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When the Hajj comes in summertime, in some years it may not be safe for participants to remain outdoors
For the world’s estimated 1.8 billion Muslims — roughly one-quarter of the world population — making a pilgrimage to Mecca is considered a religious duty that must be performed at least once in a lifetime, if health and finances permit. The ritual, known as the Hajj, includes about five days of...

CEEPR study makes extensive use of Joint Program's EPPA model (Axios) (Additional coverage: E&E News)
Even "modest" carbon taxes, like those seen in the chart above, would cut emissions as much as the Obama-era vehicle and power plant rules that President Trump is abandoning, an MIT economist found in a new working paper.
Why it matters: The results "underscore the economic power of a...

Study shows that health savings exceed costs of maintaining or strengthening renewables policies (Axios) (Additional coverage: The Verge, CleanTechnica)
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Amid rollbacks of the Clean Power Plan and other environmental regulations at the federal level, several U.S. states, cities and towns have resolved to take matters into their own hands and implement policies to promote renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One popular approach...

MIT Joint Program study explains why (Quartz)
Putting a price on coal use is a cheaper way to lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than India’s current policy of inducing states to buy electricity from renewable sources.
India’s newest renewable purchase obligations (RPOs), set by the national government last year, mandate power...

The stratospheric ozone layer, which protects us from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, has recovered considerably from past depletion since the implementation of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 and subsequent amendments, which phased out the production and consumption of major ozone-depleting...

China’s move away from fossil fuels would mean 2,000 fewer premature deaths in the U.S. by 2030 (Scientific American)
China's pledge to cut its carbon dioxide emissions beginning in 2030 includes a generous gift for its downwind neighbors: less deadly air pollution.

Carbon dioxide emissions from aircraft are projected to triple between now and mid-century, even if substantial technology and operational improvements are implemented to make flying more energy efficient. Absent policy constraints, this explosive growth rate will use up a significant proportion...

India’s economy is booming, driving up electric power consumption to unprecedented levels. The nation’s installed electricity capacity, which increased fivefold in the past three decades, is expected to triple over the next 20 years. At the same time, India has committed to limiting its carbon...

Improved air quality can be a major bonus of climate mitigation policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By cutting air pollution levels in the country where emissions are produced, such policies can avoid significant numbers of premature deaths. But other nations downwind from the...