Why does Canada have so many wildfires?

Ahmad Mukhtar
Updated Wed, May 15, 2024 

Toronto — Wildfire season has arrived in full force in Western Canada, prompting evacuation orders and alerts in several towns in British Columbia and neighboring Alberta due to the danger of uncontrolled blazes. According to the BC administration's latest wildfire situation report, seven evacuation orders and five alerts had been issued in the province since Friday, driving about 4,700 residents from their homes.

"The situation is evolving rapidly," British Columbia's emergency management minister Bowninn Ma warned Monday, as officials said there were 130 active wildfires burning, 14 of them deemed out of control.

Thousands more people got evacuation orders Tuesday as strong winds pushed a raging fire closer to the oil-rich town of Fort McMurray, in Alberta province. Josee St-Onge, a spokesperson for the Alberta wildfire service, said that due to the intensity of the blaze, firefighting crews were pulled back from the front line Tuesday for safety reasons.

"We are seeing extreme fire behavior. Smoke columns are developing, and the skies are covered in smoke," St-Onge said at a news conference.

The 2023 wildfire season in Canada was the worst on record, with 6,551 fires scorching nearly 46 million acres, from the West Coast to the Atlantic provinces and the far north. The impact on the environment, particularly air quality, in both Canada and the United States was profound. As predicted, 2024 is shaping up to be another devastating wildfire season, and disaster and climate experts have a pretty good idea of why.

Most of the fires now ravaging Canada have actually been burning since last fire season, having smoldered slowly during the winter under the snowpack.

Scientists say these blazes, sometimes called zombie fires, are a stark reminder of the impact of climate change. Studies have linked the overwinter fires to ongoing drought conditions amid the increasingly hot, dry springs Canada has experienced in recent years. Scientists say less precipitation and warmer winter temperatures mean fires can keep burning in the dense layers of vegetation under the snowpack.

Sonja Leverkus, an ecosystem scientist in British Columbia who also works as a firefighter, told CBS News on Monday that the northeast of the Canadian province has so many wildfires at the moment "because we are in a severe drought for a third year in a row."

She said the parched conditions were likely to make things worse before they get any better.

Leverkus has been on the front line of the battle against fires in her hometown of Fort Nelson, where she and her teammates and their communities are currently under evacuation orders.

The Parker Lake wildfire glows in an aerial photograph taken by a British Columbia Emergency Health Services crew member through the window of an airplane evacuating patients from nearby Fort Nelson, May 10, 2024. / Credit: Andrei Axenov/BCEHS

"Many of the current fires this week were 2023 wildfires that overwintered below ground," she said. "We are heavy into spring, with low relative humidity, high wind, heat, and zero precipitation. Hence, wildfires."

Wildfire expert Ben Boghean, commenting this week on the blaze currently threatening the Parker Lake community in British Columbia, said Sunday that last year's severe drought conditions have enabled fires to spread at dizzying rates this spring, and due to the below-normal snowpack new fires are also erupting more easily.


Can wildfire smoke make you sick? How to stay safe amid air quality alerts, wildfire evacuations in Canada

With parts of Canada and the U.S. under air quality warnings, here's what to know about staying indoors, wearing a mask, and more tips to stay safe.

Karla Renic
·Lifestyle Editor
Updated Tue, May 14, 2024 

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.

Dangers of wildfire smoke inhalation are making headlines again as fires rage across Canada. On May 11, 2024, the Aurora Borealis was seen shining overhead of a B.C. Conservation Officer Service vehicle as a wildfire burns in the background near Fort Nelson, B.C. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship)More

Wildfires are raging again across Canada, with around 90 fires currently burning and smokey conditions affecting western provinces. The situation has led to hazardous air quality conditions in Canada, extending into the United States for the first time this season.

In northeastern British Columbia, the Parker Lake Fire tripled in size over the weekend and has gotten closer to the community of Fort Nelson, that's now under an evacuation order. Meanwhile, in Alberta, an evacuation alert is in place for residents of the Fort McMurray area after new fire starts over the weekend. The province is also being impacted by the wildfire smoke from B.C., with officials saying: "We know the presence of wildfires and smoke in the region can cause a wide range of emotions. Many local public and professional mental health resources are available."

Environment Canada has issued air quality alerts for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Quebec on Monday through Tuesday. "Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone's health even at low concentrations," it warned.

Warnings were also issued south of the border, in Minnesota, Montana, the Dakotas and Wisconsin due to the haze, urging people to stay indoors and avoid physical activity outside.

As the wildfire season kicks off, ways to protect ourselves from smoke are top-of-mind for many. Last year, Yahoo Canada spoke to a top respirologist in Toronto, who weighed in on the impact of smoke on our lungs, and what to do to stay safe. Read on for everything you need to know.

Wildfire smoke symptoms, and impact of wildfire smoke on our health: Expert

Smoke from wildfires blankets the city as a couple has a picnic in Edmonton, Alta., on Saturday, May 11, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Dr. John Granton, a respirologist at the Toronto General Hospital (University Health Network), told Yahoo Canada wildfires cause air pollution that can have a far-reaching effect on human health.

Small air pollutant particles in the smoke, called the PM2.5 particles, are "where a lot of the toxic stuff lives," Granton explained.

"That's not filtered by your upper airway, that gets access to your lower airway and into your bloodstream even — and that's where the danger lies.

"That can cause asthma attacks, can cause heart attacks, can contribute to hospitalizations and has long-term health outcomes."

Even just the smell could cause problems to some, he said.

"Being in smog all day long, the smell bothers people; it can cause irritation of the upper airway, some of the larger particles can cause irritation, and cause symptoms. People [who] have chest symptoms or asthma, it can make them feel worse."

Granton said smoke isn't easy to escape, but there are some things people can do try and stay safe.
Can face masks protect us from smoke?

According to Granton, "there's not a lot of data to support the health benefits of masking" when it comes to safety from wildfire smoke. But, he said there is research looking into the effectiveness of filters.

"Cloth masks or scarves and things are not effective at all," the doctor claimed.

But, surgical masks and N95 filter masks "tend to filter those smaller particles," he added, "apparently some of those masks are effective."

A cyclist wears a mask due to poor air quality conditions as smoke from wildfires in Ontario and Quebec hangs over Ottawa on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Granton said "they're not going to filter the gases," though, and there are studies that question whether masks that aren't properly fitted would actually help in the real world.

"Whether or not that has a direct health benefit is speculative right now," Granton explained.

However, he said it "may be reasonable" for those who have underlying health conditions and those who have to be in the hotspots of the pollution to wear one.

"If you have to be outdoors and doing things, then wearing that sort of mask to protect you would be sensible."
How else to protect yourself from wildfire smoke?

Though filtration masks could aid in protecting your lungs from smoke, the number one recommendation from experts is to stay indoors.

Canadian experts are advising to stay indoors to protect yourself from wildfire smoke. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

According to Health Canada, the following measures should also be taken:

Reduce sources of indoor air pollution (smoking, vacuuming, burning candles, wood stoves)


Prevent infiltration of outside air (seal windows, instal a high-quality air filter, set HVAC system to recirculation mode, limit use of exhaust fans when not cooking)

Have a functioning CO alarm


Use a portable air purifier and air conditioning

Granton echoed this advice.

"Most people recommend staying indoors as much as possible and not exercising or doing things outside," he reiterated.


How Inhaling Wildfire Smoke Can Affect You in the Long Term

Chantelle Lee

TIME
Wed, May 15, 2024 

Smoke rises after fire erupts in Western Canada on May 14, 2024. Credit - Cheyenne Berreault—Anadolu/Getty Images

Wildfires burning in Canada started sending smoke across the border on Sunday and into the week, prompting U.S. officials to issue air quality warnings in several northern states—and experts say people should be prepared to experience more air quality alerts this summer.

Parts of Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin suffered from poor air quality on Sunday and Monday because of smoke from wildfires continuing to burn in British Columbia and Alberta. While skies in the U.S. mostly cleared by Tuesday, experts say they’re expecting another active wildfire season this summer.

Last summer was Canada’s most devastating wildfire season on record, and researchers found that it was also the worst season in recent history for smoke exposure per U.S. resident.

“We still think that last year was pretty extreme, kind of an anomaly, but we do expect an above average year (this year) in terms of air quality alerts,” says David Brown, an air quality meteorologist at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Brown urged people to be aware and cautious because of the danger that inhaling wildfire smoke poses.

“Wildfire smoke can really affect everyone,” Brown tells TIME. “Prior to these really bad two summers, air quality has kind of been … an issue that probably only affects a small percentage of the population. But these impactful wildfire smoke events really can have impacts on everyone, so everyone kind of has to pay closer attention to the weather and air quality.”

Fine particles in wildfire smoke—known as PM2.5 because they have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers—are so small that they can enter your lungs and even your bloodstream, according to Craig Czarnecki, the outreach coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Air Management Program.

The average person could experience relatively mild symptoms after breathing in these particles, like a scratchy throat and itchy eyes, Brown explains. But for children, older people, and people with pre-existing heart or respiratory conditions, breathing in these particles can cause more significant symptoms—for instance, it could exacerbate a person’s asthma. In extreme cases, some people with pre-existing heart conditions have experienced heart attacks or heart palpitations.

Read More: What Wildfire Smoke Does to the Human Body

A 2023 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found an association between smoke from Canadian wildfires and an increase in the number of people being treated for asthma-related symptoms in emergency departments in New York City.

The study shows that “wildfire smoke is a public health threat,” according to Kai Chen, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health and lead author of the study. But the effect of wildfire smoke on asthma is “just one piece” of the impact wildfire smoke can have on people’s health, Chen says.

Research also shows that exposure to wildfire smoke could have long-term impacts. A working paper in the National Bureau of Economic Research found that, as climate change increases the prevalence and intensity of wildfires, wildfire smoke exposure could lead to nearly 28,000 deaths a year by 2050 —a 76% increase from estimated average deaths between 2011 and 2020.

Other studies show that long-term exposure to PM2.5 can impair children’s lung development and increase the risk of developing lung cancer or heart disease.

When officials issue air quality alerts, people should limit their exposure to the wildfire smoke, reduce exertion, and keep an eye out for potential symptoms, like coughing or shortness of breath, Brown and Czarnecki advise. Wearing an N95 mask might be helpful if people are going to be outside for extended periods of time, Czarnecki adds.

