No seasonal variation in physical activity of Han Chinese living in Beijing

Acknowledgements We are also grateful for the support of all the volunteers who participated in our study. We are grateful to Beijing Urban Ecosystem Research Station provided the hourly temperature and PM 2.5 data. We are grateful to the USA CDC for the loan of some of the GT3X accelerometers used in this study. Funding This study was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 91431102) and International Cooperation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (GJHZ1660). John R. Speakman was supported by the 1000 talents program of the Chinese government and a Wolfson merit award from the Royal Society.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Subcritical coal in Australia: risks to investors and implications for policymakers

This paper locates subcritical coal-fired power stations in Australia and identified the ones most at risk of stranding due to their carbon intensity and local environmental impacts. The research shows which companies own these assets in Australia and ranks companies by exposure. In addition, we examine the implications of subcritical coal for Australian policymakers, in particular we look at the the costs, benefits, and mechanisms for phasing out subcritical coal in Australia

Understanding Public Views about Air Quality and Air Pollution Sources in the San Joaquin Valley, California.

The San Joaquin Valley of California has poor air quality and high rates of asthma. Surveys were collected from 744 residents of the San Joaquin Valley from November 2014 to January 2015 to examine the public's views about air quality. The results of this study suggest that participants exposed to high PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in size) concentrations perceived air pollution to be of the worst quality. Air quality in the San Joaquin Valley was primarily perceived as either moderate or unhealthy for sensitive groups. Females perceived air pollution to be of worse quality compared to males. Participants perceived unemployment, crime, and obesity to be the top three most serious community problems in the San Joaquin Valley. Participants viewed cars and trucks, windblown dust, and factories as the principle contributors to air pollution in the area. There is a need to continue studying public perceptions of air quality in the San Joaquin Valley with a more robust survey with more participants over several years and seasons

Association between PM 2.5 in Minnesota and Influencing Factors: Tree Space Area, Road Pollution, and Rainfall

The purpose of this paper is trying to use air monitoring data of Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) from 19 monitoring sites in Minnesota, to determine the correlations between PM 2.5 and the influencing factors, such as road traffic, tree space area, and rainfall. The study will be based on pollutant data which were from Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), then through regression analysis and Pearson correlation analysis to determine the correlations of all variables. The correlation analysis results between PM 2.5 concentration and three variables (tree space area, traffic volume, and rainfall) showed that tree space area ratio had a negative, traffic volume had a positive and rainfall had a negative, correlation with PM 2.5 in Minnesota urban. The air traffic volume had a positive correlation with PM 2.5 in airport areas. In this study, GIS system is a useful tool for geostatistical analysis. It can be used for Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis, raster data geoprocessing, and kriging spatial analysis

Social Media and Public Diplomacy: Foreign to China\u27s Environmental Movements

The looming environmental crisis in China not only brings obstacles and pain to society, but also creates a great opportunity for international cooperation. This paper critically assesses the pitfalls of China’s current environmental protection regime and the difficulties that Chinese environmental NGOs are facing. It argues that social media web sites and international environmental NGOs are able to help Chinese environmental NGOs confront their problems through tactics such as public diplomacy

unfAIR: Investigating the Links Between Richmond’s Air Quality Issues and Environmental Racism

With breathable air being a resource inequitably distributed among populations based on race and socioeconomic status, this study’s objective was to analyze heat and air quality distributions in Richmond, Virginia and provide recommendations for minimizing its effects throughout the city. Richmond provided an ideal subject for this analysis as it has a lengthy history of racial segregation and discrimination and is one of the worst ranking cities for Asthma sufferers. Background was given on environmental racism as a means of systemic disproportionate pollution distribution to minorities, urban air pollution( via Fine Particulate Matter/PM 2.5) and the historical housing segregation process known as redlining. These aforementioned issues contributed greatly to the environmental vulnerability of parts of many American cities, including Richmond. Later, research was done on the specific environmental racism realities within Richmond. Using heat data from the summer 2021 Virginia Heat Watch Project, the CDC’s environmental vulnerability Index, historic maps of redlined neighborhoods in Richmond, and the Berkeley Environmental Justice Index, this study found that areas of Richmond with the greatest socioeconomic and environmental vulnerability to aggregate air and heat pollution were located in the poorest and most racial minority dense areas of Richmond. This analysis recommended that efforts to increase public awareness of environmental racism, continue to finetune an aggregate environmental justice index, and to create a government agency in charge of monitoring and reducing environmental vulnerability would be the best steps forward. Paper prepared for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar/Geography Capstone. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Todd Lookingbill