People rightfully dislike wireless signals being transmitted from the person behind the wheel when they text while drive, but there are times when a car's wireless signals can be good news. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a way to use wireless signals under the hood to help cut pollution from heavy-duty vehicles such as diesel-powered trucks. That's something we
News about China and cars isn't in short supply these days. With several of the world's largest cities, millions of cars on the road and huge problems with air pollution, it's no wonder that the nation is trying to make some changes. Along with decommissioning many of its aging vehicles, China is also expected to see huge growth in its electric
Some of the world's most notoriously smoggy cities are hoping for relief in a new plan taking aim at what's coming out of their tailpipes. In response to serious air pollution problems and an attempt to meet emissions standards, China plans to decommission more than 5 million aging vehicles by the end of 201
Airborne particulate matter can really do a number on us humans, particularly with regard to our cardiovascular systems. It seems reasonable for air pollution, then, to be a major concern when calculating the environmental and health costs of the way we do business. Diesel-powered transport has come under particularly
It isn't just governments and automakers working on reducing air pollution. Creating surface coatings that can absorb nitrogen oxides, usually titanium dioxide, has been a focus of several companies in several countries, and their products have been used on architectural tile, roofing tile and paving in England and Jonathon Ramsey
Peak Car is the theory that one day soon, the global auto industry will reach its sales maximum and numbers will only decrease from then on. Increase in the number of city dwellers, concerns over pollution and crippling gridlock (all of which are conveniently shown above, in Beijing) could all contribute to the auto industry reaching peak car.
Dalian will become the fifth China city to restrict new car sales, reflecting the country's growing emissions and traffic issues and the government's efforts to deal with them, Automotive News reports. Beijing, Shanghai, Guiyana and Guangzhou already have sales restrictions, and Hangzhou and Chengdu may soon join the list. The new laws are
The US will soon work with China as the world's most populous nation works to draft stricter emissions standards. The two countries certainly know how to put pollution into the air – China is the world's biggest emitter polluter, followed by the US.
With notoriously bad traffic and pollution, Shanghai may institute a congestion charge, similar to what's been seen in London and Singapore (and considered i
The California dream is becoming a bit more of a nightmare, at least according to some truckers there. With the California Air Resources Board (CARB) mandating that older trucks be equipped with a special diesel soot filter in order to reduce pollution, trucking advocates are arguing that the device is not only cost-prohibitive but dangerous as well, says Forbes<
53,000 early deaths are attributed to exhaust from cars and trucks, annually.
Stick your head too close to an old car's exhaust, and we're willing to be dollars to donuts that you'll start coughing. It turns out that vehicle exhaust isn't just bad for you until the air clears. All that nastiness has a serious long-term effect, and can even cause asthma in children.
Isn't bicycling supposed to reduce carbon emissions and free up traffic jam congestion? Well, it's actually making matters worse, argues a state representative from Washington. "You would be giving off more CO2 if you are riding a bike than driving in a car," claims Ed Orcutt (R – Kalama, WA).
France's environment minister says diesel fuel, which powers about 80 percent of the country's light-duty vehicles, should be taxed at higher levels for the sake of public health, Bloomberg News reports.
The mood at the 2013 North American International Auto Show has been more than upbeat for automakers. Lots of new models and concept cars have been unveiled and automakers think it will be a good year for a solid sales increase. Quartz writer Tim Fernholz looked at it from another angle, raising some big questions. What i
Many factories and chemical plants have suspended production in Beijing in an attempt to curb dangerous pollution, according to the South China Morning Post. The air pollution is some of the worst the city has seen in years, with harmful PM2.5 particle rates hovering between 200 and 400 micrograms per cubic meter. That number is down from as high as 886 on Sunday. For contrast, the
Our dependency on oil for transportation is as futile as burning Picasso paintings for heat, according to Christian Science Monitor guest blogger Kurt Cobb.
People looking to maintain their health have long been advised to take their minerals. Will trucks be doing the same thing?
The University of Tennessee has just come up with a theory about China electric vehicles that may have some believing that there was a little too much of the local whiskey involved in the process.
Few electric vehicles are actually "zero emissions," but calculating the exact carbon footprint of an EV can be daunting. Not only do different utilities each use a different mix of coal, nuclear, hydro, wind, and solar, many areas also offer individuals the opportunity to buy "greener" power. These deals don't actually guarantee the source of the electrons arriving at your home, but they can help ensure that your utility expands or purchases power from sources that are more environmentally frie