“When we have advisories like this, the best way to prevent breathing particles during smoke events is to stay indoors,” Czarnecki says.

Canadian wildfire smoke chokes Midwest with poor air quality again Tuesday

Chris Oberholtz
Tue, May 14, 2024

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Some northern states are waking up to hazy skies Tuesday due to smoke from wildfires across western Canada.

Dozens of large wildfires are burning, mostly in British Columbia and Alberta provinces. The toxic smoke from these massive wildfires has been released into the air and carried into the northern U.S., causing poor air quality in parts of the Midwest.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has issued an air quality alert for the northernmost four tiers of counties west of Interstate 35 and east of I-35 through 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Iowa air quality officials advise limiting outdoor activities and taking more breaks until conditions improve, especially for those with respiratory or heart disease, children, teenagers, the elderly and outdoor workers.

HOW IS AIR QUALITY MEASURED?

The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, said that some areas may experience minor reductions in visibility and deteriorated air quality due to surface smoke on Tuesday. However, air quality is expected to improve compared to Monday, as the smoke remains mostly aloft.

As the smoke shifted south Tuesday morning, Topeka, Kansas, had the worst air quality in America. Kansas City, Missouri, also ranked among the cities with the worst air quality.

THE AIR QUALITY INDEX EXPLAINED: WHAT AIR QUALITY IS BAD?

On Monday, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul in Minnesota claimed the worst air quality in America after winds carried the smoke southeastward into the northern U.S. The air quality forecast for Minneapolis is improving to "good" for Tuesday through the rest of the workweek.

The FOX Forecast Center said computer forecast models show the smoke hugging portions of the Midwest throughout Tuesday before an approaching cold front brings rain and clearer conditions starting Wednesday.

WHICH U.S. CITIES HAVE THE DIRTIEST AIR? 2024 STATE OF THE AIR REPORT RANKS THEM

The combination of warm temperatures and an ongoing drought have helped fuel several fires in western Canada, which has prompted thousands to leave their homes.

CANADA HAD NORTH AMERICA'S WORST AIR QUALITY IN 2023 BECAUSE OF WILDFIRES, REPORT SAYS

One of the largest fires burning in the province of British Columbia is called the Parker Lake Wildfire. As of Tuesday, the blaze has burned more than 20,000 acres. The British Columbia Wildfire Service has identified the blaze as "out of control," noting that it continues to spread and could breach the current control line.

Local authorities urged the entire town of Fort Nelson to evacuate and use as few vehicles as possible to conserve fuel in the region about 400 miles east of Juneau, Alaska.

Large wildfires are also burning in neighboring Alberta, where thick smoke and poor air quality have been experienced in large parts of the province.

An evacuation alert was issued for Fort McMurray in Alberta as crews respond to what they describe as an "out-of-control wildfire" southwest of town that has burned more than 16,200 acres as of the latest report.

Additionally, authorities are monitoring rekindled fires since the historic 2023 firestorm, which burned more than 45 million acres.

An El Niño regime caused extensive snowfall deficits across much of the country, potentially setting up regions for another record-breaking fire season.

The latest North America Drought Monitor showed nearly half of Canada is in drought conditions, with the driest regions being located in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.

In 2023, hundreds of fires in Canada contributed to some U.S. cities seeing their worst air pollution of all time and creating an orange haze in hazardous conditions.


Dozens of blazes burning in Canada are sending smoke to the US. Several major fires have forced hundreds of evacuations

Eric Zerkel, Joe Sutton, Paradise Afshar and Sara Smart, CNN
Mon, May 13, 2024 

More than 100 blazes are burning across Canada Monday, with several major wildfires prompting evacuations for hundreds of residents and threatening to swallow up communities.

In the province of Manitoba, in eastern Canada, a massive fire had charred more than 86,000 acres by Monday evening and was less than a mile away from the community of Cranberry Portage, local authorities said. More than 500 residents there had been evacuated, according to Manitoba officials.

“I’ve been working in wildfires for 40 years, I’ve never seen a fire move like this fire moved,” Manitoba Wildfire Service Director Earl Simmons said in a Monday news conference.

In Western Canada, the Parker Lake Fire in northeastern British Columbia more than tripled in size over the weekend to 13,000 acres and is now on the doorstep of the small community of Fort Nelson. The blaze was less than 1.5 miles west of the town Monday morning, and gusty winds are expected to linger in the coming days and could bring the flames even closer.

“The next 48 hours will be a challenging situation,” said Bowinn Ma, BC minister of emergency management and climate readiness. “We may begin to see volatile wildfire activity later this afternoon.”

As of Monday morning, roughly 4,700 people were under evacuation orders, including in the town of Fort Nelson and Fort Nelson First Nation, Ma said. People across 80 other properties were also asked to evacuate, the official added.

Evacuation alerts are also in effect for parts of Alberta as wildfire MWF-017 burns about 10 miles southwest of the city of Fort McMurray – an area that was devastated by a wildfire in 2016. By Monday evening, that blaze had grown to more than 16,200 acres.

An evacuation alert was issued for residents in Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek, Gregoire Lake Estates, Fort McMurray 468 First Nation and Anzac, according to Alberta officials.

The blazes also prompted the Canadian National Railway Company to suspend services in some areas.

“CN has suspended service on our network between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson in British Columbia and north of High Level, Alberta due to wildfire activity,” spokeswoman Ashley Michnowski told CNN. “We are working with impacted customers as our crews assess damages and identify any required repairs.”
Warming climate helps fire conditions

Extremely dry conditions and winds gusting up to 25 mph are driving the fire Monday, but the seeds of fire activity were sown over the winter and in past years as the world continues to warm because of human-driven climate change.

“This region has experienced multiple years of drought, with a below normal snowpack this past winter,” said Ben Boghean, fire behavior specialist for the BC Wildfire Service. “As a result of this, our forests in the Fort Nelson zone are very receptive to new fire ignitions and rapid rates of spread.”

This handout picture courtesy of the Alberta Wildfire Service, taken May 11, 2024, shows smoke from wildfires burning southwest of the town of Fort McMurray, in Alberta, Canada. - Alberta Wildlife Service/AFP/Getty Images

Declining snow, increasing temperatures and worsening droughts are all hallmarks of climate change and are projected to keep driving larger and more intense fires across Canada, according to Environment Canada.

Last year was Canada’s most devastating fire season on record, including in British Columbia, where fires burned through hundreds of homes and an area the size of Maryland, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

The Parker Lake Fire is not alone. There are more than 100 fires burning across Canada, 39 of which are considered out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Fire Centre.

Some of the blazes are so-called “holdover fires” also known colloquially as “zombie fires,” the smoldering remains of last season’s epic blazes, burning deep in the ground throughout the winter and reigniting when exposed to warmer temperatures in the spring.

Smoke rises Friday from mutual aid wildfire GCU007 in the Grande Prairie Forest Area near TeePee Creek, Alberta. - Alberta Wildfire/Handout/Reuters

“In the past, the winter conditions are what put out a lot of holdover fires,” Ma said. “In this case, what we’ve seen is that due to higher temperatures and persistent drought through the last year, many of these holdover fires were not put out like they normally are.”

Two “zombie” fires, the Patry Creek Fire and the Nogah Creek wildfire, are growing rapidly to the north and east of Fort Nelson and contributing to the evacuation orders.

Evacuation alerts are also in place for parts of Alberta as the MWF-017 wildfire burns out of control near Fort McMurray in the northeastern area of the province, officials said. The fire had burned about 16,000 acres as of Sunday morning.
Hazardous smoke creeps into the US

Smoke from the infernos has caused Environment Canada to issue a special air quality statement extending from British Columbia to Saskatchewan.

It has also caused smoke to waft down into the northern tier of the US for the first time this year, and for air quality alerts to be issued for Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Air quality reached “unhealthy” levels in all three states Monday, including Minneapolis-St. Paul, according to AirNow.gov.

On Monday afternoon, the Twin Cities had the eighth-worst air quality of 119 major cities tracked by IQAIR, a company tracking air quality worldwide.

Particulate matter levels this high can cause issues for sensitive groups or anyone spending prolonged time outdoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Wildfire smoke has been linked to increases in certain cancers and heart-related issues, among other ailments.

Just last year, smoke from Canadian wildfires made its way to parts of the United States and caused dangerous air conditions across the country. In 2023, 19 counties in 11 states had days with “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality — given at least a “code purple” alert on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index.

Poor air quality conditions are expected to linger in the US through Monday, and likely longer in parts of Canada closer to the fires, including Alberta and British Columbia.

Canadian officials warned those at higher risk of experiencing health effects from wildfire smoke include people with lung disease such as asthma, people with heart disease, along with older adults, children, those who are pregnant and people who work outdoors. They also recommended those who spend time outdoors wear a mask to help reduce exposure to fine particles of smoke.

New Air Quality Monitors Could Expose Factory Farming and Environmental Racism

 

In North Carolina, Sampson County residents and environmental groups are working together to measure air pollution from the meat industry.

May 5, 2024 by Sentient Media

 

By Grace Hussain, Sentient Media

Sampson County is an agricultural powerhouse for North Carolina, home to more than 400 industrial animal agriculture operations, otherwise known as factory farms. These hundreds of factory farms are responsible for spewing tons of greenhouse gasses and other toxic pollutants into the air, but until now, Sampson county residents haven’t been able to do much about it.

Ninety-five percent of North Carolina hog farms are located in the eastern part of the state, a region predominantly low-income and Black, brown and Indigenous. A 2023 analysis of air quality in Duplin county (neighbor to Sampson county) found that marginalized communities are exposed to higher pollution levels — including ammonia — than the state’s residents as a whole. Efforts to fight back against pollution have long proved challenging, but residents are turning to air quality monitors to expose factory farming and a clear pattern of environmental racism.

Even though research has shown that the pork industry’s heavy presence contributes to air pollution, until recently communities in the eastern part of North Carolina have not had access to federal air quality monitors, which would give them access to federal grants that could be used to make the air cleaner. A new program spearheaded by residents and a coalition of advocacy groups is working to address that gap in information — putting monitoring equipment in the hands of the community in order to arm them in the fight for cleaner air.

“There is a gap in air quality data,” says Daisha Wall, who manages programs for Cleanaire NC, one of the organizations working in Sampson County to install air quality monitors throughout the area in order to fill the void. The organization employs what is sometimes called “citizen science,” a strategy of scientific research that is driven by a collaboration of professional scientists and members of the public, though the group uses the term “community science” to describe its collaborative efforts. Community scientists are called Airkeepers by the Cleanaire NC, which previously spearheaded a similar effort in Charlotte.

