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Environmental Pollution
Carmakers prepare to shift to hydrogen fuel cells
Concerned about slow sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids, automakers are increasingly betting the future of green cars on hydrogen fuel cell technology. Even Toyota Motor Corp., maker of the popular Prius gas-electric hybrid, will use hydrogen instead of batteries to power its next generation of green vehicles. "Today, Toyota actually favors fuel cells over other zero-emission vehicles, like pure battery electric vehicles," said Craig Scott, the company's national manager of advanced technologies. "We would like to be still selling cars when there's no more gas. And no one is coming to our door asking us to build a new electric car." But even...
Related "Environmental Pollution" Articles
Carmakers prepare to shift to hydrogen fuel cells
Concerned about slow sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids, automakers are increasingly betting the future of green cars on hydrogen fuel cell technology. Even Toyota Motor Corp., maker of the popular Prius gas-electric hybrid, will use...
Hot, stagnant weather in 2014 blamed for more bad air days in the Southland
Hot, stagnant weather in Southern California pushed smog levels above federal health standards on 94 days in 2014, up from 88 day last year, regional pollution regulators said. This year had been shaping up to be...
Smog chokes Beijing marathon, but should be gone for APEC
When cold wind didn?t arrive as expected, participants in the annual Beijing Marathon had to endure the 26-mile race in the thick smog surrounding the city. But world leaders coming to China?s capital for an APEC summit in November...
Another Ebola challenge: Disposing of medical waste
A single Ebola patient treated in a U.S. hospital will generate eight 55-gallon barrels of medical waste each day. Protective gloves, gowns, masks and booties are donned and doffed by all who approach the patient's bedside and then discarded....
Universal Studios to open Beijing theme park in 2019
After 13 years of negotiations and planning, Universal Parks & Resorts said Monday it would open a $3.3-billion, 300-acre theme park in Beijing. The company and its Chinese partners did not set an opening date, but state-run media said the complex...
Beijing smog a work hazard for Mariah Carey, soccer stars
The first ?airpocalypse? of fall hit Beijing this week, but local residents are not the only ones being forced to deal with the smothering smog blanketing the Chinese capital. World-class cyclists and soccer stars from Argentina and Brazil,...
Lunar eclipse tonight! How to see it, what it is
Set your alarm clocks, sky watchers! There's a lunar eclipse coming tonight and you don't want to miss it. The great news is that the full eclipse will be visible for those of us who live in the western United States. The bad news is we'll have...
Brown signs bill to urge more drivers into eco-friendly vehicles
Seeking to put more California drivers in electric cars, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Sunday providing financial incentives and other perks to entice consumers to buy the environmentally friendly vehicles. The push for low-emission cars,...
Could the free market have cleaned California's air?
To the editor: I hope those who call for a smaller government with less regulation read about our improved air quality. These gains ? along with cleaner water, purer food and less-polluted land ? do not and will not come...
Cancer risk from air pollution drops in Southern California
Southern Californians' cancer risk from air pollution has dropped 65% since 2005 but is still too high in many areas, regional air quality regulators said in a report released Thursday. They attribute much of the improvement to tough state...
Extensive harbor cleanup begins after Port of L.A. fire
Port of Los Angeles authorities are beginning an extensive harbor cleanup in the aftermath of a fire that burned through much of a wharf and released toxic gases and smoke into surrounding communities. The largest fire at the port in decades...
Innovations used in 12 cities around the world may help others
What makes a city work? And are there innovations that can make a city work better? We went looking for good ideas that are being tested in cities around the world, asking urban leaders who will be attending the CityLab conference in Los Angeles this week to tell us about one good idea that has...
Port of L.A. fire cleanup: Effects of toxic chemical releases studied
Port of Los Angeles authorities are beginning an extensive harbor cleanup in the aftermath of a fire this week that burned through much of a wharf and released high levels of toxic gases and smoke into surrounding communities. The largest...
California wildfires send waves of smoke, particulates as far as Canada
Smoke from wildfires raging in Northern California has reached far beyond the state's borders to affect Utah, Michigan and even Canada, according to NASA. The fires, including the massive King fire in Eldorado National Forest, have been sending...
Gov. Jerry Brown signs bills to boost purchases of electric cars
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a package of bills Sunday boosting the state's market for electric cars, including a measure to make such vehicles more affordable for low-income residents. That bill, the Charge Ahead California Initiative by...
Delayed evacuation of school near Port of L.A. fire angers parents
Potentially hazardous smoke from the stubborn fire at the Port of Los Angeles prompted air quality advisories and the evacuation of one elementary school Tuesday. Firefighters have been struggling to extinguish the blaze, which was contained...
Port of L.A. fire extinguished; crews begin demolition, repairs
The Port of Los Angeles fire that sent a thick plume of toxic smoke into the air Tuesday, forcing a nearby elementary school to evacuate, has been fully extinguished, officials said Wednesday. Crews will now begin the process of demolition...
Rotten-egg odor from Salton Sea prompts air quality warning
Increased level of hydrogen sulfide in the Salton Sea this week -- marked by the tell-tale "rotten eggs" odor -- prompted officials to issue an air quality warning for the Coachella Valley. Hourly concentration averages of hydrogen sulfide...
Are microbeads in toothpaste dangerous? Yes, to the environment
After a blog post by a dental hygienist raised alarm about microbeads in toothpaste, Crest announced that it was planning to stop putting the tiny bits of plastic into its products. But are microbeads actually dangerous? The...
Beijing's smog makes Los Angeles air look good
How does a normal day in Beijing compare with one in Los Angeles? The answer, it turns out, is both simple and complex.
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