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Friday, April 19, 2024

HOUSTON — This week EHN is publishing letters from eighth grade students at YES Prep Northbrook Middle School in the Houston-area neighborhood of Spring Branch, Texas.English educators Cassandra Harper and Yvette Howard incorporated the environment into a series of lessons in December last year. Each student conducted their own research to begin drafting letters to EHN about their concerns or hopes. EHN reporter Cami Ferrell visited their classrooms to share information about her personal reporting experiences in Houston. The collection of letters, some of which were lightly edited, do not represent the opinions of YES Prep Northbrook or EHN, but are offered here as a peak into the minds of children and their relationship with environmental issues. Read the first, second, third and fourth set of letters.Diana MezaClimate change is changing our planet day by day. If we do not do anything about it, who knows what could happen in the future. Climate change has really affected our environment, from wildfires to extreme weather. People have experiences with climate change and so do I. One day during the summer, I went out with my family. It was really hot that day, but no one had expected what would happen next. Suddenly, I began to have a heat stroke. It lasted about 15 minutes, and it scared us all. And this wasn’t the first time this has happened. This heat stroke in particular worried me that maybe one day something worse could possibly happen. Since the heat is increasing every year, it is possible that in the future, my body will no longer be able to take the heat.I believe it is important we do something about this to prevent harming any more people. I think some way we can help is by trying to stop pollution. Pollution is one of the main reasons why our Earth is heating up more than ever. If we reduce the pollution we let out in our air, it could possibly make a big difference. Another thing I believe we can do to help our Earth is if we stop cutting down our trees. We need our trees to have fresh air and without them, our air quality could worsen.Thank you for taking time out of your day to read about ways we can improve our environment. With your help, we can make this a better place.- Diana MezaAzhael MedranoI am writing to discuss the status and my opinion of climate change. I want to talk about this issue because it is currently not just affecting us but also affecting all other living and nonliving things. This letter expresses my feelings about climate change and how it is dangerous in multiple ways.Climate change is now affecting everyone, and it changes the way we live life. The issue affects me and my community because the pollution we breathe in can harm us. An example of climate change that was near where I live was the Spring Branch fire on Hollister Road. This situation makes me feel that soon we are going to need some form of facial protection because of all the pollution. The thing I am mostly worried about when it comes to climate change is the pollution and the extreme temperature. To address climate change, it is important that we humans limit the number of times we use our daily vehicles such as cars, planes, and boats. A message I would like to give the government is to change the way most things are powered because as of right now most of our vehicles are powered by oil which creates more pollution for us to breathe in causing more sicknesses to happen and more deaths to experience. I want all the readers to understand that climate change is caused by certain jobs we take part in such as refineries and cargo sending ships across the world just to spread the pollution even more. Thank you for hearing me out on how we can make the world a better place for the future leaders of the world. - Azhael Medrano Felix PerezClimate change is one of the biggest worldwide problems. People think that climate change is the world just heating up and that is one of many (things) going on.For example, sea levels are going up and severe storms are currently happening and freezes could happen. In February 2021 Houston had one of the biggest freezes making people lose their homes. This is rare for Texas to freeze, since Texas is hotter than (other) states. This affected families by making them lose (their) homes for not being able to pay for the damage caused by the storm. (Some) families had less food than others. (Some) were stocking up on food to make sure that they can feed their family. People were in the streets starving (and freezing) to death in the cold. To address climate change, it is important that the people and government act. The government should turn off gas companies once a week every month while the workers still get paid to make sure we decrease the amount of natural gas being put out in our atmosphere. I want people to know that it is not just heat but people (will be) losing their homes and animals losing their natural habitats. People should attend meetings and protest to try to end climate change. Thank you for taking your time to read on how I feel about climate change and why I think we should find ways to end how bad it is so my generation can have a future and for our species to not go extinct. - Felix PerezCarolina GonzalezI believe that climate change is a tremendous problem because climate change is affecting humans. For example, hurting their lungs and causing them to have asthma, heart diseases, and more. But climate change can also cause (the) losing (of) resources like trees or food. This issue affects me and my community because I had asthma but it came back not that long ago. So the pollution has affected me.Some examples of climate change near my area was that it was flooded by a hurricane named Hurricane Harvey, and this year we’ve experienced a huge fire. Many trees were destroyed. The air was toxic to adults, but (especially) toxic for young children. This worries me for my future because I believe that possibly the citizens here would want to leave because of what the pollution is causing. It also worries me (that) the hospitals won’t have enough room for everyone that is having health problems from the pollution.Humans need to take control of climate change and try to fix it in any way possible. In Houston,Texas we had one of the hottest summers ever, no one is taking action and caring about our Earth. Parents need to be careful when their children are outside breathing those toxic chemicals and hurting their lungs. I would like to see a change, before and after, especially to those kids' futures. How will the Earth look when pollution decreases? - Carolina GonzalezDaniel MendozaClimate change is a real problem that is happening around the world, not just here. It has affected many lives, and it will keep on affecting many more lives if it isn’t stopped. The issue with climate change is that it isn’t taken that seriously and it has become a big problem because it has worsened over time. This issue affects me or my community because it can affect our health and how we live here in Houston. This year’s summer was the hottest ever recorded here in Houston, and it might be getting hotter each year. Also, this summer there has been some smog in the air, mostly what I think has been created by refineries or cars releasing gas into the air. In order to address climate change, it is important that we, as a community, act upon this by using less electricity and gas, using transportation without gasoline- like a bicycle or walking - and using an electric car instead of a gasoline car. What the government should do (something) too. From what I have heard, they have reduced greenhouse gasses, which is another factor for hot temperatures like this summer’s. The government should keep at it so there could be less hotter summers over the years. We people from Houston should know about this and must make a change from converting our gasoline car to electric, or to use less gas and electricity in our homes. We can make a change, even if it seems impossible. know we can, so that I and many other people can have a bright future ahead of us.- Daniel Mendoza