The Sampson County initiative brings together community residents and a number of environmental groups, including Cleanaire NC, the Environmental Justice Community Action Network and Eastern Research Group. The groups will be working together to deploy air sensors — some directly into backyards and one that is mounted on a car — in order to detect pollution in the air. The project is being funded by a $500,000 grant from the EPA, and depending on the data, agency regulators could take action if that pollution exceeds regulatory limits.

Hog Farm Air Pollution Linked to Higher Cancer Rates

A typical North Carolina industrial hog farms hold thousands of hogs at a time, and those animals generate massive amounts of waste — upwards of millions of gallons of manure, in fact. Farms have to store the waste somewhere until it can be sprayed on crop farms, often in massive open-air cesspits. Each of the farms in Sampson County usually has at least one of these cesspits, though some of the larger farm operations need five or six to hold all of their waste, according to state data. As the waste sits, it emits noxious gasses like methane and hydrogen sulfide that spread into the air in surrounding communities. Collectively, these gasses are called volatile organic compounds or VOCs, and the science suggests these pollutants might be linked to a number of health conditions that are more common in these communities.

According to the research, factory farms in North Carolina have been linked to higher rates of anemia, kidney disease and, for some residents, early mortality. And according to the American Lung Association, exposure to these gasses can cause ear, nose and eye irritation, difficulty breathing and increase the risk of some kinds of cancer.

In Sampson County, Community Residents Take the Lead

Factory farms have a long history of operating in poorer marginalized communities where residents lack the financial resources to push back against the meat and dairy industries. Every single attendee at Cleanaire NC’s first community meeting for the project was Black or brown, says Wall, who heard residents express concern about the quality of the air they and their families breathe each day.

The concerns raised at that first meeting became some of the major driving forces behind the new initiative. Some community members recounted how their homes were sprayed with animal feces, says Wall, while others described playgrounds located right next to factory farms. “It really puts a fire under you to do the best you can,” she adds.

Data collection is set to launch July 1, but 25 out of 30 sensors have already been deployed at homes across the county. Using an app developed in partnership by Cleanaire NC and the EPA, residents report unusual odors, which triggers the system to analyze the source of the smell  — ammonia smells sharp and pungent, for instance.

Over the next three years, the coalition will also host training and informational sessions aimed at equipping community members to effectively advocate for clean air. The end goal of all of it: a federal air monitor that can unlock stronger clean air protections for Sampson county.

Federal air quality monitors are used to flag any air contaminant that’s out of the ordinary, says Wall. And once a pollutant has been flagged, she says, “they have to implement programs to address it.” Up until now, communities didn’t have actual data about the pollution in the air. But if the federal monitor detects regulatory violations, the EPA can pursue action against the offenders — including fines and remediation.

Building On Success in Charlotte

In Sampson County, the campaign for a federal air monitor has just started. But 170 miles away in Charlotte, residents of the historic West End neighborhood have already leveraged the sensors to jumpstart federal air quality monitoring.

The community in Charlotte even went on to create a green district with the support of organizations like Cleanaire NC, which includes car charging stations, a community garden, freshly planted trees, newly established green spaces and green bus stations and infrastructure.

The new landscape is a distinct departure from the historic reality of the West End neighborhood, which was redlined by zoning maps in the 1930’s. The practice of redlining was used to delineate Black neighborhoods as “risky investments.” These neighborhoods then were excluded from the investments enjoyed by other areas in cities, and buildings, roads and other city services became neglected and rundown as a result. To make matters worse, when highways came to Charlotte, they cut through other Black neighborhoods, which caused more families to move to the West End and increased racial segregation in Charlotte. Decades later, the neighborhood is now considered highly desirable, but the district also struggles against the effects of gentrification, which increase rents and property taxes and threaten to displace longtime residents.

Back in Sampson County, Wall emphasizes that Cleanaire NC is well aware of their role as an outside organization supporting the work of the residents of the local community. “We really are led and guided by community needs and input,” she says. Wall also says she’s eager to get started, to help spur “the changes that communities want to see.”

This article has been updated to clarify Wall’s work with Cleanaire NC, and also the group’s use of the term “community science.”

This article originally appeared in Sentient at https://sentientmedia.org/air-quality-monitors-factory-farming/.

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This story was originally published by Sentient Media.

 

Research shows link between pollution and heart risks in residents of the city of São Paulo, Brazil

A study by the University of São Paulo, published in the journal Environmental Research, analyzed the results of the autopsies of 238 people and epidemiological data; the risk is greater for hypertensive patients

FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO

The relationship between living in a polluted city like São Paulo (Brazil) and lung disease or cancer is well known. But the problems go further. Unprecedented research shows that long-term exposure to air pollution is directly linked to increased heart risks in residents of the capital of the state of the same name. People with high blood pressure are at even greater risk. 

The study, published in the journal Environmental Research, was conducted by researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) with support from FAPESP (projects 13/21728-2, 16/23129-7 and 19/06435-5). The research shows that cardiac fibrosis, an indicator of heart disease, is related to the duration of exposure to black carbon particles, an indicator of air pollution.

The researchers analyzed the autopsies of 238 people and epidemiological data to measure this association. They also interviewed relatives of the victims to gather information on risk factors such as a history of smoking and hypertension. From macroscopic observation of lung tissue, they determined the presence and amount of the black carbon fraction in the lungs. Myocardial samples revealed the cardiac fibrosis fraction. 

The results showed a significant association between the black carbon fraction in the lungs and cardiac fibrosis in the individuals studied. This means that the longer a person is exposed to pollution, the more likely they are to develop fibrosis. “This data highlights the crucial role of autopsy in investigating the effects of the urban environment and personal habits in determining diseases,” says one of the authors of the study, pathologist and USP professor Paulo Saldiva. 

In addition, it was found that the risk is increased for hypertensive individuals. Among them, the presence of the heart disease marker increases with the increase in the presence of the pollution exposure indicator, both in smokers and non-smokers. Among non-hypertensive individuals, the highest risks were observed mainly among smokers.  

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a disease that can be silent and without symptoms. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the mortality rate has increased in ten years from 11.8 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011 to 18.7 in 2021. Around 60% of the country’s elderly suffer from hypertension.    

When hypertension is silent, pollution is not always visible. In some cases, however, it is possible to know where it is most harmful. Exposure to pollution within the same city depends on factors such as people’s habits and commutes. “We can say that there are two indicators of pollution, one measured by the CETESB [São Paulo State Environmental Corporation] network, which is objective. And another related to how much each individual is exposed to,” he says. “In other words, the level of concentration of environmental pollution doesn’t mean the same dose is received by everyone. If you’re in a traffic corridor for hours, you receive a higher dose because the concentration of that environment is particularly higher.”

Saldiva explains that various factors, such as hypertension itself, influence the development of cardiac fibrosis, and that pollution has now been shown to be one of them. “The question was, ‘Is pollution big enough to show up in this photo?’ It is, and it was the first time in the world that it had been demonstrated in humans. That’s the difference in this work,” he points out.

According to the doctor, the study was only possible thanks to the work carried out 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by the city’s Death Verification Service (SVO). He says that the support of the USP Medical School and FAPESP, in agreements signed in the past with the SVO, has built up a vast body of processes and information that today lead to new scientific possibilities.  

USP’s research provides evidence of the impacts of air pollution on cardiovascular health and highlights the need for effective measures to reduce the population’s exposure to this evil. Implementing measures such as reducing vehicle emissions, promoting sustainable public transport in the city, and promoting clean energy sources are effective strategies for mitigating the impacts of air pollution on public health.

About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.

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JOURNAL

Environmental Research

DOI

10.1016/j.envres.2024.118380 

ARTICLE TITLE

Association of pulmonary black carbon accumulation with cardiac fibrosis in residents of Sao Paulo, Brazil

The world’s 100 worst polluted cities are in Asia — and 83 of them are in just one country

Helen Regan, CNN
Fri, April 26, 2024 



All but one of the 100 cities with the world’s worst air pollution last year were in Asia, according to a new report, with the climate crisis playing a pivotal role in bad air quality that is risking the health of billions of people worldwide.

The vast majority of these cities — 83 — were in India and all exceeded the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines by more than 10 times, according to the report by IQAir, which tracks air quality worldwide.

The study looked specifically at fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which is the tiniest pollutant but also the most dangerous. Only 9% of more than 7,800 cities analyzed globally recorded air quality that met WHO’s standard, which says average annual levels of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter.


“We see that in every part of our lives that air pollution has an impact,” said IQAir Global CEO Frank Hammes. “And it typically, in some of the most polluted countries, is likely shaving off anywhere between three to six years of people’s lives. And then before that will lead to many years of suffering that are entirely preventable if there’s better air quality.”

When inhaled, PM2.5 travels deep into lung tissue where it can enter the bloodstream. It comes from sources like the combustion of fossil fuels, dust storms and wildfires, and has been linked to asthma, heart and lung disease, cancer, and other respiratory illnesses, as well as cognitive impairment in children.

Begusarai, a city of half a million people in northern India’s Bihar state, was the world’s most polluted city last year with an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 118.9 — 23 times the WHO guidelines. It was followed in the IQAir rankings by the Indian cities of Guwahati, Assam; Delhi; and Mullanpur, Punjab.

Across India, 1.3 billion people, or 96% of the population, live with air quality seven times higher than WHO guidelines, according to the report.

Central and South Asia were the worst performing regions globally, home to all four of the most polluted countries last year: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Tajikistan.

South Asia is of particular concern, with 29 of the 30 most polluted cities in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. The report ranked the major population centers of Lahore in 5th, New Delhi in 6th and Dhaka in 24th place.

Hammes said no significant improvement in pollution levels in the region is likely without “major changes in terms of the energy infrastructure and agricultural practices.”

“What’s also worrisome in many parts of the world is that the things that are causing outdoor air pollution are also sometimes the things that are causing indoor air pollution,” he added. “So cooking with dirty fuel will create indoor exposures that could be many times what you’re seeing outdoors.”
A global problem

IQAir found that 92.5% of the 7,812 locations in 134 countries, regions, and territories where it analyzed average air quality last year exceeded WHO’s PM2.5 guidelines.

Only 10 countries and territories had “healthy” air quality: Finland, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and French Polynesia.

