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 →

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has adopted a plan that demonstrates to the US Environmental Protection Agency how the San Joaquin Valley air basin will attain each of four federal standards for fine particulate matter by regulatory deadlines. Meeting standards for fine particle pollution, or PM2.5, is the San... Read more →

A review study commissioned by the Urban Air Initiative—a non-profit organization focused on increasing the use of ethanol in the gasoline supply to replace aromatic compounds in gasoline—has found that measured and modeled effects of ethanol blending on gaseous and particulate emissions have varied widely between studies, to the point... Read more →

In a new study published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, researchers from the University of Washington, Harvard University and Columbia University report a link between obstructive sleep apnea and increases in two of the most common air pollutants: fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a... Read more →

As levels of ozone and fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) rise, more patients end up in the ER with breathing problems, according to the largest US study of air pollution and respiratory emergency room visits of patients of all ages. The study was published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) staff will host a public workshop on 11 February to discuss ideas and strategies to reduce in-use emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles operating in the State of California. The objective of the workshop is to solicit stakeholder ideas and comments about potential strategies to... Read more →

A study by researchers from the National University of Singapore Department of Economics (NUS Economics) has found a correlation between pollution and productivity of employees. The researchers, led by Associate Professor Alberto Salvo, gathered information from various factories in China and discovered that exposure to air pollution over several weeks... Read more →

FCA US has reached final settlements on civil, environmental and consumer claims with US federal and state agencies as well as private class actions to resolve differences over diesel emissions requirements. The estimated total cost of settlements is $0.8 billion, in line with financial charge taken for this purpose in... Read more →

Urban planners should plant hedges—or a combination of trees with hedges—rather than just relying on roadside trees if they are most effectively to reduce pollution exposure from cars in near-road environments, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. In a paper published in Atmospheric Environment, researchers from... Read more →

Opposed-piston engine developer Achates Power has appointed Cummins veteran David Crompton as president and CEO. Crompton joins Achates Power after 28 years at Cummins, where he served as President of both the Engine Business and Power Systems business. He has extensive experience in the powertrain industry covering pick-up truck, commercial... Read more →

In early 2013, the Chinese government declared a war on air pollution and began instituting stringent policies to regulate the emissions of PM2.5. Cities restricted the number of cars on the road, coal-fired power plants reduced emissions or were shuttered and replaced with natural gas. Over the course of five... Read more →

A team from the University of California Riverside has investigated the influence of low-, mid-, and high-ethanol fueling—as well as the influence of the aromatic hydrocarbons in the fuel blend—on the regulated and greenhouse gas emissions, the mobile source air toxic pollutants, and the particulate emissions from a current model... Read more →

Researchers at Columbia University, with colleagues at Boston University and Abt Associates, have identified concentration-response (C-R) functions for a number of adverse health outcomes in children associated with air pollutants largely from fossil fuel combustion. A paper on their work is published in journal Environmental Research. The study, led by... Read more →

US electric power sector CO2 emissions have declined 28% since 2005 because of slower electricity demand growth and changes in the mix of fuels used to generate electricity, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). EIA calculated that CO2 emissions from the electric power sector totaled 1,744 million metric... Read more →

Exposures to concentrations of PM2.5 and ozone at or above the current standards have been linked to neuroinflammation and high risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A 2015 study found a 138% risk of increase of AD per increase of 4.34 μg/m3 in PM2.5 suggesting long-term exposure to PM2.5, as well... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz has begun sales of two diesel models of the new GLE SUV which already comply with the coming Euro 6d emissions standard. Delivery of the first vehicles begins in spring of 2019. The OM 656 six-cylinder diesel engine comes with 243 kW (330 hp) and 700 N·m of torque... Read more →

A coalition of nine Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia announced their intent to design a new regional low-carbon transportation policy proposal that would cap and reduce carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels, and invest proceeds from the program into low-carbon and more resilient transportation... Read more →

Soot from road traffic in emerging countries can reach high altitudes, where it can be transported over long distances and thus contributes to global warming, according to the findings of a study performed by an international team of researchers in the Bolivian cities of La Paz (the seat of government),... Read more →

A new animal study by a team at the Ohio State University suggests that a parent’s exposure to dirty air before conception may result in cardiac dysfunction in adult male offspring. The open-access paper is published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The study used an in vivo... Read more →

