insert_link Africa Ghana’s new vehicle tax aims to tackle pollution – expert unpacks how it’ll work and suggests reforms By Theophilus Acheampong, University of Aberdeen Ghana has introduced an annual carbon levy on vehicles and industrial emissions. It’s only the third African country to introduce an explicit carbon tax, after South Africa and Mauritius. The tax is intended to address harm associated with vehicle emissions. But it has prompted a pushback from various citizens, civic and consumer groups. The Conversation Africa’s Godfred Akoto Boafo spoke […] todayFebruary 16, 2024 21
insert_link Environment Bangkok says work from home as pollution blankets city Bangkok city employees have been told to work from home to avoid harmful air pollution, as a layer of noxious haze blanketed the Thai capital on Thursday. City authorities asked for cooperation from employers to help workers in the city of about 11 million people avoid the pollution, which is expected to last into Friday. The air monitoring website IQAir ranked Bangkok among the 10 most polluted cities […] todayFebruary 15, 2024 12
insert_link Health / Medical Certain indoor air pollutants can be absorbed through the skin – here’s what you need to know Phthalates are one of these pollutants that our skin can absorb. atk work/ Shutterstock Asit Kumar Mishra, University College Cork and Gabriel Bekö, Technical University of Denmark Even though most of us will spend a majority of our lives indoors, that doesn’t mean we aren’t still exposed to air pollution. Indoor air contains a wide array of pollutants including chemicals found in many common household items, building materials and cleaning […] todayJanuary 29, 2024 19
insert_link Environment Get rid of leaf blowers: they pollute and their purpose is dubious The most infuriating feature of my walk up to my office every morning is neither the distance nor the steep hill; it is the daily presence of a leaf blower. Never has a machine been so pointless, wasteful and widely disliked, and yet so widely used. There are many reasons to hate leaf blowers. They are loud and their sole purpose is to over-manicure nature. They disperse debris rather […] todayDecember 14, 2023 5
insert_link Africa Tackling climate change can improve public health in Africa – new report highlights how By Chris Malley, University of York; Alice Akinyi Kaudia, University of Nairobi; Andriannah Mbandi, South Eastern Kenya University; Kevin Hicks, University of York; Philip Osano, Stockholm Environment Institute, and Youba Sokona, UCL African countries can simultaneously address climate change and improve public health by reducing air pollution. In many cases these actions also have other societal, economic, environment or health benefits. Addressing these together is challenging because they are often […] todayDecember 4, 2023 18