Millions of people die each year from air pollution-related health issues. Air pollution from fossil fuels is killing 5.1 million people worldwide every year, according to a study published in the BMJ in November. Meanwhile, WHO says 6.7 million people die annually from the combined effects of ambient and household air pollution.

The human-caused climate crisis, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, plays a “pivotal” role in influencing air pollution levels, the IQAir report said.

The climate crisis is altering weather patterns, leading to changes in wind and rainfall, which affects the dispersion of pollutants. Climate change will only make pollution worse as extreme heat becomes more severe and frequent, it said.

The climate crisis is also leading to more severe wildfires in many regions and longer and more intense pollen seasons, both of which exacerbate health issues linked to air pollution.

“We have such a strong overlap of what’s causing our climate crisis and what’s causing air pollution,” Hammes said. “Anything that we can do to reduce air pollution will be tremendously impactful in the long term also for improving our climate gas emissions, and vice versa.”
Regional rankings

North America was badly affected by wildfires that raged in Canada from May to October last year. In May, the monthly average of air pollution in Alberta was nine times greater than the same month in 2022, the report found.

And for the first time, Canada surpassed the United States in the regional pollution rankings.

The wildfires also affected US cities such as Minneapolis and Detroit, where annual pollution averages rose by 30% to 50% compared to the previous year. The most polluted major US city in 2023 was Columbus, Ohio for the second year running. But major cities like Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles experienced significant drops in annual average pollution levels, the report said.

In Asia, however, pollution levels rebounded across much of the region.

China reversed a five-year trend of declining levels of pollution, the report found. Chinese cities used to dominate global rankings of the world’s worst air quality but a raft of clean air policies over the past decade has transformed things for the better.

A study last year had found the campaign meant the average Chinese citizen’s lifespan is now 2.2 years longer. But thick smog returned to Beijing last year, where citizens experienced a 14% increase in the annual average PM2.5 concentration, according to the IQAir report. China’s most polluted city, Hotan, was listed at 14 in the IQAir ranking.

In Southeast Asia, only the Philippines saw a drop in annual pollution levels compared to the previous year, the report found.

Indonesia was the most polluted country in the region, with a 20% increase compared to 2022. Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand all had cities that exceeded WHO PM2.5 guidelines by more than 10 times, according to the report.

Last month, Thai authorities ordered government employees to work from home due to unhealthy levels of pollution in the capital Bangkok and surrounding areas, according to Reuters. On Friday, tourism hot spot Chiang Mai was the world’s most polluted city as toxic smog brought by seasonal agricultural burning blanketed the northern city.
Inequality… and one bright spot

The report also highlighted a worrying inequality: the lack of monitoring stations in countries in Africa, South America and the Middle East, which results in a dearth of air quality data in those regions.

Although Africa saw an improvement in the number of countries included in this year’s report compared with previous years the continent largely remains the most underrepresented. According to IQAir, only 24 of 54 African countries had sufficient data available from their monitoring stations.

Seven African countries were among the new locations included in the 2023 rankings, including Burkina Faso, the world’s fifth most polluted country, and Rwanda, in 15th.

Several countries that ranked high on the most polluted list last year were not included for 2023 due to a lack of available data. They include Chad, which was the most polluted country in 2022.

“There is so much hidden air pollution still on the planet,” said Hammes.

One bright spot is increasing pressure and civic engagement from communities, NGOs, companies, and scientists to monitor air quality.

“Ultimately that’s great because it really shows governments that people do care,” Hammes said.





20 Most Air Polluted Cities in Asia
Meerub Anjum
Fri, April 26, 2024



In this article, we will look into the 20 most air polluted cities in Asia. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Most Air Polluted Cities in Asia.
Air Pollution in Asia

99 out of the 100 most air polluted cities in the world are from Asia. The UNEP reports that nearly 6.5 million people die due to poor air quality every year, out of which 70% of the deaths occur in Asia and the Pacific. According to the 2023 Air Quality Life Index report, countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and India account for more than 50% of the life years lost due to air pollution. South Asia is the most polluted subregion in Asia, where the average lifespan declined by 5.1 years. Bangladesh is the most air polluted country in Asia. Life expectancy declined by 6.8 years in Bangladesh, as of 2023.

In 2023, Asia dominated the countries with the worst air pollution in the world. According to the 2023 World Air Quality Report, East Asia showed a diverse outlook, with some countries experiencing an increase in PM2.5 concentration in 2023 while others facing a decline. Countries such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong SAR surpassed the WHO's target 2 of 15 μg/m³. Mongolia continued its downward trend in PM2.5 concentration and recorded a 25% decrease in its PM2.5 concentration. Hotan, China stands out as the most air polluted city in 2023, with an annual average particulate matter concentration of more than 87 µg/m3. Whereas, Ibigawa, Japan is the least polluted city in the region, as of 2023.

The air quality in Southeast Asia deteriorated, due to many countries in the region experiencing a rise in PM2.5 concentration. Indonesia appeared as the most air polluted country in the subregion. While Phillippines saw improvement in air quality in 2023, recording a 10% drop in its particulate matter concentration. Cambodia's air quality worsened, with its PM2.5 concentration tripling in 2023. The top 4 countries with the worst air pollution in the world in 2023 are from Central and South Asia. The region also has the most number of air polluted cities, with the top 10 most air polluted cities from India and Pakistan. 31% of the region's cities had 10 times higher particulate matter concertation, compared to the WHO limit.
Green Tech and Clean Energy Solutions for India's Air Pollution Crisis

The third most air polluted country in Asia, India, has the most number of cities out of the 100 air polluted cities in the world in 2023. The country's annual PM 2.5 concentration increased to 54.4 μg/m³ in 2023. Delhi, the National Capital Territory of India, witnessed a 10% increase in its PM 2.5 concentration, with a peak monthly average of 255 μg/m³. 66% of the country's cities report annual averages higher than 35 μg/m³.

A startup in India, called Takachar, is working towards reducing the air pollution associated with stubble and crop residue burning. It develops small-scale and portable equipment that converts crop residue into bio-products, such as fertilizers, fuel, or activated carbons. Takachar claims that up to 100 million tons of carbon dioxide can be reduced every year, by providing price-competitive renewable biobased active carbon, as an alternative to fossil-based activated carbon. Stubble burning is one of the major causes of smog and air pollution in the country, especially in rural areas. The company provides processing of a diverse variety of crop and forest residues and converts them into bioproducts with a wide range of agricultural applications

Another major reason for air pollution is the emissions and PM2.5 released from the burning of fossil fuels for conventional energy production. Many corporations in India are providing clean energy solutions. Some of the prominent names in the market include Adani Green Energy Ltd (NSE:ADANIGREEN) and Suzlon Energy Ltd (NSE:SUZLON). Let's discuss them below in detail.

Adani Green Energy Ltd (NSE:ADANIGREEN) is a leading renewable energy company in India. It develops and operates utility-scale grid-connected wind, solar, and hybrid renewable energy power generation plants. On April 3, the company announced that it has become the first corporation in India to have surpassed 10,000 MW of operational capacity. Its portfolio consists of 1,401 MW wind, 7,393 MW solar, and 2,140 hybrid capacity. The total operational portfolio of Adani Green Energy Ltd (NSE:ADANIGREEN) will be able to provide energy to over 5.8 million homes and avoid nearly 21 megatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Suzlon Energy Ltd (NSE:SUZLON) is another major name in the renewable energy market in India. The company has a wind energy capacity of nearly 20.5 GW across 17 countries, with 14.5 GW of wind energy assets in India. On March 7, the company announced that it has won an order for developing a 72.45 MW wind power project for a Delhi-based independent renewable energy provider, Juniper Green Energy Private Limited. Suzlon Energy Ltd (NSE:SUZLON) will deploy 23 wind turbine generators with a hybrid lattice tubular (HLT) tower, along with a rated capacity of 3.15 MW each at Juniper's site in Dwarka district, Gujrat.

Air pollution continues to affect millions of lives globally. Green technology initiatives are emerging as a strategic path to reduce GHG emissions and control air pollution. With this context, let's have a look at the 20 most air polluted cities in Asia. You can also look at

20 Most Air Polluted Cities in Asia

Kekyalyaynen / Shutterstock.com

Methodology

To compile our list of the 20 most air polluted cities in Asia, we consulted the IQ Air's Air Quality Index (AQI) live ranking. We have ranked the cities in ascending order of their Air Quality Index, as of April 22. We have also mentioned the PM2.5 and other pollutant concentrations of the cities, where available. For cities with the same AQI, we have used their PM2.5 concentration to break the tie.
20 Most Air Polluted Cities in Asia
20. Shanghai, China

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 83

Shanghai is ranked among the 20 most air polluted cities in Asia. As of April 22, the city has an AQI index of 83. The PM2.5 concentration in the city is 27.5 μg/m³.
19. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Live Air Quality Index (April 20, 2024): 84

Dubai ranks 19th on our list. The major air pollutant in the city is PM10. Its PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations are 29 μg/m³ and 132.9 μg/m³, respectively.
18. Yangon, Myanmar

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 86

Yangon is one of the most air polluted cities in Asia. The city has a particulate matter concentration of 35.9 μg/m³, which is 7.9 times higher than the WHO standard.
17. Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 88

Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. As of April 22, the city has an air quality index of 88. Its PM2.5 concentration is 29 μg/m³. It is ranked 17th on our list.
16. Karachi, Pakistan

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 94

Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan. The city has an air quality index of 94, as of April 22. The PM2.5 concentration in Karachi is 29.5 μg/m³, which is 5.9 times higher than the air quality standards set by the WHO.
15. Kolkata, India

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 95

Kolkata is one of the most air polluted cities in Asia. The city has a PM2.5 concentration of 33 μg/m³ and an AQI of 95, as of April 22.
14. Astana, Kazakhstan

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 99

The capital of Kazakhstan, Astana is ranked 14th on our list. It has a particulate matter concentration of 33 μg/m³. Its air quality index is 99, as of April 22.
13. Kuwait City, Kuwait

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 102

Kuwait City is ranked 13th on our list of the most air polluted cities in Asia. The PM2.5 concentration in the city is 36 μg/m³, which is over 7 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 guideline.
12. Manama, Bahrain

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 102

Manama is the capital and one of the largest cities in Bahrain. As of April 22, the city has an AQI index of 102 and a PM2.5 concentration of 36 μg/m³. It is ranked 12th on our list.
11. Bangkok, Thailand

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 104

Bangkok ranks among the most polluted cities for air quality in Asia. As of April 22, the city has an AQI of 104. Its PM2.5 concentration is 34 μg/m³, which is 6.8 times higher than the WHO standard of 5 μg/m³ PM2.5 in the air.
10. Chengdu, China

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 107

Chengdu is ranked 10th on our list. The city has a PM2.5 concentration of 38 μg/m³ and a PM10 concentration of 73 μg/m³.
9. Doha, Qatar

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 112

Doha is the capital of Qatar. As of April 22, the city has an air quality index of 112. Its PM2.5 concentration is 50 μg/m³. It is one of the most air polluted cities in Asia.
8. Medan, Indonesia

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 114

Medan is the capital of North Sumatra, Indonesia. It has a PM2.5 concentration of 41 μg/m³, which is over 8 times higher than the air quality standards.
7. Dhaka, Bangladesh

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 118

Dhaka is ranked 7th on our list. As of April 22, the city has an air quality index of 118. Its particulate matter concentration is 46.7 μg/m³.
6. Delhi, India

Live Air Quality Index (2024): 134

Delhi is ranked 6th on our list of the most air polluted cities in Asia. The major air pollutant in the city is PM10. The concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 in Delhi is 43 μg/m³ and 210 μg/m³, respectively.

