Search Climate Insights Directory
38 results
Household air pollution: rocket cookstove
The study found that replacing traditional three-stone fires with improved rocket mud stoves in Western Kenya led to significant reductions in peak carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations, though 48-hour mean reductions were smaller and less certain. While a correlation was found between kitchen CO and PM2.5, the authors conclude that CO is limited as a proxy for PM2.5 and that a combination of better stoves, ventilation, and cleaner fuels is necessary to improve health.
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Document type: Research paper
Los riesgos ocultos de las inundaciones en un mundo que se calienta
The document highlights that every region of the United States has seen an increase in heavy precipitation over the last 50 years, a trend expected to continue as the climate warms. It identifies five 'hidden' health risks following floods: drowning in vehicles, contamination of drinking water, sewage backup in homes, contamination of recreational waterways, and toxic indoor mold. The text argues that while immediate dangers like drowning and electrocution are known, the long-term public health burdens—including respiratory issues, gastrointestinal diseases, and mental health problems—are often overlooked. It calls for aggressive reductions in carbon emissions from fossil fuels and the creation of more resilient communities to mitigate these escalating risks.
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Document type: Executive summary
Improved cookstoves in Central America: health impacts and uptake
The document examines the use of improved cookstoves in Central America, noting that while many models meet WHO emission targets in labs, they often fail to significantly reduce personal pollutant exposure in the field due to 'stove stacking' and improper use. It identifies the 'plancha' as the most common model and highlights that successful adoption depends on user-centered design, training, and cost-sharing. The report calls for standardized performance measures and national certification bodies to ensure health benefits are actually realized.
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Document type: Briefing
Occupant exposure to indoor air pollutants in modern European offices: an integrated modelling approach
The paper introduces INDAIR-CHEM, a model combining indoor air chemistry with physical and probabilistic exposure modelling. Testing across eight European cities shows that extreme heat-waves and poor ventilation can increase personal exposure to indoor pollutants. While reduced ventilation limits ozone ingress, it allows secondary species to persist longer, potentially increasing cumulative exposure. Additionally, the timing of cleaning with limonene-based products affects exposure risks for cleaning staff and office workers due to diurnal ozone variations.
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Document type: Research paper
HOW TO CALCULATE AND PRESENT DEEP RETROFIT VALUE
The executive summary introduces a guide for owner-occupants to capture the full value of deep energy retrofits, which are defined as those reducing energy consumption by 50 percent or more. It argues that these investments generate significant, quantifiable business value through non-energy benefits, such as improved employee health, productivity, and risk management. The document presents the RMI Retrofit Value Model, which links design and execution practices to direct and indirect outcomes, ultimately impacting property and enterprise performance. It details nine specific value elements—ranging from reduced health and employee costs to enhanced property-derived revenues—that professionals can use to build a comprehensive business case for deep retrofits.
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Document type: Executive summary
Climate Change and Your Health
The report details the public health dangers of flooding, including drowning, waterborne diseases, mold-induced respiratory issues, and mental health trauma. It argues that climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation and sea-level rise, exacerbating these risks, particularly in areas with combined sewer overflow systems and high-density floodplain development.
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Document type: Report
After the Storm: The Hidden Health Risks of Flooding in a Warming World
The document highlights the link between a warming climate and the increase in heavy precipitation events across the United States. It emphasizes that while flood impacts are typically measured by property damage and immediate loss of life, there are substantial 'hidden' public health costs. These include waterborne gastrointestinal illnesses from contaminated water, respiratory and neurological problems caused by indoor mold, and increased mental health struggles. The report identifies five specific hidden risks: drowning while driving, contaminated drinking water, sewage backup in homes, contamination of recreational waterways, and toxic indoor mold. It advocates for aggressive carbon emission reductions and the creation of more resilient communities to mitigate these risks.
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Document type: Executive summary
Can “Green” Buildings have Negative Health Effects?
The document refutes claims that green buildings are harmful to health, clarifying that an Institute of Medicine report on climate change and indoor environments does not actually discuss "green" buildings. It explains that while tight building envelopes intended for energy efficiency can conflict with ventilation needs, proper engineering and adherence to current standards prevent health issues like "sick building syndrome," which occurred in the 1970s and 80s due to drastically reduced ventilation rates.
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Document type: Fact sheet
What's Environmentally Responsible Building
The document provides a comprehensive framework for environmentally responsible building, emphasizing passive solar design, energy efficiency, and healthy material selection. It details how building orientation, window placement, and the use of thermal mass can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs. The guide also addresses the importance of indoor air quality, the role of landscaping in climate control, and the consideration of embodied energy in building materials. It argues that while some sustainable features may increase initial construction costs, they lead to long-term financial savings through reduced operation costs and increased property value.
