Increase in air pollution in China over last 50 years reduces rainy days by up to a quarter

October 12th, 2009 LONDON - Scientists have warned of an alarming increase in the extinction of animal species, because of threats to biodiversity and ecosystems, like pollution, climate change and urban spread. According to a report by BBC News, the comments come two days ahead of a meeting of the Diversitas group of global experts on biodiversity in the South African city of Cape Town.

October 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new mobile air research laboratory will help a team of researchers led by a Michigan State University professor better understand the damaging health effects of air pollution and why certain airborne particles - emitted from plants and vehicles - induce disease and illness. Jack Harkema, a University Distinguished Professor of pathobiology and diagnostic investigation in the College of Veterinary Medicine, will deploy the new 53-foot, 36,000-pound center - dubbed "AirCARE 2" - throughout southern Michigan, including metropolitan Detroit.

September 24th, 2009 Planned emission cuts still means far hotter EarthWASHINGTON — A United Nations update says Earth's temperature is likely to jump nearly 6 more degrees by 2100 even if every country cuts greenhouse gas emissions as planned. Scientists looked at emission plans from 192 nations and calculated what would happen to global warming.

September 23rd, 2009 LONDON - A new research by scientists has determined that blue whales have had to increase their 'singing' to cope with noise pollution from ships. Man-made noise such as ships' engines has caused hearing loss in whales.

September 16th, 2009 EPA limits pollution from medical incineratorsWASHINGTON — About 50 medical waste incinerators nationwide will have to reduce their air pollution under new regulations announced Wednesday by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA said that the new rules, which require better monitoring and tighten emissions limits, will reduce toxic pollution from the burning of medical waste by 390,000 pounds annually and likely result in no new incinerators being built.

August 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has determined that unseen and odorless, microscopic particles of air pollution wafting overseas and across continents kill some 380,000 people each year. According to a report in Discovery News, Junfeng Liu of Princeton University and a team of researchers carried out the study.

August 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new research, scientists have determined that depletion in the ozone layer is reducing the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake of the Southern Ocean. Most current models predict that the strength of the Southern Ocean CO2 sink should increase as atmospheric CO2 rises, but observations show that this has not been the case.

August 3rd, 2009 Treasury reduces 3Q borrowing estimate to $406BWASHINGTON — The Treasury Department on Monday reduced its borrowing estimate in the current July-September quarter by $109 billion, some rare good news about the government's financial needs. Borrowing will reach $406 billion in the third quarter, the department said, down from its April estimate of $515 billion.

July 1st, 2009 EPA proposes regulations to cut ship pollutionWASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing tougher rules to reduce air pollution from large oceangoing ships, including oil tankers and cargo vessels. The agency announced Wednesdays it is beginning work on a regulation that would cut harmful chemicals releases from smokestacks of ships within 200 miles of the U.S.

June 16th, 2009 Washington, June 16 (ANI): A scientist of Indian origin has designed a tool that takes into consideration all feasible solutions for decreasing non-point source pollution for the amount of money available. The scientist in question is Indrajeet Chaubey, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering, Purdue University.

May 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The level of carbon emissions into the Earth's atmosphere will surge nearly 40 percent by 2030 if the governments can't force more limits on pollutants blamed for global warming, a US report said Wednesday. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected that energy consumption will increase 44 percent between 2006 and 2030, mainly because of higher demands from the developing world.

May 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new research, scientists at the University of Lancaster, UK, have determined that urban trees use their leaves to measure microscopic particles of pollution. According to a report in ABC science, they are so precise in this task that Professor Barbara Maher and a group of scientists at the University of Lancaster are turning to them as reliable, street-level pollution monitors.

April 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new research has revealed that plants absorb more carbon dioxide (CO2) under polluted skies than in a cleaner atmosphere. The research team included scientists from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, the Met Office Hadley Centre, ETH Zurich and the University of Exeter.

March 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The world's wealthiest nations should be responsible for China's pollution coming from exports, Chinese officials said amid talks with the US on how to combat global warming. China, the world's largest polluter together with the US, has a plan in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming even as its economy grows rapidly, said Li Gao, director of China's department of climate change.

March 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new research has shown that as a result of increases in aerosols, or airborne pollution, clear sky visibility over land has decreased globally over the past 30 years, turning gray skies to blue. The research, by a University of Maryland-led team, has compiled the first decades-long database of aerosol measurements over land, making possible new research into how air pollution changes affect climate change.