HOUSTON — This week EHN is publishing letters from eighth grade students at YES Prep Northbrook Middle School in the Houston-area neighborhood of Spring Branch, Texas.

English educators Cassandra Harper and Yvette Howard incorporated the environment into a series of lessons in December last year. Each student conducted their own research to begin drafting letters to EHN about their concerns or hopes. EHN reporter Cami Ferrell visited their classrooms to share information about her personal reporting experiences in Houston.

The collection of letters, some of which were lightly edited, do not represent the opinions of YES Prep Northbrook or EHN, but are offered here as a peak into the minds of children and their relationship with environmental issues. Read the first, second, third and fourth set of letters.

Diana Meza

Climate change is changing our planet day by day. If we do not do anything about it, who knows what could happen in the future. Climate change has really affected our environment, from wildfires to extreme weather. People have experiences with climate change and so do I. One day during the summer, I went out with my family. It was really hot that day, but no one had expected what would happen next. Suddenly, I began to have a heat stroke. It lasted about 15 minutes, and it scared us all. And this wasn’t the first time this has happened. This heat stroke in particular worried me that maybe one day something worse could possibly happen. Since the heat is increasing every year, it is possible that in the future, my body will no longer be able to take the heat.

I believe it is important we do something about this to prevent harming any more people. I think some way we can help is by trying to stop pollution. Pollution is one of the main reasons why our Earth is heating up more than ever. If we reduce the pollution we let out in our air, it could possibly make a big difference. Another thing I believe we can do to help our Earth is if we stop cutting down our trees. We need our trees to have fresh air and without them, our air quality could worsen.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read about ways we can improve our environment. With your help, we can make this a better place.

- Diana Meza

Azhael Medrano

I am writing to discuss the status and my opinion of climate change. I want to talk about this issue because it is currently not just affecting us but also affecting all other living and nonliving things. This letter expresses my feelings about climate change and how it is dangerous in multiple ways.

Climate change is now affecting everyone, and it changes the way we live life. The issue affects me and my community because the pollution we breathe in can harm us. An example of climate change that was near where I live was the Spring Branch fire on Hollister Road. This situation makes me feel that soon we are going to need some form of facial protection because of all the pollution. The thing I am mostly worried about when it comes to climate change is the pollution and the extreme temperature.

To address climate change, it is important that we humans limit the number of times we use our daily vehicles such as cars, planes, and boats. A message I would like to give the government is to change the way most things are powered because as of right now most of our vehicles are powered by oil which creates more pollution for us to breathe in causing more sicknesses to happen and more deaths to experience. I want all the readers to understand that climate change is caused by certain jobs we take part in such as refineries and cargo sending ships across the world just to spread the pollution even more. Thank you for hearing me out on how we can make the world a better place for the future leaders of the world.

