#environmental quality

[gwmac]

Navigating the Not-so-Peachy: The 21 Worst Cities to Live in Georgia, 2023"

Introduction Life is a mosaic of decisions, with one of the most significant being the choice of where to call home. Our previous article illuminated the “Top 10 Best Cities to Live in Georgia, 2023,” but we understand that knowing where not to settle can be equally crucial. This inspired us to delve into the less illustrious side of Georgia’s cities, and in the spirit of comprehensive…

[delicatelysublimeforester]

Transforming Saskatoon: The Richard St. Barbe Baker Natural Infrastructure Project

A time line presented by Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas FriendsAreas.ca  In a significant move towards enhancing urban green spaces, Saskatoon is embarking on the Richard St. Barbe Baker Natural Infrastructure Project as part of its Green Network Strategy. With a commitment of over $34 million, this initiative aims to rejuvenate the city’s natural infrastructure, focusing on…

[reasonsforhope]

"Despite a huge amount of political opposition from the chemical industry, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its first regulations aimed at limiting quantities of PFAs, or ‘forever chemicals,’ in American drinking water.

For decades, Polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAs have been used for coatings that resist fire, oil, stains, and water and are now found in a wide variety of products like waterproof clothing, stain-resistant furniture, food packaging, adhesives, firefighting spray foams, and non-stick cooking surfaces.

There are thousands of PFAS compounds with varying effects and toxicity levels, and the new EPA regulations will require water utilities to test for 6 different classes of them.

The new standards will reduce PFAS exposure—and thereby decrease the health risk—for 100 million people in the U.S.

A fund worth $1 billion for treatment and testing will be made available to water utilities nationwide—part of a $9 billion investment made possible by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to assist communities impacted by PFAS contamination.

“Drinking water contaminated with PFAS has plagued communities across this country for too long,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan in a statement Wednesday.

Under Regan’s leadership, the EPA began in 2021 to establish a roadmap for dealing with widespread PFAS contamination, and so far they’ve gathered much data, including monitoring drinking water, and begun requiring more reports from businesses about use of the unregulated substances.

The agency reported that current peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain levels of PFAS may lead to a myriad of health issues that are difficult to specify because of the variety of compounds coming from different places.

Regardless, the 66,000 water utility operators will have five years to test for the PFAS pollution and install necessary technology to treat the contamination, which the EPA estimates that 6%–10% of facilities will need. [Note: Deeply curious where they got a number that low, but anyway.]

Records show that some of the manufacturers knew these chemicals posed health hazards. A few major lawsuits in recent years have been settled that sought to hold chemical companies, like 3M, accountable for the environment damage.""

-via Good News Network, April 13, 2024

[gatheringbones]

really need everyone to hold out for a partner you don’t need to handhold through the bare minimum of what’s required for your care and handling

[liberaljane]

We need climate action.

Digital illustration of a blonde woman wearing a mask facing the New York City skyline. She is standing on a fire-escape wearing a tan dress that reads, ‘climate change is a public health crisis.’

[thedisablednaturalist]

"Our filter, unlike plastic filters, does not contribute to further pollution as it uses renewable and biodegradable materials: tannic acids from plants, bark, wood and leaves, and wood sawdust—a forestry byproduct that is both widely available and renewable."

"In their research, the team analyzed microparticles shed from widely-used tea bags made of polypropylene. They observed that their technique, termed “bioCap,” captured between 95.2 percent and a staggering 99.9 percent of plastic particles in water, depending on the plastic type. When tested in mouse models, the process was proven to prevent the accumulation of microplastics in the organs"

They said this solution can be scaled up in places like water treatment plants and scaled down for use in the home as well. This is amazing news considering microplastics are one of the biggest problems impacting health these days.

[mindblowingscience]

Researchers in the United States and China have discovered a curious link between air pollution and suicide rates that prompts us to reconsider how to approach this issue. China's efforts to reduce air pollution have prevented 46,000 suicide deaths in the country over just five years, the researchers estimate. The team used weather conditions to tease apart confounding factors affecting pollution and suicide rates, arriving at what they consider to be a truly causal connection. The results, published in Nature Sustainability, unearth air quality as a key factor influencing mental health.

Continue Reading.

[academicgangster]

Bro, you want me to work fucking blind or what

[clonerightsagenda]

I am once again thinking about an Arcane alt ending where the hextech damage topside is bad enough that Piltover residents are forced to flee from toxic industrial magical waste to the undercity and they have to beg for scraps from Zaunite leadership instead of the other way around. And we finally check back in on Ekko's fucking tree.

[askgildaseniors]

In this episode, we dive into the world of microplastics and their impact on environmental health with hydrogeologist and entrepreneur Moises Santillan. Join us as we explore the pressing issues of plastic waste, water quality, and public health alongside Moises's unique personal growth and self-improvement perspective. Discover how a growth mindset can empower communities to tackle complex challenges, from clean water and water safety to creating sustainable solutions for environmental awareness.

Moises shares insights into the science of nanoplastics, his journey in entrepreneurship, and the resilience needed to overcome obstacles. Paul and Moises also discuss the role of a supportive fitness community, the importance of mental health and health awareness, and how small actions lead to meaningful change. Don’t miss this episode—it inspires anyone looking to positively impact the world and their own lives.

DISCLAIMER: The following program contains material, situations, and/or themes that may disturb some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

A National CORE Production supporting the Hope Through Housing Foundation. Join us to uncover the art of turning dreams into reality.

