenger cars and SUVs due to a problem with their catalytic converters. The recall was announced after an investigation by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). There are about 50,000 of these vehicles... Read more →
Air pollution could be causing double the number of excess deaths a year in Europe than has been estimated previously, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal. Using a new method of modeling the effects of various sources of outdoor air pollution on death rates, the researchers... Read more →
A team led by researchers from Kanazawa University in Japan, with colleagues from Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion in China, have used ozone from an atmospheric-pressure non-equilibrium plasma together with the desulfurization catalyst MnO2 to almost completely eliminate NO2 and SO2 from diesel exhaust gas at a low temperature of... Read more →
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced that AZAA Investments, Inc., formerly known as AutoAnything, Inc., paid $1 million to resolve violations of the California Health and Safety Code and Vehicle Code related to the sale of illegal aftermarket performance auto parts in California. Although the former AutoAnything, Inc. was... Read more →
The latest edition of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annual Automotive Trends Report finds that Model Year (MY) 2017 vehicle fuel economy was 24.9 miles per gallon, slightly higher than MY 2016, and a record high overall. Since MY 2004, fuel economy and CO2 emissions have improved in eleven... Read more →
An analysis by JATO Dynamics has found that average new vehicle CO2 emissions in European increased in 2018, with the total average increasing by 2.4 g/km to 120.5 g/km in 2018—the highest average of the last four years. The analysis covered 23 markets in Europe and found a direct correlation... Read more →
Mercedes-Benz is expanding Vito van range with enhancements including new high-torque four-cylinder diesel engines for the Vito Tourer with passenger car approval. In comparison to the predecessor, the new OM 654 diesel engine range reduces emissions and fuel consumption while also optimizing noise and vibration comfort. The OM 654 model... Read more →
A new study provides the most detailed picture available to date of the global, regional, and local health impacts attributable to emissions from four transportation subsectors: on-road diesel vehicles; other on-road vehicles; shipping; and non-road mobile engines such as agricultural and construction equipment. Transportation-attributable PM2.5 and ozone deaths, associated mortality... Read more →
In Germany, testing by ADAC (Allgemeine Deutsche Automobil-Club eV) has found that all the Euro 6c and 6d-Temp vehicles that have been measured on the road to date meet much stricter requirements nitrogen oxides (NOx) than required by the EU. In the test, the cars were not only significantly below... Read more →
Ford Motor is investigating possible concerns in its emission testing procedures. Kim Pittel, group vice president, Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering, said that in September, employees raised a concern through regarding the analytical modeling that is part of Ford’s US fuel economy and emissions compliance process. Ford said that as... Read more →
The European Parliament and the Council have reached provisional agreement on a regulation setting, for the first time in the EU, strict CO2 emission standards for trucks. Under the agreement, emissions from new trucks will have to be 15% lower by 2025 and 30% lower in 2030 compared to 2019... Read more →
Cooking, cleaning and other routine household activities generate significant levels of volatile and particulate chemicals inside the average home, leading to indoor air quality levels on par with a polluted major city, according to a study by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder. Furthermore, airborne chemicals that originate inside... Read more →
StarMetro, the city of Tallahassee’s public transit system, has agreed to purchase 22 Proterra Catalyst FC buses to service Florida State University (FSU), bringing the StarMetro fleet to 27 battery-electric buses. FSU is one of the first universities in the nation to decommission its entire fossil-fuel powered fleet and upgrade... Read more →
In 2017, total gross U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were 6,472.3 MMT (million metric tons) CO2 equivalent, a decrease of 0.3% from 2016, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory. The decrease in total greenhouse gas emissions between 2016 and 2017 was driven in part by... Read more →
In the UK, steelmakers and university experts will partner in a 7-year, £35-million (US$45-million) research network called SUSTAIN. SUSTAIN is led by Swansea University, partnered with the Universities of Sheffield and Warwick, and involves more than twenty partners across the UK steel industry: companies, trade bodies, academic experts and research... Read more →
The technology group Wärtsilä has signed an agreement with the international shipping company Hagland Shipping AS for a hybrid retrofit installation. The project will take place onboard the Hagland Captain, a general cargo vessel owned by Hagland Shipping. It will be the first project of its kind ever in short-sea... Read more →
A study by a team from the University of Toronto and Ford R&D in Dearborn has found that lightweighting is an effective solution that could provide important near-term GHG emission reductions especially during the next 10–20 years when the fleet is dominated by conventional powertrain vehicles. a) Annual US. light-duty... Read more →
A new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) warns that the health of Europe’s most vulnerable citizens remains disproportionately affected by environmental hazards such as air and noise pollution and extreme temperatures, especially in Europe’s eastern and southern regions, despite overall improvements in Europe’s environmental quality. The map uses... Read more →
Reintroducing commercial supersonic transport (SST) aircraft into the global aviation fleet could have significant noise and climate impacts by 2035, according to a new study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). The paper analyzes the landing and takeoff (LTO) noise, sonic boom, and CO2 implications of introducing 2,000... Read more →
In a nationwide study, counties with higher concentration of PM2.5 in the air had higher rates of stroke deaths and shorter life expectancies, according to preliminary research to be presented in Honolulu at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2019, a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated... Read more →
Customers of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in Germany are once again placing more orders for diesel vehicles. In 2018, the share of incoming orders for vehicles equipped with the latest diesel technology as a proportion of the overall vehicle portfolio was 43% compared to 39% in 2017. Demand for... Read more →
Fewer soot particles in the exhaust stream of aircraft reduces the formation of ice crystals and therefore the climate impact of the resulting contrail cirrus. Halving the ice particles that form in the contrail decreases the climate-warming effect of the contrail cirrus by 20%; the effect is halved if there... Read more →