- Azhael Medrano

Felix Perez

Climate change is one of the biggest worldwide problems. People think that climate change is the world just heating up and that is one of many (things) going on.

For example, sea levels are going up and severe storms are currently happening and freezes could happen. In February 2021 Houston had one of the biggest freezes making people lose their homes. This is rare for Texas to freeze, since Texas is hotter than (other) states. This affected families by making them lose (their) homes for not being able to pay for the damage caused by the storm. (Some) families had less food than others. (Some) were stocking up on food to make sure that they can feed their family. People were in the streets starving (and freezing) to death in the cold.

To address climate change, it is important that the people and government act. The government should turn off gas companies once a week every month while the workers still get paid to make sure we decrease the amount of natural gas being put out in our atmosphere. I want people to know that it is not just heat but people (will be) losing their homes and animals losing their natural habitats. People should attend meetings and protest to try to end climate change.

Thank you for taking your time to read on how I feel about climate change and why I think we should find ways to end how bad it is so my generation can have a future and for our species to not go extinct.

- Felix Perez

Carolina Gonzalez

I believe that climate change is a tremendous problem because climate change is affecting humans. For example, hurting their lungs and causing them to have asthma, heart diseases, and more. But climate change can also cause (the) losing (of) resources like trees or food. This issue affects me and my community because I had asthma but it came back not that long ago. So the pollution has affected me.

Some examples of climate change near my area was that it was flooded by a hurricane named Hurricane Harvey, and this year we’ve experienced a huge fire. Many trees were destroyed. The air was toxic to adults, but (especially) toxic for young children. This worries me for my future because I believe that possibly the citizens here would want to leave because of what the pollution is causing. It also worries me (that) the hospitals won’t have enough room for everyone that is having health problems from the pollution.

Humans need to take control of climate change and try to fix it in any way possible. In Houston,Texas we had one of the hottest summers ever, no one is taking action and caring about our Earth. Parents need to be careful when their children are outside breathing those toxic chemicals and hurting their lungs. I would like to see a change, before and after, especially to those kids' futures. How will the Earth look when pollution decreases?

- Carolina Gonzalez

Daniel Mendoza

Climate change is a real problem that is happening around the world, not just here. It has affected many lives, and it will keep on affecting many more lives if it isn’t stopped.

The issue with climate change is that it isn’t taken that seriously and it has become a big problem because it has worsened over time. This issue affects me or my community because it can affect our health and how we live here in Houston. This year’s summer was the hottest ever recorded here in Houston, and it might be getting hotter each year. Also, this summer there has been some smog in the air, mostly what I think has been created by refineries or cars releasing gas into the air.

In order to address climate change, it is important that we, as a community, act upon this by using less electricity and gas, using transportation without gasoline- like a bicycle or walking - and using an electric car instead of a gasoline car. What the government should do (something) too. From what I have heard, they have reduced greenhouse gasses, which is another factor for hot temperatures like this summer’s. The government should keep at it so there could be less hotter summers over the years. We people from Houston should know about this and must make a change from converting our gasoline car to electric, or to use less gas and electricity in our homes.

We can make a change, even if it seems impossible. know we can, so that I and many other people can have a bright future ahead of us.

- Daniel Mendoza

Read the full story here.

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‘Citizen scientists’ to check UK rivers for sewage and pollution

Big River Watch scheme asks general public to help monitor state of rivers after years of deregulationRivers will be checked for sewage and other pollution by the general public this month in an attempt to assess the health of British waterways.Cuts to the UK regulators and a change in the law to allow water company self-monitoring of pollution in England mean there is little independent monitoring of the state of rivers in the UK. Continue reading...