CHAPTERS: 00:00: Embrace Strengths, Holding Your Faith and Trust the Journey 01:05: WIthout the Lab Coat and a Hydrogeology Expert 03:02: Microplastics and Their Impact on Human Health 05:00: Awareness of the Rising Urgency of Microplastic Pollution 07:41: Dichotomy of Dining in a Plastic World 09:23: Making Changes with Hard Work for a Fulfilling Life 10:51: How Physical Strength Fuels Mental Resilience and Life Success 13:05: Building a Community of Fitness Inspiration and Empowerment 17:17: Finding Purpose Beyond Comfort Zones 18:57: The Power of God’s Plan 21:23: Journey from Startup to Investors 23:00: Making Accessibility a Priority for All 25:25: Dream Big, Embrace Faith and Overcoming Obstacles

[hylianengineer]

If you ever feel like despairing because it seems like we'll never solve any of the world's problems, take a second to realize there's no acid rain in the US anymore. There used to be acid rain, did you know that? The reason there isn't anymore is the Clean Air Act and the EPA's Acid Rain program, which have only existed since the 90s.

We used to have acid rain here and now we just DON'T. We have gone from acid rain to no acid rain in the span of 30 years. Because of effective environmental regulations.

[todaysdocument]

Hazy Cleveland skyline on July 20, 1973, day of a pollution alert.

Record Group 412: Records of the Environmental Protection Agency

Series: DOCUMERICA: The Environmental Protection Agency's Program to Photographically Document Subjects of Environmental Concern

Image description: The Cleveland skyline, with the furthest buildings disappearing in haze. The entire photo, including the sky, is tinged yellow-orange. 

[reasonsforhope]

"In cities across the country, people of color, many of them low income, live in neighborhoods criss-crossed by major thoroughfares and highways.

The housing there is often cheaper — it’s not considered particularly desirable to wake up amid traffic fumes and fall asleep to the rumble of vehicles over asphalt.

But the price of living there is steep: Exhaust from all those cars and trucks leads to higher rates of childhood asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and pulmonary ailments. Many people die younger than they otherwise would have, and the medical costs and time lost to illness contributes to their poverty.

Imagine if none of those cars and trucks emitted any fumes at all, running instead on an electric charge. That would make a staggering difference in the trajectory, quality, and length of millions of lives, particularly those of young people growing up near freeways and other sources of air pollution, according to a study from the American Lung Association.

The study, released [February 28, 2024], found that a widespread transition to EVs could avoid nearly 3 million asthma attacks and hundreds of infant deaths, in addition to millions of lower and upper respiratory ailments...

Prior research by the American Lung Association found that 120 million people in the U.S. breathe unhealthy air daily, and 72 million live near a major trucking route — though, Barret added, there’s no safe threshold for air pollution. It affects everyone.

Bipartisan efforts to strengthen clean air standards have already made a difference across the country. In California, which, under the Clean Air Act, can set state rules stronger than national standards, 100 percent of new cars sold there must be zero emission by 2035.

[Note: The article doesn't explain this, but that is actually a much bigger deal than just California. Basically, due to historically extra terrible pollution, California is the only state that's allowed to allowed to set stronger emissions rules than the US government sets. However, one of the rules in the Clean Air Act is that any other state can choose to follow California's standards instead of the US government's. And California by itself is the world's fifth largest economy - ahead of all but four countries. So, between those two things, when California sets stricter standards for cars, they effects ripple outward massively, far beyond the state's borders.]

Truck manufacturers are, according to the state’s Air Resources Board, already exceeding anticipated zero-emissions truck sales, putting them two years ahead of schedule...

Other states have begun to take action, too, often reaching across partisan lines to do so. Maryland, Colorado, New Mexico, and Rhode Island adopted zero-emissions standards as of the end of 2023.

The Biden administration is taking similar steps, though it has slowed its progress after automakers and United Auto Workers pressured the administration to relax some of its more stringent EV transition requirements.

While Barret finds efforts to support the electrification of passenger vehicles exciting, he said the greatest culprits are diesel trucks. “These are 5 to 10 percent of the vehicles on the road, but they’re generating the majority of smog-forming emissions of ozone and nitrogen,” Barret said...

Lately, there’s been significant progress on truck decarbonization. The Biden administration has made promises to ensure that 30 percent of all big rigs sold are electric by 2030...

Such measures, combined with an increase in public EV charging stations, vehicle tax credits, and other incentives, could change American highways, not to mention health, for good."

-via GoodGoodGood, February 28, 2024

[settlercolonialismisbad]

Fireworks aren’t harmless.

Reminder that fireworks are seriously disruptive to millions of lives and frankly your enjoyment isn’t worth my grandma’s pacemaker giving out due to a ptsd attack. or animals’ sheer terror. or the air quality in entire towns. or the risk of fire from stray embers. two years ago we lost the only gay bar in our community to a fire because someone decided to set off fireworks nearby.

[transgenderlabrat]

Ok I don’t want to celebrate too preemptively because technically nothing is official yet but unofficially…I HAVE A SENIOR THESIS POSITION WOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Gonna be doing some analytical chemistry on air pollutants in my city!! It’ll be cool! And very community oriented and involved which is fantastic! And the people in the lab are great! I’m excited! Fingers crossed this does actually become an official thing soon lol.