Where has the dirtiest air in the US? Report ranks cities with best and worst air quality.

Eduardo Cuevas and Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY
Sat, April 27, 2024 



A new report revealed concerning findings about America's air, but some cities are doing better than others.

As part of the report, the American Lung Association ranked the 10 best and worst metropolitan areas for air pollution. While the best cities are scattered all over the U.S., the West Coast saw some of the worst rankings.

The report looked at daily and annual fine particulate matter averages and ozone pollution regulated under the Clear Air Act. Nearly 2 in 5 Americans live in areas that had a failing grade for at least one air pollution measure, the report stated.

Read more: Report says U.S. air pollution worst in 25 years as new environmental regulations finalized

“We're seeing the most days and the ‘very unhealthy’ or ‘hazardous’ air quality level due to spikes in particle pollution,” Paul Billings, ALA’s senior vice president of public policy, told USA TODAY.
'No safe level to particle pollution'

The below rankings focus on fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, which created when things are burned. It can cause asthma attacks, strokes and a litany of long term health problems.

“There is no safe level to particle pollution,” Dr. Kari Nadeau, the John Rock professor of climate and population studies at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told USA TODAY. “We were not meant to breathe this in as humans.”

The pollutants increase the risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart failure and arrhythmia, as well as respiratory ailments such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Breathing in high levels of particulate matter in the long term has been linked to brain damage that puts people at higher risk of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias.
Top ten US metro areas with worst air pollution: West Coast air gets bad marks

The western U.S. experienced the bulk of its pollution from roadways, agriculture, oil and gas industries and seemingly endless wildfires.

Bakersfield, Fresno and Visalia – hubs for agricultural production, shipping and warehouses where the population is predominantly Latino – make up the top five cities in each of the report’s measures for 24-hour particle pollution, year-round particle pollution and ground-level ozone pollution.

Other metro areas included are: Eugene-Springfield, Oregon; Los Angeles-Long Beach; Sacramento-Roseville; Medford-Grants Pass, Oregon; Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona; and Fairbanks, Alaska.

Dangerous smoke: Where is wildfire smoke and air quality at its worst? Here's a map of the entire US.
Top ten US metro areas with least air pollution: Residents skew white

Some of the communities with the best air quality included Bangor, Maine; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Honolulu. Except for Honolulu, most of the cities with the best air quality were majority white.

Areas with the least amount of particulate matter pollution include: Casper, Wyoming, Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, Hawaii; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Duluth, Minnesota-Wisconsin; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Anchorage, Alaska; and St. George, Utah.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Best and worst air in the US: Report ranks pollution in cities, metros

Air pollution threatens health of a growing number of Americans

By Robin Foster, HealthDay News

In the American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report, released Wednesday, the number of people living with levels of air pollution that could jeopardize their health climbed from about 119 million in 2023 to 131 million now. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

Nearly 40% of Americans live where the air is polluted enough to harm them, a new report warns.

In the American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report, released Wednesday, the number of people living with levels of air pollution that could jeopardize their health climbed from about 119 million in 2023 to 131 million now.

"We have seen impressive progress in cleaning up air pollution over the last 25 years, thanks in large part to the Clean Air Act. However, when we started this report, our team never imagined that 25 years in the future, more than 130 million people would still be breathing unhealthy air," Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association (ALA), said in a news release announcing the findings.

"Climate change is causing more dangerous air pollution. Every day that there are unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution means that someone -- a child, grandparent, uncle or mother -- struggles to breathe," he said. "We must do more to ensure everyone has clean air."

Extreme heat, drought and wildfires have fueled recent rises in deadly air pollution, especially in the Western regions of the country, said report author Katherine Pruitt, senior director of the lung association's Nationwide Clean Air Policy.

"The air pollution produced by wildfire smoke is getting worse every year," Pruitt told CNN. "Climate change is contributing to that situation, and those wildfires are a very serious threat to our health."

While emissions of outdoor air pollutants have dropped 78% since the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, "there still are way too many people breathing unhealthy air," Pruitt said.

In recent years, Pruitt noted she has seen a shift in air pollution becoming a growing problem in the West.

"Our cars are cleaner. Our fuels are cleaner. Most of the dirtiest coal-fired power plants have fortunately been shut down, and industry is cleaner. So that's cleaned up a lot of the traditional sources of pollution in the East, in the more industrial parts of the Upper Midwest and the Northeast," Pruitt said.

However, "the amount of oil and gas extraction that happens in the West has increased, which produces a lot of emissions," she said. "And they are suffering, first, from the impacts of climate change and wildfire. So a lot of that geographic shift you're seeing, particularly with particle pollution, is related to wildfire smoke."'

According to the new report, the 10 cities most polluted by year-round particle pollution were:Bakersfield, Calif.
Visalia, Calif.
Fresno-Madera-Hanford, Calif.
Eugene-Springfield, Ore.
San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, Calif.
Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif.
Sacramento-Roseville, Calif.
Medford-Grants Pass, Ore.
Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.
Fairbanks, Alaska

Particle pollution, a mix of solid and liquid droplets so tiny they can infiltrate your body's defenses, is associated with an increased risk of death from heart disease, respiratory disease and lung cancer.

"Particle pollution is really deadly," Pruitt said. "We also see not only more people in more places affected, but the level of particle pollution that they're breathing is worse than it's ever been."

The new report also highlights how air pollution strikes minority communities the hardest.

While minorities make up about 42% of the U.S. population, they represent 52% of people living in a county with at least one failing grade for air pollution, the report found. In the counties with the worst air quality, 63% of the nearly 44 million residents there are minorities.

The findings show the United States still has "a huge air pollution issue" to tackle, said Dr. Lina Mu, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions.

"Breathing the unhealthy air will cause tremendous health consequences, in particular for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, fetuses, children and people with asthma or heart diseases. The impact on the next generation can be very profound," Mu told CNN.

"It will certainly need policies from multiple levels to reduce the emission of pollutants, adopt stronger regulations and standards, and address climate changes to be effective in controlling air pollution levels," she added.

More information

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has more on air pollution.

Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Car Wars: Hydrocarbons, Lithium, and the Greening Grid

BY JOHN K. WHITE

 MARCH 26, 2024
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Image by Eren Goldman.

LONG READ

New battlelines are being drawn in today’s revamped auto world, not over style as in the 1980s – when Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca characterized success as “to grab the new just as soon as it is better” – or performance as in the 1930s – when Henry Ford introduced the V8 to an evolving car crowd – ushering in a free-wheeling independence that soared in the 1950s with 41,000 miles of freshly paved road (thanks to a $25-billion US Federal Aid Highway Act). Now it’s the engine itself and whether electric vehicles are worse for the environment than “gasmobiles” as is dubiously being claimed by some. With electric vehicle sales reaching 10% in 2023, the petrolheads are overheating. At over $3 trillion in annual sales, it’s only standard business practice to badmouth the competition.

Today, almost 100 million automobiles are sold around the globe each year, compared to 66 million 2 decades ago, as sales continue to climb in the developing world (30 million in China, a fivefold increase since 2005). In 2009, Chinese vehicle sales roared past the US for the first time (11 million) and Europe in 2012 (19 million), although Americans still enjoy the distinction of living in the only country with almost as many cars as people (1.25 people per car). That’s a big pie to slice, not to mention almost 100 million barrels of oil consumed per day, much of it burned in an internal combustion engine (ICE). With over $200 billion in annual profits, the Big 7 (ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, TotalEnergies, BP, ConocoPhillips, ENI[1]) aren’t planning on giving up their lucrative market share without a fight.

Henry Ford once boasted a customer could have any color Model T “so long as it is black,” a misstep that cost his company top spot to GM and Chrysler, along with Ford’s long-standing resistance to change such as hydraulic brakes, windshield wipers, luxurious interiors, loan financing, and unions. Back then in 1921, Ford boasted half of all American cars, over 15 million Model Ts by 1927, and is still a major player today (6.4 million annual sales), behind industry leaders Toyota and Volkswagen (10 million each). Alas, Detroit’s Big Three eventually paid the price for being slow to adapt to labor changes and smaller model sizes from Asia and Europe, albeit nothing compared to a complete engine overhaul.

Innovation is key in any vibrant market and despite various roadkill from poor management, bad financing, and unfair competition, such as Tucker, Bricklin, DeLorean, and Fisker, electric vehicles (EVs) are here to stay. How much market they capture and how fast are the issues. The delayers may try to slow the pace to incorporate their own alternatives, but they can’t stop the change – the manufacturing dies are cast. Automobile journalist Dan Neil succinctly explained the new thinking: “I spent my childhood driving fast cars, working on them, writing about it. I love gasoline horsepower, but I have come to the conclusion that I will never buy another gasoline-powered car as long as I live.”[2]

Enter the latest challenger, Tesla Inc, almost twice bankrupted as it worked through battery issues, transmission problems, costs, and a relentless manufacturing “performance hell,” before offering a higher price on its next EV and reinventing itself online. Despite having made only 76,000 cars by 2017, Tesla became the world’s highest valued car company at $50 billion. In 2022, it was the highest-valued company ever added to the S&P 500 Index. Although short-sellers tried to burst a presumed bubble, no one expects its demise anymore. Last year, Tesla sold 1.8 million EVs, made in 4 assembly plants (Fremont, Tilburg, Shanghai, and Berlin). They can’t build ‘em fast enough, while its one-time CEO darling cum self-styled free-speech guardian Elon Musk is raking it in at over $200 billion and counting.

