Air pollution is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide, with the climate crisis playing a key role. This is the alarming conclusion of a study by the Swiss company Indice de Qualité de l'Air (IQAir). The consequences for health are devastating: in the countries most affected, life expectancy could fall by up to six years.
Electromobility is a key building block for more sustainable mobility. Electric cars are considered to be significantly more environmentally friendly than their petrol-guzzling counterparts. However, a recent study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) shows: Electric cars are not always the more environmentally friendly option. In 2024, a plug-in hybrid, the Toyota Prius Prime SE, will top the list of the most environmentally friendly cars. This is despite the fact that electric cars follow in the next four places.
The daily morning car journeys to school, known as parent taxis, are now a widespread phenomenon in German cities. However, this type of school transport not only harbours safety risks, but also impairs the air quality around schools. The German Association of Cities therefore recently called for more room for manoeuvre for cities and municipalities to take action against this practice.
The end of diesel in Munich seems to have been heralded. The Bavarian Administrative Court (VGH) has ruled that Euro 5 diesels will no longer be allowed to enter Munich's low emission zone. A step that should significantly improve air quality in the city, but what does this mean for the 70,000 or so drivers affected?
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced a pilot project to install air filters in 200 of the city's most polluted schools. At first glance, this sounds like a commendable initiative. But why did it have to come this far?
In Les Roche de Condrieux, an industrial area in France, the sulphur dioxide limit value was recently exceeded at one point. At 300 µg/m³, the hourly average was above the permitted value for two hours. The warning was only issued in the late afternoon.
Air pollution has been with us since the beginning of industrialisation. It is omnipresent, especially in cities. However, with technological progress and the relocation of factories away from city centres, air quality has improved in most wealthy countries. A major source of air pollution, the internal combustion engine, seems to be slowly being replaced by electric cars. But are electric cars really the environmentally friendly alternative they appear to be?
The climate crisis, one of the greatest challenges of our time, is becoming ever more tangible and its effects ever more evident. Paradoxically, one of the main causes of the alarming rise in CO2 emissions is the lack of water. This leads to dry soil, which in turn produces more particulate matter and favours the creation of new environmental zones.
A fresh breeze is blowing in the metropolis of Berlin - and that is to be taken literally. The environmental administration's new clean air plan shows that the air in the capital is getting cleaner, windier and yes, also more expensive. But what does this mean for residents and what does all this have to do with the new EU limits?
The American electric car manufacturer Tesla appears to be entering stormy waters. The Gigafactory in Grünheide, Brandenburg, is under massive fire. The accusation: excessive pollutant discharges into the groundwater. There is great concern about the quality of the groundwater and people in the region are deeply unsettled.
