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How wildfires make COVID more dangerous

by Julia Rosen, The New York Times Highlights With wildfire season fast approaching, concerns about fire smoke as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic are rising Scientists worry that wildfire smoke will have effects for months as a recent study in Montana showed that smoky summers led to more severe flu seasons the following winter People … Read more

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Environmental groups sue EPA over ‘reckless’ response to coronavirus

 By Yvette Cabrera, Grist Highlights The National Resources Defence Council (NRDC) is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of a dozen environmental groups. Environmental groups across the country petitioned the EPA to publish an emergency rule that requires polluters to submit a public notice that they are taking advantage of newly relaxed … Read more

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Gov. Newsom leads on public health, except when it comes to the oil industry

Fracking rig operates next to a walking and bike way for residents of Signal Hill drilling into the Los Angeles Oil Field. Photo by Sarah Craig.

By Rosanna Esparza and Ashley Hernandez, The Sacramento Bee ACTION ALERT: Send Governor Newsom a message now to reverse his decision and halt fracking. Highlights California Governor Gavin Newsom approved 24 new fracking permits for the state in the midst of shelter-at-home mandates as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. Though Newsom is doing great at … Read more

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Climate change increasing fire weather days in California; emissions reductions can reverse this

from Environmental Research Letters Highlights As the state gets warmer every year due to the effects of climate change, California’s wildfire season is being fueled by offshore winds, dry vegetation, and drought. These fires result in public health risks from smoke and can result in long term energy shutoffs.  Fire Causes Human exposure and vulnerability … Read more

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Air pollution linked to far higher Covid-19 death rates, Harvard study finds

by Damian Carrington, The Guardian Highlights New research from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health suggests that air pollution is linked to higher death rates for people that have contracted COVID-19 compared to those living in areas with cleaner air. Living in a polluted city in the past has an effect on death … Read more

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Traffic and pollution plummet as U.S. cities shut down for Coronavirus

by Brad Plumer and Nadja Popovich, The New York Times Highlights: Major cities across the United States are experiencing decreases in traffic and, subsequently, decreases in air pollution due to self-isolation mandates in various areas. Nitrogen dioxide emissions have dropped dramatically and traffic jams have virtually stopped in Los Angeles. Traffic was reportedly moving 71 percent faster than … Read more

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Breathing polluted air shortens people’s lives by an average of 3 years, a new study finds

by Neela Banerjee, Inside Climate News Highlights Air pollution, mainly from burning fossil fuels, reduces life expectancy worldwide by an average of 2.9 years and has led to 8.8 million premature deaths according to a new study in Cardiovascular Research. In North America, lives were shortened by 1.4 years on average due to air pollution. … Read more

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Public health, climate impacts, and The Climate Center’s new campaign

The Climate Center speakers Amanda Begley and Destiny Rodriguez

As the nexus between public health and climate impacts comes into sharp focus, public health officers are convening to share their challenges and strategies for addressing the climate crisis. On September 26th at the Westin Sacramento, the Health Officer Association of California (HOAC) met for their bi-annual gathering to discuss climate change as a public … Read more