But as Europe and others plan to ban the sale of gasmobiles by 2035 (2040 for gasoline-fuelled trucks and buses), the issue is whether EVs are bad for the environment: dirty versus clean, noisy versus quiet, armed global supply chains versus local microgrids. Few will be left unbloodied in the fight as we begin the revolution revolution and anoint new kings.

We can discard the obvious, that EVs produce as much pollution as gasmobiles because the grid is dirty, albeit elsewhere at the source, i.e., the fossil-fuel power plants that prime most of the electricity supply. That would be true if the grid was 100% brown, but those days are gone. Last year, global grid capacity was already 10% green (800 GW) and could become 100% green by 2050. Some countries such as Denmark (wind power) and Norway (hydroelectric) are already almost 100% green, where EV sales are rocketing. True, Norway still extracts oil and gas from lucrative North Sea stores and hydropower has green issues, but Norwegians no longer burn fossil fuels to fuel their grid.

In the US, some states have shown huge increases in wind-turbine and solar-panel installations. By 2016, 12 American states reached at least 10% wind penetration, led by Iowa (31%) and South Dakota (25%), with Texas at almost 18 GW capacity, more than all but 5 countries and enough to power 6 million homes. In Iowa, almost half the grid is now powered by wind, aiding corn production as one in two bushels goes to making ethanol fuel, ironically using as much petroleum to produce, just as carbon intensive, and not as clean as claimed. The latest data lists US solar installations at 32 GW in 2023 and 180 GW in total.[3]

Despite questionable green credentials for nuclear and hydropower, the onsite power plant carbon emissions, however, are still much less, as in France (56% nuclear) and Quebec (99% hydroelectric). Costa Rica, Tasmania, El Hierro, T’au are powered by a mix of geothermal, wind, hydro, and solar, such that a grid-fuelled car is 100% clean, while others are getting there. In 2013, Spain’s primary grid source was wind – a world first[4] – and in 2023 reached over 50% renewables. Portugal, Ireland, and Scotland are similarly greening their grids via expanded wind power, both onshore and offshore. In Germany as elsewhere, the utility bill lists the percentage of green juice consumed while you can choose your own clean providers.

Of course, full life-cycle analyses are needed to measure all fuel impacts of burnt hydrocarbons versus spinning electrons, from well to ship to refinery to pipeline to gas station to gasmobile (for petroleum) or from mine to plane to factory to assembly plant to vehicle (for EV batteries), but on the street there is no comparison: EVs emit no toxic fumes while running, and increasingly less so elsewhere as the grid greens. An EV cannot be considered “zero-emission,” however, without counting all imbedded emissions in the supply chain. For example, cobalt mined in the Congo can be refined in Finland, processed in China, and turned into production packs in Nevada before being used in an EV battery in Fremont, California (20,000 air miles[5]).

Most EV life-cycle worries involve mining in the “lithium triangle” of South America (over 50 million tons) as well as elsewhere that impacts local populations, especially from excessive water use. No one can justify destroying one environment to save another, and safeguards are needed in any industry, including the nascent battery building biz. Led by progressive president Gabriel Boric, Chile is already planning to limit the impact of lithium mining via increased regulatory control.[6] Some high-lithium sources aren’t as intrusive as in a proposed geothermal brine extraction process in the Salton Sea in southern California that could fuel the entire American market of almost 300 million cars and trucks.

Similar analyses are needed to compare the impact of petroleum infrastructure (extraction, transportation, refining) versus geological concerns for solar panels (e.g., silicon) and wind turbines (e.g., steel, carbon fibers, rare-earth elements) that produce the hydrocarbon or electric fuel. One has only to look to the petroleum industry to see what not to do. Take your pick from the hundreds of thousands of accidents at wells, on ships, along pipelines, and at stations. In the name of easy liquid fuelling, Exxon Valdez, Deepwater Horizon, and Santa Barbara are three of the worst hydrocarbon foulings. According to the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, almost two incidents per day occur along the 2.8-million-mile national network, caused by corrosion, excavation damage, shoddy workmanship, and welding or equipment failure. Since 2010, there have been more than 100 deaths, 500 injuries, and $3.5 billion in damage.[7]

As noted by environmentalist Jonathan P. Thompson in The Land Desk newsletter, “If the media paid as much attention to oil and gas mishaps as it did to clean energy calamities, it wouldn’t be able to cover much else.”[8] Aesthetic issues are also concerns. I wouldn’t want to live next to a wind farm, but most are located away from homes. I wouldn’t want to live near a coal plant, oil well, or petroleum refinery either. Unfortunately, millions of Americans live near such sites.

We aren’t talking lesser evils. A 2011 Duke University study on water-well contaminants near shale gas pads found that homes within 1 km of a fracking site are “15 or 20 times more likely to have excessive methane in their water.”[9] According to a 2018 study by the University of Colorado’s School of Public Health, the risk of cancer is 8.3 times higher for those who live near an oil and gas facility.[10]. A 2020 Yale School of Public Health study further reported that children between the ages of 2 and 7 who lived near fracking sites at birth are two to three times more likely to suffer from leukemia, primarily because of exposure to contaminated drinking water.[11]

During fracking, air is also polluted with hydrogen sulfide – a nerve toxin that can cause irreversible brain damage – as well as benzene and other carcinogenic volatile organic compounds, generating lingering problems for those who live nearby, including headaches, nose bleeds, vomiting, nausea, allergies, eczema, hives, arrhythmia, and intestinal and respiratory ailments. Damage to groundwater, aquifers, and the underlying soil strata via ongoing seismic activity adds to the perils of everyday fracking.

And yet some will argue that clean and green is worse for our health than dirty and brown. One wonders how the toxic fumes from burnt hydrocarbons that continue to fill our streets can avoid the obvious criticism amid plummeting air quality in many large cities, including Paris, London, and Madrid. To fight the fumes, some city governments have enacted no-car days or designed clean zones to restrict high-emission vehicles (especially diesel-fuelled), alas disadvantaging low-income gasmobile drivers who then travel further to circumvent the tolls, thus increasing emissions.

In 2015, the smog in Paris was so bad the Eiffel Tower and the Sacre Coeur were completely shrouded, prompting an emergency vehicle restriction – alternate-day, even–odd plate numbers – that reduced particulate matter by 40%. The following year, a partial car-free day was instigated on the first Sunday of every month, restricting cars on 650 km of Parisian streets. On its first car-free day, nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (NOx) levels decreased by as much as 40% and sound levels by half.

During the 2018 running of the London Marathon, NOx emissions decreased by 89%, highlighting the effect of tailpipe pollution that directly contributes to the premature deaths of about 40,000 Britons each year, roughly the same number who ran the marathon. In Los Angeles, the effect of sunlight on reactive hydrocarbons and NOx gases can produce lingering photochemical smog. One such episode in 1979 saw a 50% rise in hospital patients with “chronic lung diseases such as emphysema and asthma.”[12]

The main culprits are NOx gases, VOCs (volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, butadiene, and formaldehyde), PM2.5, and CO. Infirmities associated with car exhaust include cardiovascular problems, heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, and respiratory tract infections. Bad air is everywhere, killing 8.7 million people per year according to a 2019 WHO study – even more than smoking – primarily from burning fossil fuels and biomass.[13] The economic cost of an increasingly toxic environment has been estimated at almost $3 trillion per year from premature deaths, diminished health, and lost work.[14]

The single largest emitter of pollution is transportation, while contributing 30% of greenhouse gases. Although no longer added to gasoline to reduce engine knock, lead additives were another deadly toxin responsible for increased poisoning and lowered IQs. A 1985 EPA study calculated that up to 5,000 Americans died annually from lead-related heart disease, while since the ban the mean blood-lead level of the American population has declined more than 75 percent.”[15] Note that today’s gasoline isn’t lead-free, rather none is added, although lead is still used as an additive in jet fuel and boat fuel and in countries with weak regulations such as China.

To be sure, change doesn’t happen overnight and no technology is 100% green, but more EVs and zero-emission vehicles on our roads will help redress a century of unchecked toxicity, clogging up the roads but not the air. The real knock against EVs is lost sales. As noted by Martin Eberhard, cofounder and first CEO of Tesla, “If you took the energy in a gallon of gas and used it to spin a turbine, you’d get enough electricity to drive an electric car 100 miles.”[16] No wonder the oil companies are worried – a 100-mpg (equivalent) mass-market electric vehicle will destroy their more-than-century-old market for gasmobiles.

Another reason to slow the change is control over utility companies that would increase competition as more solar- and wind-powered sources, transmission lines, and interconnectors are added to the grid. The growth of EVs will be stymied if juice is not available on demand. As noted by IEEE Spectrum, “As we increasingly electrify our homes, transportation, and factories, utility companies’ choices about transmission will have huge consequences for the nation’s economy and well-being. About 40 corporations, valued at a trillion dollars, own the vast majority of transmission lines in the United States. Their grip over the backbone of U.S. grids demands public scrutiny and accountability.”[17] With more new-energy sources incorporated into the electric mix, centralized control over an antiquated, one-directional system will be challenged, loosening restrictions that hinders equal access to public transmissions lines.

As countries aim for “net zero” by 2050, the knives are being sharpened by the usual suspects. ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods blamed global warming on greedy consumers, who choose cheap over expensive, smugly questioning who will pay for the cost of change: “The people who are generating those emissions need to be aware of and pay the price for generating those emissions. That is ultimately how you solve the problem.”[18]

Maybe we should charge the oil industry for damages to solve “the problem,” starting with $50/ton for carbon dioxide, not to mention the uncountable costs of a century of pollution deaths and diseases. Why not start by garnishing ExxonMobil’s 2023 profits of $34 billion? Or its CEO’s $50 million/year salary? Will Shell pay to clean up the Niger Delta, Chevron the interior of Ecuador, BP the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, ExxonMobil Port William Sound? Who pays for the hundreds of thousands of unplugged wells that continue to leak methane? Maybe, the oil and gas industry shouldn’t be receiving trillions of dollars in annual subsidies without cleaning up its messes.

