air pollution

People wearing protective masks walk near the iconic headquarters of Chinese state broadcaster Central China Television in Beijing, which has been blanketed by heavy smog.

WATCH: Time-Lapse Video Shows Wall Of Smog In Beijing

4:42pm January 03, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

The sky appears blue at the beginning of the 13-second video, then completely disappears from view in the haze of brown smog. Dozens of Chinese cities are currently under pollution alerts.

300 Million Children Are Breathing 'Extremely Toxic' Air, UNICEF Says

3:24pm October 31, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Altogether, some 2 billion children worldwide are breathing air that has been deemed a "long term hazard," a report finds. Pollution contributes to around 600,000 deaths annually of kids under age 5.

An Indian worker sweeps a street in a cloud of choking smog in New Delhi on Monday, the day after fireworks for the Diwali festival. After millions of firecrackers were lit, New Delhi's air pollutants shot up far higher than normal levels.

World News

PHOTOS: After Diwali Fireworks, Smog Shrouds New Delhi

1:11pm October 31, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

New Delhi suffers from intense air pollution every winter. On Monday, the stifling smog was particularly acute — in part because of the countless firecrackers set off for Diwali this weekend.

92 Percent Of The World's Population Breathes Substandard Air, WHO Says

6:30pm September 27, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The pollution levels have a staggering impact on health, according to the report, which says: "In 2012, one out of every nine deaths was the result of air pollution-related conditions."

Police patrol traffic in Paris as part of new anti-pollution measures aimed at punishing vehicles registered before 1997 that are forbidden to be driven during the week. Nearly 30 police officers stood guard on the morning of July 1, in the main squares o

To Fight Pollution, Paris Imposes Weekday Ban On Old Cars

5:47pm July 01, 2016

by Eleanor Beardsley

The city is banning pre-1997 cars and pre-2000 motorcycles from the streets in daylight hours during the week — a move opposed by some advocates for the poor and vintage car collectors.

Buildings are seen shrouded in smog from the 102nd floor of Seoul's Lotte World Tower in December 2015.

Korea's Air Is Dirty, But It's Not All Close-Neighbor China's Fault

12:39pm June 03, 2016

by Elise Hu

South Korea likes to point the finger at China for its pollution woes, but that's not the whole story. New research is examining how much Korean smog is caused by neighbors and how much is home-grown.

Queue Listen Now

A special hearth (left) for "green" cremations uses less wood and takes less time than traditional cremations. The new cremation method cuts down on air pollution.

Environment

In India, Eco-Friendly Cremation Is Easy — But It's A Tough Sell

4:37pm May 10, 2016

by Ari Shapiro

Is it possible to shrink the carbon footprint of the dead? An organization wants to persuade Indians to adopt "green" cremations and make an important Hindu death rite more environmentally friendly.

Queue Listen Now

Women wearing masks and other residents dance during their daily exercise amid the heavy smog in Beijing on Monday.

Beijing Issues Its First Ever 'Red Alert' Over Air Pollution

2:49pm December 07, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

Schools were advised to cancel classes, and some industrial plants must slow or stop production. The warning system was instituted in 2013.

Coal fires burn early in the morning in January 2014 at a privately owned coal mine in India's Jharkand state, making the air dense with noxious smoke and dust. Forty percent of India's mineral wealth lies in Jharkhand.

India's Quandary: Climate Change And Coal

5:14am November 27, 2015

by Julie McCarthy

Coal is king in India. Some say there's little alternative. So how can this country, the world's third-largest polluter, provide energy and lift millions from poverty while trying to become "greener"?

Beijing's chronic high pollution has forced residents to adjust to living with the haze. China is the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, but until recently, the government treated air pollution and climate change as separate issues, saying climate ch

China's Greenhouse Gases Don't Seem To Trouble Most Of Its Citizens

5:03pm November 24, 2015

by Frank Langfitt

The Chinese tend to ignore the dangers of global warming even though the country already suffers the consequences of pollution today and faces serious potential threats in the longer term.