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Document type: Guide
Buildings and Health
The document details the health impacts of radon, lead, mold, and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in buildings, particularly schools. It highlights that indoor pollutant levels often exceed outdoor levels and notes the significant financial costs of poor air quality, contrasted with the potential billions of dollars in savings from building improvements and increased worker productivity.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Design for Health Summit for Massachusetts Health Care Decision Makers Report
The report outlines a framework for 'healthy design' in hospitals, arguing that sustainable architecture and engineered systems can reduce operating costs, improve clinical outcomes, and enhance staff retention. It provides a comprehensive set of recommendations for Massachusetts healthcare providers, ranging from regional collaborations and institutional policy changes to specific architectural and engineering interventions such as combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) systems and displacement ventilation. The document emphasizes the 'business case' for green building, citing evidence that such projects often have minimal capital cost premiums while offering significant life-cycle savings and health benefits.
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Document type: Report
Briefing note: Future-proofing BC buildings toward net-zero
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment calls for British Columbia to update its Building Code and Energy Step Code to prohibit new gas connections by 2022 and set deadlines for existing buildings to switch to clean energy. The briefing highlights that buildings cause 12% of the province's greenhouse gas emissions and that natural gas use contributes to health risks, including childhood asthma from indoor nitrogen dioxide and lung disease linked to hydraulic fracturing in the Peace region. It notes that retrofitting a home from gas to electric currently costs over $20,000, making the 'future-proofing' of new buildings a cost-effective necessity to meet the province's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
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Document type: Briefing
Greening the White House: A Comprehensive Energy and Environmental Retrofit
The Greening the White House Project, initiated by the Clinton Administration in 1993, aims to transform the White House complex into a model of efficiency and environmental responsibility. The project employs a six-component approach: audits, a feasibility study, early actions, demonstration spaces, long-term initiatives, and technology transfer. Key efforts include upgrading the building envelope, improving lighting and HVAC systems, and implementing sustainable procurement. The project emphasizes an integrated design process to reduce resource consumption by potentially 50% or more while respecting the historic and security requirements of the site.
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Document type: Report
EUROPEAN GREEN OFFICE HANDBOOK
The European Green Office (EGO) Handbook serves as a guide for transforming offices into sustainable spaces through a 'light' Environmental Management System (EMS). It outlines a Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle involving top-level commitment, the appointment of a Green Office coordinator, and the monitoring of environmental performance indicators. The document provides detailed technical and behavioral advice across several domains: energy efficiency (lighting and HVAC), sustainable procurement (prioritizing local and Fairtrade products), resource reduction (minimizing paper and water use), waste management (following the waste hierarchy), and the creation of a healthy indoor environment. It also addresses social responsibility, including work-life balance and inclusive employment, and provides a detailed checklist and data requirements for an Office Ecological Footprint Calculator.
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Document type: Guide
samhe_full_year_report_23_24-f7436456cdd332c1.pdf
This report presents findings from the Schools’ Air quality Monitoring for Health and Education (SAMHE) initiative for the 2023/2024 academic year. Based on data from hundreds of UK schools, the report examines the relationship between outdoor temperatures and indoor air quality, specifically focusing on carbon dioxide (CO2), relative humidity, and particulate matter (PM2.5).
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This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Improved Cookstoves in Central America: Health Impacts and Uptake
The report examines the impact of improved cookstoves in Central America, noting that while many stoves reduce emissions, they often fail to meet WHO air quality guidelines for personal exposure. It identifies user-centered design, training, and financing as critical for adoption, while highlighting a lack of longitudinal data on sustained use.
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Document type: Report
Engaging schools in air quality work: lessons for success
The SAMHE project distributed indoor air quality monitors to over 1,300 UK schools, creating a database of more than 40,000 days of air quality data. To overcome barriers such as teacher time pressures and IT connectivity issues, the project utilised co-design, local authority partnerships, and curriculum-aligned resources. In collaboration with Hertfordshire County Council, the initiative delivered over 350 monitors to 29 schools and 700+ air purifiers across 63 schools, resulting in approximately 16,000 children breathing cleaner air.
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This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Improving School Infrastructure for Healthier Students and Communities
Public school infrastructure in the United States suffers from decades of underinvestment, leading to poor indoor air quality and health issues like asthma, which disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color. While recent funding and tax credits have provided some relief, the document urges Congress and governors to further prioritize clean energy, energy efficiency, electric school buses, and green school grounds to modernize facilities and create community resilience hubs.
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This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing