Although US coal consumption has fallen dramatically since 2005, the country still consumes millions of tons a year, and exports tons more—much of it transported by train. Now, new research shows that these trains can affect the health of people living near where they pass.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday its final automobile tailpipe emissions standards allow additional time for the automotive sector to scale up supply chains for electric vehicles and other alternative fuel powertrains in the latter half of the decade than it would have under a previous proposal.

The Biden administration on Wednesday finalized one of the most significant pieces of its ambitious climate agenda: the strongest new tailpipe rules for passenger cars and trucks that will decisively push the US auto market toward electric vehicles and hybrids.

But in a concession to automakers and labor unions, the rules will be phased in more slowly than originally proposed and will give automakers more choices for how to comply.

The Biden administration unveiled its final tailpipe emissions standards for vehicles Wednesday, effectively requiring about 67% of all light-duty vehicles sold after model year 2032 to be electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrids.

Pennsylvania's Peter Brothers Trucking delivers goods all across America. Owner Brian Wanner says Pennsylvania bureaucrats now are driving him out of his home state.

"We have no say," complains Wanner in my new video. "We can't do anything about it."

"No say" because Pennsylvania's new rules don't come from Pennsylvania. They come from California.

"I don't want to be anything like California!" complains Wanner.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday said it was approving California's plans to require a rising number of zero-emission heavy-duty trucks as the state pushes to cut pollution.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said as a result of the plan, "half of all heavy duty trucks sold in CA will be electric by 2035."

"Time to stop playing small ball," he added.

The Biden administration cleared the way Friday for California’s plan to phase out a wide range of diesel-powered trucks, part of the state’s efforts to drastically cut planet-warming emissions and improve air quality in heavy-traffic areas like ports along the coast.

The Environmental Protection Agency granted permission to California to proceed with plans for gradually phasing out diesel trucks in favor of zero-emissions heavy vehicles, a requirement that will have major effects on the nation’s transportation system.

The EPA granted waivers to California under the Clean Air Act allowing the state to proceed with regulations for emissions from heavy vehicles.

The worst 10 hotspots for fine particle air pollution in the US have been revealed by The Guardian in an analysis using cutting-edge modelling.

America’s top spot is not a traffic-clogged metropolis or renowned heavy industry zone but a small town surrounded by farmland and mountains.