Rivers will be checked for sewage and other pollution by the general public this month in an attempt to assess the health of British waterways.Cuts to the UK regulators and a change in the law to allow water company self-monitoring of pollution in England mean there is little independent monitoring of the state of rivers in the UK.When the UK was in the EU, it was subject to the water framework directive, which meant it had to carry out detailed pollution analysis of waterways and report every year. There has not been a survey done under the WFD since 2019, and the Conservative government began the process of removing the EU standards from UK legislation. The Labour government has not indicated whether it intends to continue this deregulation.’Citizen scientists’ have therefore been intensifying efforts to check rivers for pollution to try to find the true scale of the problem.The Rivers Trust has developed an app for its Big River Watch and is asking users to spend 15 minutes by their local river and fill in a survey, building up a picture of the damage done to rivers around the UK. The survey includes questions on river wildlife, signs of pollution, and health and wellbeing.Tessa Wardley, the director of communication and advocacy at the Rivers Trust, said: “We know that no rivers in England are in good overall health, but we also know that environmental monitoring is currently very sparse. Having a large set of data from one weekend will help our experts to understand what’s going on in our rivers, and what needs to be done to make them cleaner, healthier, and part of a thriving wider environment.“As well as learning where pollution and wildlife are spotted, we also want to know how spending time near rivers affects people’s wellbeing, so I’d encourage anyone and everyone to spend some time by their river and make their voice heard.”This week, the government announced it would take measures to force water bosses to clean up waterways in England and Wales.Water bosses who cover up data around sewage spills could be jailed for up to two years under legislation introduced to the House of Commons on Thursday. CEO bonuses will be blocked if companies fail to meet environmental, consumer and fiscal targets, and ministers plan to pass legislation that would force water companies to pay the enforcement costs of the Environment Agency and Drinking Water Inspectorate if they are under investigation.The environment secretary, Steve Reed, also announced a comprehensive review into the structure of the water industry, with the terms of reference to be announced later in the autumn.skip past newsletter promotionThe planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essentialPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionCampaigners, however, said these measures alone would not end the sewage crisis and that regulators needed more funding and strengthening, and that there needed to be a plan with targets and milestones to phase out spills of human waste into rivers and seas.The Big River Watch runs from 6-12 September.

Pollution

Health

Water

Houston area transit agencies offering ‘Free Fare Fridays’ in September to promote cleaner air

Harris County ranks as one of the worst in Texas for air pollution, according to the EPA.

Gail Delaughter/Houston Public MediaBuses at Fort Bend transit facilityThe Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) announced this week that it had partnered with several Houston area agencies to provide free bus transit every Friday for September. The participating agencies include Harris County Transit, Fort Bend Transit, The Woodlands Township and Conroe Connection, according to Commute Solutions — a service of H-GAC. The initiative was created to take place during Ozone Action Month as September is often the worst month for air quality in the region. Available dates and routes: Harris County Transit – All routes are free on Sept. 6, 13, 20 and 27 The Woodlands Township – All routes are free on Sept. 6, 13, 20 and 27 Fort Bend Transit – All routes are free on Sept. 13, 20 and 27 Conroe Connection – Fixed routes and paratransit routes are free Sept. 6, 13, 20 and 27 For years Houston has been known for its poor air quality. According to data collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2020 to 2023, Harris County was one of several counties in Texas that failed to meet the standard. The data collected measured the average Fine Particle Concentrations found in the air, which the World Health Organization (WHO) considers to be one of the most dangerous forms of pollution as it can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the blood system. For context, the EPA set an annual primary fine particle standard of 9 micrograms per cubic meter and the WHO considers anything above 5 micrograms per cubic meter to be dangerous. However, the EPA recorded that Harris County had 11.4 micrograms per cubic meter, the worst of any county in Texas. A recent study has also found that communities of color are often hit hardest by poor air quality.

Pollution

Health

Fishermen in Rio De Janeiro Use App to Record, Report Water Pollution

By Renato SpyrroRIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - All it takes is a boat trip around the Guanabara Bay in the state of Rio de Janeiro to spot oil or...

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - All it takes is a boat trip around the Guanabara Bay in the state of Rio de Janeiro to spot oil or chemical substances that have been dumped into the waters forming part of the world-famous landscape that includes the Sugar Loaf Mountain, numerous granite monoliths and the captivating Christ the Redeemer statue.Moved by the environmental impact, non-governmental groups 350.org and the Association of Men and Women of the Sea of Guanabara Bay - Rede Ahomar created an app for local fishermen to record and report this pollution.Since it was launched at the end of July, the app, called De Olho na Guanabara, or Eye on Guanabara, 70 users have registered themselves. Data from 350.org shows 27 complaints have been analyzed and made public while another 126 have been submitted for analysis.Alexandre Anderson de Sousa, a fisherman and president of Rede Ahomar, said the app had been tested for over two years.In addition to fishermen, residents and environmentalists in the region can also share photos and videos of suspected spills of oil or chemical substances that will be shared with authorities, along with information about their location."Each report on the app is an alert to the entire Brazilian society that one of its postcard landmarks is dying to feed an outdated fossil fuel production system, which, on top of it, also worsens the climate crisis," said Luiz Afonso Rosario the campaign coordinator from 350.org.Giselle Menezes, water quality manager at the Rio De Janeiro environmental institute, Inea, said areas of Guanabara Bay have been showing progressive improvement, following investments in the basic sanitation network.In addition to verifying complaints, she said the institute was also carrying out its own monitoring and inspection.Scientists found that sea turtles in the area were getting healthier after struggling for years with a tumor disease that hampers movement, sight and feeding, and ultimately kills them.(Reporting by Renato Spyrro; Writing by Marta Nogueira and Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by David Gregorio)Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters.

