Pollution

A Toxic Legacy in an Orange County Neighborhood
The contaminated soil and neglected infrastructure in Santa Ana's Barrio Logan community are a result of decades of land use decisions and willful disinvestment, one journalist writes.

To Fight Climate Change, Support Public Transit
Electric cars may garner a lot of attention these days, but significantly reducing carbon emissions and urban congestion means investing in high-quality mass transit.

Opinion: Renters Shouldn't Be a 'Buffer' for Single-Family Homes
Despite the well-documented impacts of traffic noise and pollution, Vancouver's housing policy effectively relegates multi-family apartment buildings to busy arterial roads.

How Street Configuration Impacts Equity
With urban pollution and traffic violence disproportionately affecting communities of color, better management of public space and streets could improve equity in cities.

The World's Economic Bailout Came With Huge Environmental Costs
The world collectively spent on $17 trillion economic stimulus during the pandemic. The vast majority of that spending will make climate change and other environmental pollution much worse.

Mapping Environmental Justice Hotspots
A new map of Virginia illustrates the stark contrasts in pollution burdens depending on location.

FYI about GSI: The Recipe for Green Stormwater Infrastructure Success
New research highlights some of the ways planners can increase the social benefits and public acceptance of green stormwater infrastructure.

State Legislation Would Make Louisiana a 'Fossil Fuel Sanctuary State'
A Louisiana state legislator who is also the owner of oil company has proposed several laws that would remove regulations for the oil industry, including one that would prevent the local and state regulation of oil and gas companies.

2021 Most Endangered Rivers List Highlights Environmental Justice
The annual list of endangered rivers created by American Rivers has always documented pollution and other threats like dam construction, but this year, the confluence of water and systemic racism warrants extra attention.

Biden's Climate Plan Centers Environmental Justice
The Biden administration's climate plan calls for sweeping reform in the country's energy policy and places new focus on addressing racial and economic disparities.

Cars Pollute in More Ways Than One
Tires wear down and shed toxic microplastics into stormwater, which eventually ends up in rivers and the ocean. Recent research sheds new light on the extent of the damage.

The Legacy of Structural Poverty in Alabama
In rural Alabama, a long history of racial inequality and poverty has left people struggling to survive in uninhabitable housing.

U.S. EPA To Reclassify Thousands of Major Polluters
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated its new rule change will result in up to 1,258 tons of additional emissions of hazardous materials every year.

Landmark Environmental Justice Law Signed in New Jersey
New Jersey is now home to one of the "most stringent" environmental justice laws in the country.

New Research Documents the Tragic Consequences of Noise Pollution
In the United States, busy roads shorten lives in more ways than one, but when it comes to the ill effects of noise pollution, almost no efforts are made to reduce the damage.

Wildfire Smoke Affecting Communities Across the Country
Wildfires in California and Colorado are spewing out smoke that is traveling to other parts of the country. The health effects of the dirty air are substantial, and they could last long after the fires are out.

Challenging the Permitting Record of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Zoning in the U.S. was originally intended to keep noxious uses out of residential areas. Around Houston, which famously lacks a traditional zoning system, polluting uses are still granted broad permission to operate in residential areas.

The Post-Pandemic Economy Could Be Dirtier Than Ever
The environmental gains at the beginning of the pandemic were only temporary., and there are signs more signs every day that the economy will be dirtier than ever in the future.

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.

Carbon Emissions Down, but Not Drastically
Transportation activity is down considerably, but other sources of carbon dioxide are still going strong.
Pagination
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