John Wenger

8 results

Yule be glad. Cutlery and crockery should not be shared between guests, in order to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19 from an infected person who might not even be showing symptoms. Photograph: iStock
How to safely host family and friends in your home during Christmas in the time of Covid

As we edge our way closer to Christmas festivities in our homes, many people will still be concerned about hosting intergenerational gatherings for fe(...)

Turf on a peat bog in Connemara National Park
Nine key actions to improve Irish air quality and human health

1 Implement a nationwide prohibition on smoky coal as soon as possible. Air pollution in the form of PM2.5 – the biggest threat to human health from b(...)

A nationwide smoky coal ban has been favoured by some environment ministers – but coal firms from outside the State have threatened legal action. File photograph: Tom Stoddart/Getty Images
Unfinished business: The case for a nationwide smoky fuel ban

Air pollution is the single largest environmental health hazard in Europe, according to the European Environment Agency. It is estimated to cause 1,60(...)

The Environmental Protection Agency has expanded its network of air-quality monitoring stations in recent years, but experts said more needed to be done. File photograph: Getty
Air quality stations absent in many towns burning smoky coal

Only a fraction of the towns that burn harmful smoky coal have air quality monitoring stations in place, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stud(...)

A ban on smoky coal was first introduced in Dublin in 1990, and has been adopted by many towns and cities across the country. Photograph: Getty Images
Failure to ban smoky coal endangering citizens’ lives - lobby group

Irish citizens’ lives are being endangered by Government inaction on smoky coal and must be put ahead of “vested commercial interests”, a group of sci(...)

Eucalyptus trees in the Israeli city of Hadera. The pungency of eucalyptus is due to a blend of volatile organic compounds, which can cause problems when mixed with urban air plumes. Photograph: David Silverman/Getty
The city trees that pose a threat to human health

Trees in urban areas can be bad for air quality. Some trees can raise levels of nasty air pollutants. Whether this happens depends on the types of tre(...)

Air pollution levels in smaller towns not covered by the ban on ‘smoky’ coal in Dublin exceed accepted EU limits, research says. File photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Campaigners want national ban on ‘smoky’ coal

The Asthma Society of Ireland has been to the fore in campaigning for a national coal ban for decades. Emeritus board member Ann Robinson, from Ennisc(...)

The Asthma Society said Ireland had the fourth highest prevalence of asthma worldwide. Photograph: Getty images
Air pollution in Killarney 10 times higher at night

Air pollution levels in smaller towns not covered by the ban on smoky coal exceeds accepted EU limits, according to new research*.The level of particu(...)