A new brief published by the International Transport Forum (ITF)—an intergovernmental organization at the OECD with 59 member countries—identifies proven measures that decrease road freight’s CO2 emissions. Moving goods by road consumes about 50% of all diesel produced; 80% of the global net increase in diesel use since 2000 comes... Read more →

Arc welding generates welding fume that is hazardous for human health. A team from the Far Eastern Federal University in Russia, with other colleagues in Russia and Greece, has focused on the key characteristics, as well as dispersion models, of welding fumes within a work zone. An open-access paper on... Read more →

As British Airways looks towards its Centenary next year, the airline, in collaboration with Cranfield University, has challenged academics from across the UK to develop a sustainable alternative fuel which could power a commercial aircraft on a long-haul flight, carrying up to 300 customers with zero net emissions. This marks... Read more →

Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping company, has set a goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. To achieve this goal, carbon neutral vessels must be commercially viable by 2030, and an acceleration in new innovations and adaption of new technology is required. The maritime industry emitted close to 1000... Read more →

Researchers in New Zealand have shown that investing in cycle lanes and walkways encourages people to drive less and cuts carbon emissions. The researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington and Victoria University studied the impact of new cycling and walking paths built in New Plymouth and Hastings in 2011.... Read more →

Volkswagen has been testing the newly developed R33 BlueDiesel fuel blend at its in-house filling station in Wolfsburg since January 2018. The fuel, jointly developed by Volkswagen, the Coburg University and other project partners, contains up to 33% renewable components based exclusively on residual and waste materials and enables CO2... Read more →

A team at the University of Stirling in the UK has found new evidence of the link between air pollution and cancer as part of a new occupational health study. The team analyzed the case of a woman who developed breast cancer after spending 20 years working as a border... Read more →

California is not on track to meet the greenhouse gas reductions expected under SB 375 for 2020, with emissions from statewide passenger vehicle travel per capita increasing and going in the wrong direction, according to a new report published by the California Air Resources Board (ARB). While overall, California has... Read more →

Progress on increasing the use of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency is slowing across the European Union, putting at risk the EU’s ability to achieve its energy and emissions reduction targets. Rising energy consumption, particularly in the transport sector, is to blame for the slowdown, according to preliminary data... Read more →

Fossil fuel-driven particulate air pollution cuts global average life expectancy by 1.8 years per person, according to a new pollution index and accompanying report produced by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC). The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) establishes particulate pollution as the single greatest threat... Read more →

A team at Imperial College London has examined the relative costs of carbon mitigation from a lifecycle perspective for 12 different hydrogen production techniques using fossil fuels, nuclear energy and renewable sources. An open-access paper on their work is published the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science. As with all... Read more →

The University of Bath and SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre are collaborating on a project to identify the most efficient conditions for the optimum performance of gasoline particulate filters (GPFs), to help minimize vehicle impact on the environment. The ‘GPF Burn rate and Low Temperature Reactivity’ project will last 14... Read more →

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) approved new low emission vehicle (LEV) standards for new light-duty and medium-duty motor vehicles sold in Colorado beginning in the 2022 model year. (Earlier post.) The new standards are estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 2 million tons annually by 2030.... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board adopted a new emissions tracking program that will help regulators identify vehicles with excess smog-related and greenhouse gas emissions. Real Emissions Assessment Logging (REAL) is part of the amendments to the OBD (On-board Diagnostic) Regulations approved by the Board at Thursday’s hearing. OBD systems mainly... Read more →

The introduction of the low emission zone (LEZ) in London, UK, has only contributed to modest reductions in exposure to NOx from diesel vehicles, and these improvements appear to have little effect on the lung health of children, according to an open-access observational study published in the journal The Lancet... Read more →

A team at the Clean Combustion Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia has shown that burning fuel at high pressure can significantly increase the size of the soot particles that are produced. A paper on their work is published in the Proceedings of... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched the Cleaner Trucks Initiative (CTI) to further decrease NOx emissions from on-highway heavy-duty trucks and engines. The CTI will include a future rulemaking that will update the existing NOx standard which was last set in 2001 while also streamlining compliance and certification... Read more →

The European Parliament has backed plans for trucks to cut CO2 emissions by 2030. MEPs adopted a higher target (35%) than the European Commission (30%) for new trucks to reduce the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, with an intermediate target of 20% by 2025. Manufacturers will also have to... Read more →