Pollution

Water

Climate

How we assisted Houston residents in monitoring air quality and reporting pollution

After identifying flaws in the state’s air monitoring, the Tribune hosted workshops to inform Houston Ship Channel communities.

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Residents of communities along the Houston Ship Channel came together on a Saturday in August at the Galena Park Library to share their stories about air pollution and seek solutions on how to better protect themselves from industry emissions at a community event hosted by The Texas Tribune. A resident recounted the pervasive stench of rotten eggs and onions that haunted her neighborhood, while a local bakery owner asked environmental experts about the best ways to prepare for a potential chemical incident. A young mother, balancing her baby on her shoulder, listened intently as she learned how to file an air quality complaint with the state environmental agency. For the people living in communities that sit in the shadow of one of the world’s largest petrochemical complexes, strange smells and polluted air are as much a part of daily life as traffic jams are to the rest of the city. Yet, for too long, these communities have felt forgotten. The event, part of The Texas Tribune’s community engagement efforts, was inspired by my previous reporting on environmental health impacts in those communities. My colleagues and I saw an opportunity to fill important information gaps by returning to the community, distributing the story in person, and hosting a community-focused event — something that's not always possible in journalism. From disastrous chemical fires to the routine chemical releases from industrial plants, the residents near the Ship Channel constantly face environmental hazards. Last year, a joint investigation by the Tribune and Public Health Watch into a 2019 chemical fire in Deer Park found that benzene emissions reached dangerous levels weeks after the fire was extinguished, and officials at times didn’t immediately alert residents about the invisible danger. First: A workshop attendee examines a map during a session about monitoring air quality in Houston. Last: The community event invited local advocates to teach participants about air quality monitoring, protection during chemical events and how to voice concerns. Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune Our most recent investigation, in collaboration with Altavoz Lab and Environmental Health News, found that air-quality data from the state is often inadequate, hard to access, and typically only available in English. As a result, crucial information on how to avoid chemical exposure and the public health consequences of such incidents doesn’t always reach those who need it most. The event at the Galena Park Library aimed to give residents more accessible information and a space to ask questions offering residents practical knowledge and resources at three interactive stations: Texans need truth. Help us report it.More than 12,000 readers support our independent Texas journalism. Will you join The Texas Tribune member community? ❤️ support texas journalism * Monitoring air quality: Advocacy groups taught residents how to track the pollutants in the air they breathe using community air monitoring systems. * Protecting yourself: Environmental experts provided guidance on what to do during a chemical event, including how to recognize symptoms of chemical exposure. * Making your voice heard: Residents learned how to file complaints with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and make public comments on proposed petrochemical facility permits. The event was bilingual, with Spanish-language interpreters on hand. The dozens of people who attended asked thoughtful questions and expressed gratitude that The Texas Tribune had taken the time to return and listen to their concerns. “It’s because of events like these that we are able to educate people about these issues," said Rodney Reed, an assistant chief of operational support for the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office. “Thank you for informing us about what to do during a chemical emergency,” said a woman who attends St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic Church in Channelview. Environmental reporter Alejandra Martinez speaks with a participant at a community workshop hosted by The Texas Tribune at the Galena Park Library in Houston. Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune After our stories published in March, we also wanted to find a way to bring our work directly to people in Cloverleaf, a predominantly Latino community where more than 71% of Cloverleaf residents speak Spanish at home and are not regular readers of The Texas Tribune. How do you reach a community that relies on Facebook groups, WhatsApp, and word-of-mouth for news? The answer was simple — by showing up. In April, freelance reporter Wendy Selene Pérez and I went back to Cloverleaf for four days, distributing flyers with critical information on chemical emergency preparedness and civic engagement. The flyers also had a QR code that took people to our website so they could read and listen to our stories in English or Spanish. We walked through mobile home parks, visited local panaderias and washaterias, and handed flyers to parents waiting in line to pick up their children from school. The response was overwhelming. The owner of a quinceañera dress shop shared how she used to speak out at public meetings about the “fumes and chemicals” but had since felt ignored and stopped speaking out. Holding the flyer, she said, “I really like this. I didn’t know who to talk to, but at least someone came to talk to me. I am happy, and I will read it.” Hugo Muñoz, a general manager of El Rancho Bakery, encouraged his customers to pick up the flyers, even handing them out himself. “It’s so great that you are doing this and taking notes and testimonials,” he said. Jocelyn Prado, a resident who said she has persistent allergies and skin irritation, added: “If y’all had never come by, I would not have been as informed. Finally, people like y’all are taking time out of your hands trying to figure this out for other people.” Beyond raising awareness, we at the Tribune and our reporting partners also facilitated connections between residents and local environmental organizations like Air Alliance Houston, a nonprofit that operates its own air monitoring network in Galena Park, Pasadena, Channelview and Baytown. During the visit, three families living in Cloverleaf asked to have community air monitors set up outside their homes — a direct result of the Tribune's efforts. First: People listen as Matt Ewalt, senior director of events and live journalism, speaks at the community workshop in Houston. Last: Yvette Arellano, founder of Fenceline Watch, left, highlights a pamphlet as Erandi Treviño, a coalition organizer for Healthy Port Communities Coalition, right, listens during the event. Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune “Reporters often come, hear our stories, and then leave, never to return,” said Juan Flores, a community air monitoring program manager for Air Alliance Houston. “But you’re different. You came back.” In the end, the engagement strategy wasn’t just about distributing information — it was about building trust, fostering dialogue, and empowering a community to take action. By returning to the neighborhoods along the Houston Ship Channel, this collaboration showed that journalism doesn’t have to end when the story is published; it can continue as a conversation with the people it serves. As The Texas Tribune's signature event of the year, The Texas Tribune Festival brings Texans closer to politics, policy and the day’s news from Texas and beyond. Browse on-demand recordings and catch up on the biggest headlines from Festival events at the Tribune’s Festival news page.