Amin Nasser, CEO of the world’s richest oil company, Saudi Aramco, added to the pretend concern, stating that the transition is a “fantasy” and is “visibly failing” because of the consumers’ reliance on cheap fuels.[19] In fact, solar- and wind-generated electrical power is already as cheap or cheaper than fossil fuels, but is not as convenient because of lagging infrastructure. Nor are pollution or greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) factored into the real cost of burning hydrocarbons. In the midst of increased carbon pollution and tailpipe GHGs, Saudi Aramco announced profits of $120 billion and a $98 billion dividend for 2023. Of course, renewables are in direct competition with petroleum and so business as usual is essential to continue banking the profits from burning black gold.

With so much at stake, one expects a backlash. The Wall Street Journal recently published the article, “Electric cars emit more particulate pollution,” implying that EVs are worse for the environment than gasmobiles, rehashed by The New York Post as “Electric vehicles release more toxic emissions than gas-powered cars: study,” blatantly misrepresenting the 2020 UK-based Emission Analytics study cited by both.[20] In fact, the study compared particle mass emissions from a gasmobile’s tailpipe versus its tires, noting that a heavier and more aggressively driven car puts more pressure on the road and thus sheds more rubber. Nothing about toxic emissions from internal combustion engines that contaminate our streets, such as soot (C), carbon monoxide (CO), NOx gases, or sulfur dioxide (SO₂).

With a basic understanding of an induction engine, the obvious clickable nonsense is refuted, but the damage is done for those who don’t read beyond the headlines and head straight for the commenting bile. Some newer gasmobiles do emit fewer toxins because of higher octane fuel and catalytic converters – that more completely combust the C₄-C₁₂ gasoline-range hydrocarbons, thus emitting less C, CO and PM – but there are no emissions from an EV induction engine.

Alas, low-emission gasmobiles are required only in a few jurisdictions such as California, whose clean-air standards the Trump Administration tried to rescind. For his part, Joe Biden announced new measures to counter vehicle emissions, effectively enacting a rising quota on EVs and hybrids by 2035, albeit weakening the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed tailpipe pollution standards, essentially giving gasmobiles a free ride for another decade.

What’s more, EV drivers use their brakes less, because of regenerative braking, hence less rubber wear and longer-lasting brakes (some EV drivers claim not to touch the brakes), while most EVs are lighter than the gasmobiles they replace and thus emit less roadside particle mass, partly because bigger SUVs are still rarer and expensive. Although the engine weight is about half, batteries do add weight to an electric refit, making the car handle better and safer, but anyone can wear out their tires with aggressive driving, which presumably has more to do with the driver than the car.

The backlash against Tesla, however, became more than just words after an electricity transmission pylon was destroyed in early March near its latest manufacturing plant, southeast of Berlin, knocking out power to the factory and nearby villages. The activist group Vulkan claimed responsibility, stating that the factory “consumed both natural resources and labour and was neither ecological or sustainable.”[21] All are important concerns, especially excessive water consumption in a low-water area or destroying a forest to clear more land for a proposed plant expansion. Presumably similar concerns apply to BMW in Bavaria, Daimler in Baden-Württemberg, and Volkswagen in Lower Saxony for their starring roles in urban pollution.

The group also called Musk a “techno-fascist” in a 2,500-word open letter,[22] while Musk called the arson “a strange kind of environmentalism,” adding on X, “These are either the dumbest eco-terrorists on Earth or they’re puppets of those who don’t have good environmental goals. Stopping production of electric vehicles, rather than fossil fuel vehicles, ist extrem dumm” (i.e., is extremely dumb). No mention was made of Tesla’s worrying stance against unions or circumvention of German labor practices.

Indeed, one wonders about the lack of protest against gasmobiles. Volkswagen has even been redeemed after cheating on EPA emissions tests in 2015, where a dyno calibration was turned on to burn fuel more completely under indoor test conditions but not on the road, adding to 38,000 more diesel-related deaths per year.[23] VW was forced to pay almost $15 billion for its Dieselgate deception in the largest auto-industry class-action case in US history. At least, the appalling deception has helped cut diesel sales in Europe where its future seems doomed, 125 years after German engineer Rudolf Diesel first demonstrated his novel compression-combustion engine (initially run on peanut oil).

Fires and accidents are also being cited to derail the electric transition. In 2016, Samsung lost almost $1 billion after recalling 2.5 million just-launched Galaxy Note 7 smartphones when the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery was found to catch fire during recharging, the positive and negative electrodes merging because of an excessive fast-charging voltage on the thinner, larger battery as the cathode-anode separation was reduced to save space. After a couple of high-profile early fires, Tesla devised a liquid glycol cooling system enmeshed in its vehicle battery packs and added an underside aluminum/titanium shield to ensure battery safety in the event of an accident. All new technologies undergo upgrades to ensure safety in an evolving market. Boiler explosions were a regular occurrence in the early days of steam power.

In 2023, fires from charging e-bike batteries were responsible for 11 UK deaths, often started overnight in hallways, prompting calls for certification standards to ban substandard technology and poor retrofits.[24] A compromised battery was responsible for a fatal house fire in Australia, the first such battery fire in New South Wales.[25] All deaths are regrettable, but such tragedies don’t compare to the ongoing damages from petroleum-sourced fires. A devastating blaze in early March in Valencia, Spain, killed 10 people and destroyed a 15-year-old apartment block after the petroleum-based polyethylene-filled aluminum façade erupted in flames caused by a faulty appliance, echoing the horrific Grenfell fire in London in 2017 that officially took 72 lives and left hundreds homeless. No one should live in a battery or petroleum-fuelled death trap. No one should ever encase an apartment building in highly flammable hydrocarbon tiles or use unsafe battery chargers.

Some arguments are cherry-picked from isolated events, usually involving a Tesla crash or EV fire. Crashes are on the decline, however, in both EVs and gasmobiles because of improved safety features, aided by machine vision, collision-avoidance braking, and intelligent routing. One hopes such features will soon become standard in all cars, given the millions of people killed and maimed on our roads each year.

Of course, all changes should be scrutinized. Consumer advocate and auto-safety pioneer Ralph Nader commends robotic systems that don’t get drunk, fall asleep at the wheel, or develop poor driving skills, yet still cautions against computers that fail and are susceptible to hacking, preferring more investment in clean energy and public transport. Nader is especially wary of allowing “full self-driving” on our roads, calling for federal regulators to ban “malfunctioning software which Tesla itself warns may do the ‘wrong thing at the worst time’ on the same streets where children walk to school.”[26]

Range is also cited as a concern, but is not an issue for most drivers as half of all trips are under 5 miles, while according to the US Department of Transport, the average daily driving distance is 37 miles. GM’s CEO Mary Barra noted that 80% of commutes are less than 25 miles, easily covered by an EV on one hour of charge.[27] Range anxiety is in fact charger anxiety as lack of infrastructure impacts long-distance journeys. Fortunately, sufficient infrastructure exists at home, where 98% of EVs are charged, although malls, motels, and service stations are adding more units as demand increases. Cold-weather performance, where the battery’s electrolytic gel hardens, is not a concern with an internal heating system, albeit reducing range.

Cost is a real concern, however, both for vehicles and fuel. Indeed, what choice does the consumer have between a $14,000 Ford Fiesta and a $44,000 Tesla? The EV sticker price is still beyond the reach of most budgets, although fill-up costs are currently less than half.[28] Costs will drop with improved batteries (up to one-third the price) and economies of scale, while the cost to repair an EV is minor compared to an internal combustion engine (mostly broken battery cells).

The wallet makes most decisions, but as economist Tony Seba noted, “under $20,000 and the thing will be unstoppable.”[29] Henry Ford famously cut Model T prices by over a half with improved high-volume production, creating affordable private transportation for middle- and working-class families ($850 in 1908 slashed to $360 in 1916[30]). Nonetheless, expense is still a dealbreaker for most potential buyers. Furthermore, a 2022 Irish transport study found that EV grants and charging locations favored high-income people in urban areas, essentially “luxury goods.”[31]

China is leading the way in lowering prices as companies such as BYD, headquartered in Shenzhen, recently surpassed Tesla as the world’s top seller, becoming the leading supplier of EVs. The entire fleet of over 16,000 public buses in Shenzhen runs on batteries charged overnight, while BYD is winning more contracts around the world. BYD is also number 2 in batteries behind another Chinese company CATL. The so-called Oracle of Omaha Warren Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway holding company owns a number of power utilities, was an early BYD investor, although others are worried about Chinese domination in the burgeoning EV market – shades of cheaper, more efficient Japanese and German imports outselling American models in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Europe and the US are scrambling to catch up to save their own markets.

The founder of Singulato Motors – a young Chinese entrepreneur whiz-kid named Tiger Shen – sussed the transformative power of EVs for China after seeing the launch of Tesla’s Model S in 2012, and thinks that software controlled cars and 4- to 5-times more battery range in the next 20 years will spell the end of the gasmobile. Singulato’s first production model, the iS6, was purposefully designed to help clean up smog-filled cities and reduce congestion in China, which has 8 of the world’s 10 most-congested urban centers, especially Beijing where the average driving speed is only 7.5 mph. As Shen noted, “It is our duty to get the blue sky back in Beijing and other cities in China.”[32]

Change is never simple and requires money and time. Rome wasn’t built in a day nor was American consumerism. As late as the 1950s, 11% of Americans still had ice boxes,[33] while the US Census was still counting draft animals in the 1960s.[34] Standard appliances weren’t universally adopted after Edison’s Pearl Street coal-fired power station in 1882 nor Niagara Falls hydroelectric power station in 1895, which essentially inaugurated the grid and the twentieth century. The adoption of early home appliances lagged because of incomplete supply lines, non-existence infrastructure, and cost. As author Hamish McKenzie notes in Insane Mode, “In 1960, less than 10 percent of US households owned a color TV. In 1990, less than 10 percent of US households had a cell phone.”

Same for the washing machine (1907), vacuum cleaner (1908), home refrigerator (1912), radio (1920s), television (1940s), microwave (1970s), PC (1970s), the Internet (1990s), and now the EV. Remember Alf Langdon, the Republican nominee who was picked to win the 1933 US presidential election based on a telephone poll? Alas, 90% of Americans didn’t have a phone back then, while those who did were financially better off and more likely to vote Republican. Franklin Roosevelt won in a landslide. As for Rome, they will be the first to ban diesel cars next year, while the EU as a whole has set 2035 for a ban on gasmobile sales. Expect lots of debate, choice words, and protests.

