The State Department on Tuesday halted efforts to monitor air quality levels around the world, ending a program that had provided data about a major global health risk.
The program had used air quality sensors at more than 80 U.S. embassies and consulates — mostly in countries where such data was otherwise limited or unreliable. The move follows other actions by the Trump administration to curtail environmental monitoring and climate-related science.
[...]
A 2022 research paper found air pollution reductions of a “statistically significant level” in places where U.S. embassy monitors had been installed. Cities without U.S. monitoring did not show similar declines. The study said that U.S. efforts had succeeded in building awareness about air quality risks, with Google searches for terms like “air quality” increasing once the embassy gauges were in place.
[...]
“Starting on March 4, the Department’s Air Quality Monitoring Program will no longer be able to transmit air pollution data from our embassies and consulates … due to budget constraints,” the spokesperson said.
WaPo
Meaning, we're slashing their budget, because the oligarchs want even more money to go to themselves.
It was unclear whether billionaire Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service had played a role in the decision.
Unclear only when you cut regulations so the smog can impair your vision, and you don't want to understand what's happening anyway.
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