Clearing the air : the beginning and the end of air pollution
Record details
- ISBN: 9781472953315 (hardcover)
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Physical Description:
320 pages ; 23 cm
print - Publisher: London : Bloomsbury Sigma, [2019]
- Copyright: ©2019
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 309-312) and index. |
Formatted Contents Note: | Prologue -- Part I: Origins. The greatest smog? -- Life's a gas -- Particulate matters -- No smoke without fire -- The dash for diesel -- Struggling to breathe -- Part II: Fightback. The greatest smog solution? -- Electric dreams -- Road rage -- What price fresh air? -- Epilogue -- The clean air blueprint : for cities -- The clean air blueprint : for you. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Air -- Pollution -- Prevention Air -- Pollution |
Search for related items by series
Available copies
- 10 of 10 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Terrace Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 10 total copies.
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Terrace Public Library | 363.7392 SME (Text) | 35151001094382 | Adult Non-fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2019 May #1
Sustainability journalist Smedley addresses one of the biggest issues of our time in this exceedingly readable investigation of air pollution. He candidly admits his own surprise at many of the things he learns, starting with the fact that it is invisible nanoparticles from car exhaust that are "the deadliest adversary we face." As he traverses the world and observes positive transformations and inertia and worse in locations like Los Angeles and London, he relies on air-quality studies and data to prove the point that it is largely cars that have gotten into us into such dire straits. China, with its proclaimed "War on Pollution," is an unexpected bright spot (although Smedley makes it clear that they were forced into their current proactive position by catastrophic smog), while supporters of diesel fuel are going to be hard pressed to defend their position in the face of this factual onslaught. In closing, Smedley provides a way out of our international air-pollution nightmare, offering a handy "Clean Air Blueprint." This important work from a determined writer will inspire many. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2019 April #3
Journalist and first-time author Smedley challenges readers to take charge of their breathing space in this disappointing layperson's guide to how ozone, ammonia, nitrogen dioxide, and other pollutants are poisoning the air and causing extreme health problemsâsmaller brain volumes, premature births, DNA damageâaround the world, particularly in urban areas. He blames paddy fires, Diwali firecrackers, diesel engines, coal plants, wood fires, and just about everything that humans ignite or eat. "The reality is that most of us don't know what pollutants we are exposed to on a daily basis," Smedley warns, offering a crash course on particulate matter, "the tiny particles that float in the air, from road dust to soot, and cause the most damage to our health." He discusses clean air battles in France, Germany, India, and the U.S., and visits Helsinki wielding a hand-held pollution monitor, but the predominantly British sources and interviewees give a lopsided feel to a global problem. Meanwhile, Smedley's recommended fixesâfor commuters to "quit our car habit," cities to increase "green space," and be more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly, and governments to pass more stringent regulationsâtend to the tiresomely obvious. This well-intentioned call to action is, unfortunately, unlikely to have much effect on an important public health issue.
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly.(Sept.)