air pollution

English Ivy: Nature’s Air Filter

Kevin Danielson air pollution, English, English Ivy, filter, Hedera helix, HEPA, indoor, invasive species, invasives, ivy, species, VOC, volatile organic compound

English Ivy may be the scourge of gardeners, but it could just be the answer to our indoor air pollution woes…

Alysson Muotri at the University of California San Diego Department of Pediatrics is using teeth analysis to identify gene abnormalities in children with autism, even in cases with no previous known genetic cause. Credit: Kris Krüg for PopTech (FlickrCC)

EarthTalk

What environmental factors are contributing to the autism epidemic?

Doug Moss and Roddy Scheer air pollution, Alysson Muotri, autism, Autism Speaks, autistic, CDC, Chlorpyrifos, exposure, genetic, Harvard, in utero, increase, predisposition, pregnancy, pregnant, prevalence, School of Public Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccination, vaccinations, vaccine, vaccines

Dear EarthTalk: What is the latest thinking on the environmental causes (if any) of autism? I hear so much conflicting information I don’t know what to believe. —Bill Stribling, Austin, TX In the 1980s, about one in 2,000 American kids was diagnosed with autism. […]

Toxins & Pollution

Wheezing, Nosebleeds, & Shortness of Breath

Ethan Goffman air pollution, asthma, Baltimore, Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility, Clean Air Act, Earthjustice, Maryland, Maryland Department of Health, Sierra Club

In late 2014, the election of Larry Hogan as governor of Maryland, a Republican in a bright-blue state, came as something of a shock. One of Hogan’s first actions, in January of 2015 just after he was sworn in, was to halt a clean air regulation that limited the pollutants NOx, which leads to smog […]

Particulate Matter and Ground-Level Ozone Continue to Plague American Skies Despite Progress. Credit: Papadont, FlickrCC

EarthTalk

What are the most dangerous threats to our air quality?

Doug Moss and Roddy Scheer air pollution, air quality, American Lung Association, Clean Air Act, ground-level ozone, ozone, particulate matter, smog

Dear EarthTalk: What are some of the more dangerous threats to our air quality and what can be done to eliminate them so we can all breathe more easily? — Melanie Smith, Pomfret, CT The main threats to local air quality across the United States (as well as most everywhere else) remain smog and particulate pollution, […]

Toxins & Pollution

Is Air Pollution Stressing You Out?

Clint Tustison air pollution, air quality, emissions, stress

There is mounting evidence that higher levels of air pollution could be causing you to stress out more than normal. In a study conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Boston University School of Medicine published in January, for example, scientists concluded that as air pollution increased, perceived stress levels […]

EarthTalk

Naptime Activists Unite

Doug Moss and Roddy Scheer activism, air pollution, MCAF, Moms Clean Air Force

Dear EarthTalk: What is “Moms Clean Air Force” and how can I get involved? — Betsy Edgewater, Salem, OR Moms Clean Air Force (MCAF) is a community of 400,000+ parents working to combat air pollution and respond to the climate change crisis. The fast-growing non-profit leverages the power of citizen activism and social media to […]