Pollution

Chemicals

Nature

Air pollution harms male fertility while women face similar risk from noise, study finds

Environmental pollutants may have different effects on male and female reproduction, research in BMJ suggests Air pollution is associated with a higher infertility risk in men, while noise pollution is associated with a higher risk of infertility in women, a study has found.The study, which has been peer-reviewed and published in the BMJ, looked at whether long-term exposure to road traffic noise and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a particular form of air pollution, was associated with a higher risk of infertility in men and women. Continue reading...

Air pollution is associated with a higher infertility risk in men, while noise pollution is associated with a higher risk of infertility in women, a study has found.The study, which has been peer-reviewed and published in the BMJ, looked at whether long-term exposure to road traffic noise and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a particular form of air pollution, was associated with a higher risk of infertility in men and women.It drew from a database of 526,056 men and 377,850 women aged 30 to 45 who had fewer than two children, were cohabiting or married, and who had lived in Denmark between 2000 and 2017. This subset of the database was selected to include a high proportion of people who were actively trying to become pregnant.The study excluded sterilised men and women who had had surgery to prevent pregnancy.Between 1995 and 2017, the average amount of PM2.5 pollution was recorded at the addresses of each participant, and infertility diagnoses were recorded from the national patient register.Across the 18-year period, infertility was diagnosed in 16,172 men and 22,672 women, and after adjusting for factors such as income, education level and occupation, it was found that exposure to levels of PM2.5 that were 2.9 micrograms per cubic metre higher than average over five years was associated with a 24% increased risk of infertility in men aged 30 to 45.Although PM2.5 was not associated with infertility in women, exposure to levels of road traffic noise that were 10.2 decibels higher than average over five years was associated with a 14% increased risk of infertility among women over 35, while for women aged between 30 and 35 noise was not associated with infertility.Road traffic noise was associated with a small increased risk of male infertility for those aged between 37 and 45, but not those aged between 30 and 37.Infertility affects one in seven couples in the UK trying to conceive.The researchers said several previous studies had found negative links between particulate air pollution and sperm quality, but t these studies had been inconsistent.They concluded: “Based on a nationwide cohort, designed to include a high proportion of people actively trying to achieve pregnancy, we found that PM2.5 was associated with a higher risk of an infertility diagnosis among men and road traffic noise was associated with a higher risk of an infertility diagnosis among women older than 35 years, and possibly among men older than 37 years.“As many western countries are facing declining birthrates and increasing maternal age at the birth of a first child, knowledge on environmental pollutants affecting fertility is crucial. If our results are confirmed in future studies, it suggests that political implementation of air pollution and noise mitigations may be important tools for improving birthrates in the western world.”

