Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Two Million Die From Air Pollution Annually

Crowded roads in Tehran, which has frequent air-pollution alerts (Fars)

October 5, 2006 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) today called on governments to improve air quality in cities, saying air pollution kills two million people a year.

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October 05, 2006

The WHO said that in many cities, particularly in the developing world, the level of small-particle pollution is three times the WHO-recommended level.

Small particles, caused mainly by burning fossil fuels, are too small to be filtered in the nose and throat and settle in the lungs, where they cause health problems.

(AFP, AP, dpa)

The Post-Soviet Environment

The skull of a male saiga antelope in Kalmykia. Saiga numbers have collapsed disastrously over the last decade. (shpilenok.com)

THE FRAGILE PLANET: Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, old environmental disasters have come to light and new ones have emerged. War, poverty, and weak central-government control have led to serious environmental problems from Eastern Europe to the Russian Far East. RFE/RL has provided extensive coverage of these important issues and of efforts to cope with them.

Saiga Antelope's Saga Attracts New Allies

Project To Reverse Aral Sea Damage Making Progress

Iraqi Marshes Show Signs Of Strong Recovery

Deforestation Rampant In South And Central Asia

Environmentalist Says BTC Pipeline Could Be 'Death Of Caspian'

Scientists Raise Alarm As Man-Made Deserts Spread

Nature Waits For Cross-Border Sanctuaries To Catch On

Central Asian Vllagers Encouraged To Protect Snow Leopards

Environmentalists Raise Concerns About Russian Ecology Policy