On February 1, 2025, a fire broke out at the Martinez Refinery in Contra Costa County, California, injuring six people. Smoke from the fire caused widespread air pollution, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) immediately issued an air pollution advisory, warning residents to avoid going outside and to keep windows and doors…

On February 3rd, Paris and the entire Ile-de-France region experienced a spike in air pollution. Breezy conditions and cooler temperatures led to a build-up of fine particles in the air, and according to airparif, the Île-de-France air quality monitoring agency, pollution levels were likely to have exceeded the Information and Recommendations Threshold (IRT) of 50…

On February 1, a large amount of black oil stains were found floating in the sea area of the first sub-district of Sihanoukville, Cambodia, and some of the oil stains were washed up to the shore by the sea water. Cambodian Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Mines and Energy and Sihanoukville province officials quickly rushed…

January 22, 2011 – The Marne River in France was heavily polluted on Wednesday night in the Nojean region, with unknown quantities of hydrocarbons being dumped into the river. The Paris fire department sent about 20 firefighters to set up interception facilities on the river, the relevant departments have launched an investigation, and the prosecutor’s…

From January 6-12, 2025, NASA’s TEMPO sensors observed significant changes in the NO2 plume in Los Angeles due to the Santa Ana winds as well as two fires. During the fires that raged from January 8-11, TEMPO detected particularly strong NO2 plumes, and several Los Angeles neighborhoods faced unhealthy air. Motorized vehicles, power plants, port…

Scientists at the Norwegian Polar Institute have found that the rate of glacier melt is accelerating on the Svalbard archipelago, which could lead to a rise in sea level and have a serious impact on the local ecosystem. Melting glaciers may also release greenhouse gases that have long been trapped in the ice, further contributing…

According to the latest report released by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), Athens has a decade-old problem of unresolved noise pollution and has not updated its noise map for more than a decade, and the local government has not taken the necessary measures to address the problem. In addition, Athens faces high ozone pollution…

On 21 January, UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) officially launched the International Year of Glacier Conservation at WMO headquarters in Geneva. 2025 will be marked by a number of activities to raise global awareness of the critical role of glaciers in the climate system and hydrological cycle, and to address the urgent challenge…

Dubai has been implementing a phased ban on plastic products since 2024 in a bid to promote sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyles, and on January 1, 2025, the ban was upgraded to include single-use plastic products such as plastic straws, stirrers, cotton swabs, tablecloths, cups, and expanded polystyrene foam (PS foam) food containers. Violators of the…

In Brazil, the Pantanal Wetlands have suffered from frequent fires and multiple crises caused by human activities. In response, the Brazilian government has taken action, with the state government in which the wetland is located imposing a fine of R$2.89 billion on the owner of a farm for pesticide deforestation, the largest fine ever recorded…