London Mayor Boris Johnson has tabled strict air-pollution controls until 2020 despite evidence of increasing pollution levels in the city's center.
Christine L. Corton writes in The New York Times about the potential return of London's infamous pea-soup fog—a combination of natural fog and "sulfur-laden smoke" from industrial chimneys and home coal fires. The culprit this time appears to come from car exhaust.
…after several decades of cleaner air, we seem to be sliding back. Motor vehicles are now the main cause of air pollution, and campaigners are trying to create some urgency around the debate to reduce car emissions. But people are as wedded to cars now as they were tied to their open fires a century or more ago.
The last recorded case of London’s "great yellow fog" was in 1962, following the adoption of a clean Air Act in 1956 that required residents to switch from coal to cleaner sources of energy, such gas or electricity. The Clean Air Act arose after a 1952 incident, which Corton describes as a "great killer fog" that lasted five days and resulted in the deaths of an estimated 4,000 people.
FULL STORY: The Return of London’s Fog
The Trump Administration's Environmental Policies Have Consequences for Black Lives
A Trump administration decision not to tighten Clean Air Act restrictions on soot pollution will have more consequences for Black Americans.
Cities Have Tried to Rein in Cars, and the Results Have Been Mixed
Vehicle pollution is making cities around the world unlivable. Some cities have taken steps to curb auto use and emissions, with varying levels of success.
Poverty and Pollution Blowing East
A new study shows how pollution and poverty can create a persistent cycle in poor neighborhoods.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
EV Infrastructure Booming in Suburbs, Cities Lag Behind
A lack of access to charging infrastructure is holding back EV adoption in many US cities.
Seattle Road Safety Advocates Say Transportation Levy Perpetuates Car-Centric Status Quo
Critics of a proposed $1.3 billion transportation levy say the package isn’t enough to keep up with inflation and rising costs and fails to support a shift away from car-oriented infrastructure.
Appeals Court: California Emissions Standards Upheld
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, the nation's two most powerful environmental regulatory agencies, won an important round in federal court last week. But the emissions standards battle may not be over.
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