Pollution
Latest
We put the Dyson Zone’s air filters to the test. Here’s what we found.
Engadget investigated the Dyson Zone, an air-purifying wearable, to understand how the device works to remove pollutants from the air.
NASA reveals pollution maps gathered by the TEMPO space instrument
NASA has published the first maps from its new space-based pollution instrument, TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution). Although you won’t be shocked to learn it reveals higher pollution rates in metropolitan areas, the tool can help scientists better study North American air quality on an hourly basis. “Neighborhoods and communities across the country will benefit from TEMPO’s game-changing data for decades to come,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson wrote in a press release today.
IKEA made a smart air quality sensor to track indoor pollution
IKEA has released a smart indoor air quality monitor that might improve your health.
Hitting the Books: That time San Francisco's suburbs sued the airport for being too loud
Dr. Eric Porter, Professor of History at UC Santa Cruz, examines how San Francisco International came to be and the challenges it will face in a climate changing 21st century in his latest work, A People's History of SFO: The Making of the Bay Area and an Airport.
GM recognizes California's authority to set its own vehicle emissions standards
GM has reversed course on its emissions policy, saying it now recognizes California's authority to set its own vehicle pollution standards.
EPA announces strictest fuel efficiency standards ever, reversing Trump-era rollback
On Monday, the Biden administration finalized new fuel efficiency standards designed to limit greenhouse gas emissions put out by passenger vehicles.
'Flying' microchips could ride the wind to track air pollution
Researchers have created a winged microchip around the size of a sand grain that may be the smallest flying device yet made.
Google's Nest Hub will display air quality levels as wildfire season continues
Google is updating its Nest Hub displays with a new feature that displays the air quality index (AQI).
China is launching a public data platform to name and shame polluters
China is about to launch a data platform that lets the public and officials catch companies violating emissions rules.
Germany's national rail operator will experiment with hydrogen trains
Germany’s national rail operator Deutsche Bahn has announced that it’s developing a hydrogen-powered train with an eye to replacing diesel trains.
Daimler settles its emissions scandal lawsuit for nearly $3 billion
Daimler will pay approximately $1.5 billion to settle with US regulators.
Atmospheric CO2 hits a record high while emissions drop
New data published by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography shows that the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has reached a record monthly high of 417 parts per million (ppm).
NASA backs studies on environmental effects of COVID-19 lockdowns
NASA is funding studies showing how COVID-19 lockdowns have affected air, sea and light pollution around the world.
NASA maps show the effect of a quarantine on air pollution
"This is the first time I have seen such a dramatic drop-off over such a wide area for a specific event," said NASA air quality researcher Fei Liu. She made that statement after NASA's Earth Observatory released maps showing a dramatic drop in air pollution in the Wuhan region. Industrial output in the region would have already been down significantly due to the Lunar New Year. However, a government quarantine designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 made pollution drop much more significantly and for a longer period.
DOJ reportedly ends antitrust investigation over reducing car pollution
Last year the Trump Administration sought to roll back the Obama Administration's Clean Power Plan that pushed for higher fuel efficiency standards. It has also tried to stop states from like California from setting their own standards that exceed those of the federal government. Despite that, several automakers, including Ford, BMW, Volkswagen and Honda, voluntarily reached an agreement with the state of California on a slightly lower target. That was quickly followed by word of a Department of Justice antitrust investigation into the move, however today the New York Times reports it has come to an end, finding that the companies didn't break any laws by voluntarily agreeing to try to reduce the pollution created by their vehicles.
Dyson patents a wearable air purifier that doubles as headphones
If you use public transportation, you know just how gross the air can be. Commuters are constantly coughing and sneezing, which releases thousands of germs into the air. Taking a flight can be even worse, thanks to the recycled air. And that's not to mention pollution-filled cities like Wuhan in China, or even Los Angeles. Wearing a face mask can help prevent you from breathing in those germs and pollutants, but they're not very effective, and they're not exactly socially acceptable. Air purifiers that hang around your neck are subtler, but they're even less beneficial. Dyson's patent for a new type of purifier describes a product that merges an air purification system with a set of headphones for an effective but somewhat subtle solution to staying healthy in germ- or pollution-filled settings.
Canada charges Volkswagen over its diesel emissions scandal
Volkswagen's "dieselgate" woes continue as Canada has accused the automaker of importing 128,000 vehicles that contravene its environmental laws, according to Reuters. The nation charged VW with 60 counts of violating the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and two counts of providing misleading information. A VW spokesperson said that it's cooperating fully with the ECCC (Environment and Climate Change Canada).
Floating LED art illustrates the quality of NYC's water
You don't have to check a website to find out whether or not New York City's water is healthy -- for the next few months, you just have to take a look at some art in the water itself. Playlab, Family New York and Floating Point have debuted a floating art installation, + POOL Light, that displays the water quality in NYC's East River using LED lights. The 50x50 feet sculpture glows blue if all is well, but it turns teal if a sensor detects pathogens and pink when those levels venture beyond safe swimming standards. The brightness, frequency and sharpness of the lights respectively indicate the oxygen, turbidity (the cloudiness based on particulates) and pH levels, while the light animation changes to reflect the current's direction.
Daimler's diesel emissions cheating may include 60,000 more cars
Daimler is already in hot water for its alleged diesel emissions cheating, but it's about to get worse. Bild am Sonntag has learned that German regulators have discovered evidence of cheating software in roughly 60,000 GLK 220 CDI models made between 2012 and 2015. That's not a small amount -- officials had asked Daimler to recall 700,000 vehicles worldwide, so this represents a nearly 9 percent increase based on one model line.
Why Garfield phones have littered French beaches for 35 years
There's no better symbol of plastic ocean pollution and '80s consumerism gone wild than the Garfield phones of Brittany. The handsets, in the form of the aggressively unfunny cat, have been washing up on French beaches for decades. However, the novelty has long since worn off for residents who have been picking them up since the '80s. Now, a local anti-litter group called Ar Vilantsou has finally found the source: a lost shipping container.