Pollution

Education

Suggested Viewing

LEAVES

An academic woman in Texas becomes concerned when a massive red oak in her backyard seems to be ailing, though she isn’t sure why it bothers her so much. At the same time, in her small cottage, her attention to her work is distracted by news reports she sees and hears. They tell in graphic terms of the out-of-control forest fires up and down the West Coast. Her attention is further pulled in the direction of other stories about the worsening conditions of the world’s rainforests which she discovers are disappearing at the astounding rate of 200,000 acres a day. Suddenly such stories are all she seems to hear and see on the radio or television or on her computer. But when she hears/sees a science report about how trees actually communicate with each other, she begins to realize there may be a connection between her tree and what she is learning from the news. She begins to recall a strong connection she herself has with that tree and allows that connection to regrow…..

Pollution

Forests

Inspirational

Uncovering the Permian Climate Bomb

The fossil fuel industry is building a global threat in the oil fields of West Texas. Miguel Escoto, who has lived close to this region his whole life, witnesses the industry’s villainy for the first time by viewing oil and gas site emissions through optical gas imaging cameras, becoming a stand-in for a world that has yet to grasp the gravity of the Permian Climate Bomb.

Pollution

Activism

Climate

Ser Manguezal

Ser Manguezal, created by Eliseu Cavalcante, was inspired by Josué de Castro's book "Of Men and Crabs" from 1967. De Castro was a Brazilian geographer, physician, writer and activist against world hunger. In his book, Castro envisions men as crabs, learning to walk in the mangroves. This relationship between them seems to unify and blend all together making the human being part of that specific biome. This film is part of an ongoing project that examines those who depend on the mangrove ecosystem to survive, and the delicate relationship between humans and this particular ecosystem. It seeks to recognize the hard-working crab hunters of the mangroves and make their work more visible, and to bring awareness about the importance of mangroves to the environment. Worldwide, 3,400 square kilometers (1,300 square miles) of mangrove forests were lost between 2000 and 2016, or about 2% of the global mangrove area (NASA). About 62% of the losses were due to direct human causes such as agriculture and aquaculture. Mangrove degradation is greater than the average for tropical and subtropical forest loss.

Water

Conservation

Plants

Rebel Bells

Rebel Bells is about an all-girls radical collective located in the Calumet region connecting southeast side Chicago, Illinois and East Chicago in northwest Indiana. The Calumet region is an economically precarious, environmentally-polluted industrial corridor in the U.S. Midwest. The Rebel Bells was started in 2016 by three mothers who are leaders in the environmental justice movements in their respective communities. The goal of the Rebel Bells collective is to teach young girls about social justice and community activism in an empowered and safe environment.

Youth

Pollution

Social Justice

Waterbackpack PAUL

The world is a paradise but more and more natural and manmade disasters happen. A German professor and his students invent a tiny but ingenious bag to clean polluted water after environmental catastrophes without chemicals and electricity to save people's life.

Water

Pollution

Solutions

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"How will the Earth look when pollution decreases?"

Diana Meza

Azhael Medrano

Felix Perez

Carolina Gonzalez

Daniel Mendoza

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Uncovering the Permian Climate Bomb

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Rebel Bells

Waterbackpack PAUL

Join us to forge
a sustainable future

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

Cookies help us run our site more efficiently.

&quot;How will the Earth look when pollution decreases?&quot;

Diana Meza

Azhael Medrano

Felix Perez

Carolina Gonzalez

Daniel Mendoza

Related News

‘Citizen scientists’ to check UK rivers for sewage and pollution

Houston area transit agencies offering ‘Free Fare Fridays’ in September to promote cleaner air

Fishermen in Rio De Janeiro Use App to Record, Report Water Pollution

How we assisted Houston residents in monitoring air quality and reporting pollution

Air pollution harms male fertility while women face similar risk from noise, study finds

Suggested Viewing

LEAVES

Uncovering the Permian Climate Bomb

Ser Manguezal

Rebel Bells

Waterbackpack PAUL

Join us to forgea sustainable future

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

"How will the Earth look when pollution decreases?"

Join us to forge
a sustainable future