Recycling is not as worrisome as some think. Today, 90% of lead-acid batteries are recycled, and although more metals are involved in a Li-ion battery (e.g., cobalt, nickel, iron) a similar system is evolving, including the 4Rs (refabricate, recycle, resell, and reuse). Second-life batteries are being refashioned for grid storage after an EV battery loses 20% of its charge. One such system is in operation at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, made of reused Nissan Leaf batteries. BMW also started up a backup battery facility in Leipzig from its own i3 batteries. Improved energy density and charging software will also increase longevity. Of course, recycling needs to increase across all sectors – US numbers are only 32% – but used battery components will always be needed to reduce mining costs and increase value. Recycling can also add to more conservation, reduced consumption, and less waste.

New battery chemistries are also being developed that will ease mining extraction and the growth in materials for an evolving home charge-storage market. All-solid-state batteries may strain the environment less, while sodium could rejig the entire market. Heavier than lithium and thus not as useful for transportation, sodium is as plentiful as seawater. Deep-sea mining is more controversial, however, where pristine ecosystems are disturbed.

The loss of manufacturing jobs must also be properly managed as electric vehicles are much easier to assemble. As EVs start outselling gasmobiles, perhaps by 2030, the United Auto Workers union expects a loss of 35,000 jobs. EVs may even have been the tipping point for the 2019 strike at GM and subsequent 2023 strike at GM, Ford, and Stellantis.

More worrisome are electricity prices that can be leveraged against beholden customers. Of course, one can make one’s own juice at home, a dangerous operation with oil. The cost of a 400-watt, 20%-efficient, off-the-shelf solar panel has dropped 100fold in the last few decades. No need to pay Big Oil or the utility companies. Interestingly, it is not the meter that scares government policy makers who tax measurable consumption, it is no meter.

Same goes for high-temperature manufacturing industries (steel, cement, fertilizer), forced to swap coal or natural gas for electricity. The concerns are legitimate if future prices are unknown, for example, steelmaking giant ArcelorMittal threatening to pull out of Asturias, Spain, over unguaranteed costs of electricity needed to make so-called green steel via DRI. Green hydrogen (GH2) is the latest EU plan to reduce Russian gas, but also depends on electricity prices. The problem is not as severe if the GH2 is made by solar- or wind-powered electrolyzers, but the infrastructure is still very much in its infancy. Even with large profits and billion-euro grants, uncertainty is a deal-breaker to the captains of industry.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) and vehicle to grid (V2G) technology will also upend the one-directional grid, where home charge-storage and EVs can be employed to flatten the electrical load, improving grid efficiency and cleanliness, as more intermittent renewables come online. The batteries can be switched on and off as needed in an evolving “prosumer” market as customers buy and sell arbitraged energy across an interconnected, bi-directional smart grid. Alas, access is a problem for those ill-equipped to pay, further widening the digital divide and adding another layer of opaque technology between sellers and buyers.

The coming changes are as scary as they are exciting as we share resources in a new contract between neighbors, where one borrows charge as easily as a cup of sugar. A whole new set of rules and regulations are evolving, including improved cyber security. More one-offs will also crop up as wealthier customers opt out, weakening the public grid with their own isolated micro grids. It’s not just “preppers” going their own way, but the wealthy who can afford to tune out as they please. The ethics of another new modernity is only just being established, again pitting shared societal values against individual moneyed goals.

More biofuels (the big lie), green hydrogen (the old pretender), and carbon capture (unproven eye candy) are also being touted to save the old ways and continue with liquid fuels, some of which are just as dirty as the replaced petroleum. Some basic math explains the difficulty: 25% of American farmland is already used for biofuels that displace only about 5% of the fuel supply while using hydrogen gas is half as efficient as a battery.

Nonetheless, both new and old technologies will coexist in the transition, just as wood, coal, and oil did in the twentieth century and beyond. Is each technology practical, cost effective, and safe? Those are the questions that should be asked. Better technology always wins in the end. Better, greener, and cheaper technology is no contest.

You will find stories about fishermen opposing an offshore wind farm, anti-pollution activists against a chemical battery plant, environmentalists condemning an EV manufacturing plant. More organized opposition goes beyond backyard concerns to stop or ban change as well-funded petroleum interests aim to rebrand clean as dirty and cheap as expensive. Any new technology comes with its own set of challenges, although clean energy is not a lesser of two evils, but a chance to break free from a toxic past.

New energy isn’t exempt from emission controls and safety concerns. We should welcome the increased scrutiny over EVs to ensure a clean, practical, and affordable rollout, which hopefully increases scrutiny over toxic gasmobiles and dangerous petroleum supply chains. Why does the oil industry escape the same criticism about its dangers? If we paid more attention to all emissions, we wouldn’t be in such a pickle. What’s not to like as we kick gasoline to the curb – no more petroleum wars, fewer exploitative supply chains, reduced pollution?

Change is never easy, especially an energy transition that upends an entire economy, but once an EV can do the same (or more) than a gasmobile at the same (or cheaper) price and everyone can buy one, no one will want yesterday’s goods. With a cleaner technology, we will all breathe easier. Expect more battles ahead as we change from brown to green.

Notes

[1] Djuang, J., “The New Seven Supermajor Oil Companies,” LDI Training, 2023.

[2] “Revenge of the Electric Car” [documentary], directed by Chris Paine, West Midwest Productions, USA, 2011.

[3] “Solar Industry Research Data,” Solar Energy Industries Association, March 6, 2024.

[4] “Spain breezes into record books as wind power becomes main source of energy,” El País (in English), January 15, 2014.

[5] McGee, P., “This Tesla co-founder has a plan to recycle your EV batteries,” Financial Times, September 15, 2021.

[6] Janetsky, M. et al., “Native groups sit on a treasure trove of lithium. Now mines threaten their water, culture and wealth,” AP News, March 13, 2024.

[7] Paterson, L. and Wirfs-Brock, J., “Protesters say pipelines are dangerous. Are they?” Inside Energy, November 18, 2016.

[8] Thompson, J., in “Boiling Point: Are dams good or bad?” Los Angeles Times, January 23, 2024.

[9] “Shattered Ground,” The Nature of Things [documentary], directed by Leif Kaldo, Zoot Pictures, CBC, February 7, 2013.

[10] McKenzie, L. M. et al., “Ambient nonmethane hydrocarbon levels along Colorado’s northern front range: Acute and chronic health risks,” Environmental Science and Technology, March 27, 2018.

[11] Clark, C. J. et al., “Unconventional oil and gas development exposure and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A case-control study in Pennsylvania, 2009–2017,” Environmental Health Perspectives, 130(8), August 17, 2022.

[12] Valavanidis, A. et al., “Airborne particulate matter and human health: Toxicological assessment and importance of size and composition of particles for oxidative damage and carcinogenic mechanisms,” Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part C, 26: 4, pp. 339–362, November 26, 2008.

[13] Lelieveld, J. et al., “Cardiovascular disease burden from ambient air pollution in Europe reassessed using novel hazard ratio functions,” European Heart Journal, 40(20):1590–6, March 12, 2019.

[14] Buck, H. J., Ending Fossil Fuels: Why net zero is not enough, p. 59, Verso, London, 2021.

[15] Kitman, J. L., “The secret history of lead,” The Nation, March 2, 2000.

[16] McKenzie, H., Insane Mode: How Elon Musk’s Tesla sparked an electric revolution to end the age of oil, p. 67, Faber and Faber, London, 2018.

[17] Peskoe, A., “Profiteering Hampers U.S. Grid Expansion,” IEEE Spectrum, February 22, 2024.

[18] Ochoa, J., “ExxonMobil CEO’s corporate gaslighting tries to shift the blame for climate change, The Street, March 4, 2024.

[19] Pringle, E., “Saudi Aramco CEO says it’s time to abandon the ‘fantasy’ of phasing out oil because the $9.5 trillion energy transition is on a ‘road to nowhere,’” Fortune, March 19, 2024.

[20] “Tyres Not Tailpipe,” Emissions Analytics, January 29, 2020.

[21] Connolly, K., “Leftwing group claim responsibility for Tesla factory arson attack in Berlin,” The Guardian, March 5, 2024.

[22] Latschan, T., “Tesla sabotage in Germany: Who is the Volcano Group?” Deutsche Welle, March 6, 2024.

[23] Carrington, D., “38,000 people a year die early because of diesel emissions testing failures,” The Guardian, May 15, 2017.

]24] Ungoed-Thomas, J., “‘Unexploded bombs’: call for action after 11 deaths in UK due to e-bike fires,” The Guardian, March 9, 2024.

[25] “‘Compromised’ battery blamed for fatal house fire in Australia,” PV Magazine, March 11, 2024.

[26] Nader, R., “Statement by Ralph Nader on Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology,” Nader.org, August 10, 2022.

[27] “The First Electric Car for the Masses: Mary Barra Talks Bolt EVand Future of Mobility” [conference], Wired Business, June 29, 2016.

[28] Sivak, M. and Schoettle, B., “Relative costs of driving electric and gasoline vehicles in the individual US states,” SWT-2018-1, The University of Michigan, Sustainable Worldwide Transportation, January 2018.

[29] McKenzie, H., Insane Mode, p. 175.

[30] McKenzie, H., Insane Mode, p. 194.

[31] Caulfield, B. et al., “Measuring the equity impacts of government subsidies for electric vehicles,” Energy 248, 123588, February 24, 2022.

[32] Walz, E., “Singulato Motors CEO Tiger Shen hopes its iS6 EV will help bring blue skies back to Beijing,” Future Car, October 2, 2017.

[33] Bakker, S., From Luxury to Necessity: What the railways, electricity and the automobile teach us about the IT revolution, p. 95, Boom, Amsterdam, 2017.

[34] Smil, V., Energy and Civilization: A history, p. 392, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2017.

John K. White, a former lecturer in physics and education at University College Dublin and the University of Oviedo. He is the editor of the energy news service E21NS and author of The Truth About Energy: Our Fossil-Fuel Addiction and the Transition to Renewables (Cambridge University Press, 2024) and Do The Math!: On Growth, Greed, and Strategic Thinking (Sage, 2013). He can be reached at: johnkingstonwhite@gmail.com