Watch the icecaps melt away

I came across this animation via http://flowingdata.com, a blog I subscribe to. It covers the period from the last glacial maximum 21,000 years ago and ends 1,000 years in the future., and shows the ice caps gradually melting away. The visualsation has been developed at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences by Adrian Meyer and Karl Rege “End summer sea

Particulate pollution – PM10 and PM2.5

Airborne particulate is a major component of urban air pollution. Anthropogenic sources  include combustion within car engines, solid-fuel combustion in households, industrial activities (such as building, mining, manufacturing of cement, ceramics and bricks, and smelting), quarrying and mining. Epidemiological evidence indicates a clear relationship between exposure to particulate matter and effects on health, particularly smaller

Climate change increases the impact of Persistent Organic Pollutants

Human activity releases a large number of chemical pollutants into the environment, many of which are harmful to human health. Some chemicals that are particularly noted for their ability to persist in the environment once released and for their harmful effects on health and the environment, are collectively known as “persistent organic pollutants” (POPs). These

Watch the glaciers retreat

Despite all the evidence that has been accumulating over the past few decades, there are still plenty of people who don’t accept that the climate is changing due to releases of “greenhouse gases” from human activities. Anybody who has any doubts should watch this video of a talk by the photographer James Balog to the

Pollution and human health

For a number of years now, in November / December I’ve contributed to an MSc in Pollution and Environmental Control, delivering a couple of lectures covering “Pollution and human health”. People can be exposed to pollutants by inhalation of air pollution, and ingestion of polluted water or foodstuffs. Their effects on human health can be Direct