How polluted is your city?

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that greenhouse gases will be listed as pollutants under the Clean Air Act because they are a threat to human health. The move will allow the government to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide. The EPA's Lisa Jackson: "This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations."

California and five other states – Connecticut, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania and New York – are suing the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to regulate greenhouse gases from planes, boats and industrial vehicles.

The state of Texas is the largest polluter in the U.S. and would be the eighth largest polluter in the world if it were a country. It's also rapidly becoming the capital of wind power.

Gorillas, orangutans, and corals are among 16,000 animal and plant species that are nearing extinction, according to The World Conservation Union's (IUCN) "Red List of Threatened Species for 2007."

A report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) claims that without urgent action, the effects of global warming could be "catastrophic – on the level of nuclear war."

A list of the top 10 most polluted towns and cities in the world was released by the Blacksmith Institute. The report estimates that nearly 12 million people were severely affected by pollution from the chemical, metal and mining industries, leading to such possible side effects as chronic illness and premature death.

Workers in Asian cellular phone factories are poisoned due to improper protection and exposure to chemicals. (via textually.org)