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Severe drought influences ozone pollution

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From 2011 to 2015, California experienced its worst drought on record, with a parching combination of high temperatures and low precipitation. Although ozone in the stratosphere protects the earth from ultraviolet radiation, at ground level the molecule is a harmful air pollutant to humans, animals and plants.

Ozone 207
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Study: 2/3 of aviation climate impact due to emissions other than CO2

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of the human-made climate impact; two-thirds of this impact are caused by emissions other than CO 2 , according to a new study by researchers in Europe and the US. This new study is based on a thorough review of a decade of research on aviation emissions. The formation and emission of sulfate aerosol yields a negative (cooling) term.

Climate 448
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MIT study: half of US deaths related to air pollution are linked to out-of-state emissions

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More than half of all air-quality-related early deaths in the United States are a result of emissions originating outside of the state in which those deaths occur, MIT researchers report in a paper in the journal Nature. Now it’s looking like other emissions sectors are becoming important. That wasn’t really possible before.

MIT 307
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Study finds São Paulo switch from ethanol to gasoline dropped local ozone levels by 20%, increased CO and nitric oxide concentrations

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A study by a pair of researchers at Northwestern University found that when fuel prices drove residents of São Paulo, Brazil, to switch from ethanol to gasoline in their flexible-fuel vehicles, local ozone levels dropped 20%. Ozone levels are relatively high in São Paulo, with hourly concentrations above 75 and 125 µg m ?3

Ozone 316
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EPA says methane emissions from natural gas production have dropped 36% from 2007-2011

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In its recently released Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990 – 2011 ( earlier post ), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that methane (CH 4 ) emissions from the field production of natural gas have declined by 36% from 2007 to 2011 (from 83.1 CH 4 emissions represented 8.8%

2007 285
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EPA proposes tightening primary ozone standards to range of 65-70 ppb; final rule by October 2015

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Counties where measured ozone is above proposed range of standards, based on 2011-2013 monitoring data. Earlier this year, EPA staff had recommended the further reduction of this primary ozone standard from the current 75 ppb (parts per billion) to a revised level within the range of 70 ppb to 60 ppb—and preferably below 70 ppb.

Ozone 273
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Study finds global emissions of ethane and propane underestimated by more than 50%

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When ethane and propane—the most abundant non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) in the atmosphere—mix with nitrogen oxides from vehicles and power plants they form tropospheric ozone—a key component of smog and directly linked to increases in mortality. —Dalsøren et al.

Emissions 210