European City Ranking, Best practices for clean air

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB), integrated by non gubernamental asociations, publishes their ranking with the cleanest cities. Roma is the most polluted one, and Madrid is one of the last. Berlin is in the top of the cleanest cities.

You can check the ranking and look for more information of each city here.

Reference sent by: Raquel Osa.
Image: sootfreecities.

ANTI POLLUTION CONCRETE

Some Scientists from Belgium are studing a new way to reduce air pollution. It is a concrete covered by a chemical with titanium oxide and It is illuminated by ultraviolet lights.

They are testing it in a tunnel with traffic, if It works they will use this method in others tunnels in Bruselas.

You can read more at Ecología Verde.

WORLDMAPPER

Some awesome maps from WORLMAPPER:

Emissions of Sulphur Dioxide:


And Nitrogen Oxides:

New Rules for Bicycles in Madrid

Traffic Department will amend the Rules for bikes circulation in the city this year.
They want to give priority to bicicles against cars on the streets which are limited to 30 Kmph. Cyclists will be authorized to drive along on sidewalks with more than three meters wide, but in any case, respecting one metro from the facades of buildings to allow a clear passage for pedestrians.

Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba clarifies that there should be a bike lane to differentiate the areas for pedestrian and for bicycles.

You can read more at El Pais , Madridiario, El Mundo.


Image: Gorka Lejarcegi, El País.

Visionary of the Science

The ERC finances the most advanced projects of scientific research (266), and 13 of them are spanish.

The projects are varied, but they all rely on the ability to control matter (alive or inert), and in the fact that now it´s possible to manage and interpret huge amounts of data of almost everything.

The project of Jordi Bascompte (CSIC) in the Biological Station of Doñana researches how to simulate and predict the way that the nature would be affected by a massive disturbance as the climate change.

Congratulations to all of them!

You can read more at El Pais newspaper.

Study: Air Pollution Is the "Major Culprit" of Heart Attacks

As we can read at GOOD Magazine:

"Think air pollution might give you asthma, at worst? It's a little more serious than that, according to new research in the journal The Lancet:

Air pollution triggers more heart attacks than using cocaine and poses as high a risk of sparking a heart attack as alcohol, coffee and physical exertion, scientists said on Thursday.
Sex, anger, marijuana use and chest or respiratory infections and can also trigger heart attacks to different extents, the researchers said, but air pollution, particularly in heavy traffic, is the major culprit..."

Report by Andrew Price, web editor.

You can read more here.

Reference sent by Uriel Fogué, Agencia de Arquitectura.

Image (cc) by Flickr user steven.buss, Smog over LA.

Flashmob in Madrid

Last saturday It was the 1st Flashmob against pollution in the center of Madrid!!!

You can read more at El Pais.

Images: Marina Fernández Ramos.