State targets diesel soot.

Seeking to reduce the health risks from diesel soot, California air regulators are proposing to require thousands of bulldozers, backhoes, cranes and other types of construction equipment that have been in operation for years to have their engines retrofitted or replaced entirely.

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Nucor to follow highest standard. In a city already plagued with a stubborn smog problem, health officials have issued a permit authorizing a steel mill to release thousands of tons of pollutants annually when it begins operations in Southwest Memphis next year. [News Source]

NEPA educates public on air quality regulations. With the passing of new air quality regulations into law last year, the National Environment and Planning Agency has spent the last several months trying to educate Jamaicans, particularly members of industry, on its requirements and penalties. [News Source]

Officials limit Beijing preparation time. Australia's Olympic hopefuls have been told to do most of their training outside of Beijing ahead of next year's Games, after officials revealed deep concerns about air quality in the city today. [News Source]

Danish island leads the way in clean energy. Battered by winds in the waters off eastern Denmark, the picturesque island of Samsoe has broken free of its dependence on oil and gas and, thanks to devoted residents, is now powered solely by renewable energies. [News Source]

Keeping your cool. Many changes in the air-conditioning landscape are the direct result of new federal regulations designed to cut the pollution spewed by air conditioners and make them more energy-efficient. [News Source]

He helps buildings go green. Scott Spivak has been fighting air pollution for years. He co-founded Carolinas Clean Air Coalition. He's one of 1,000 people nationwide who are trained to give the presentation made famous in former Vice President Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" about global warming. [News Source]

Project to offer green guidelines. A new environmental research project, aimed at providing policy-makers with guidelines for environmentally friendly development, was launched on Friday in Beijing. [News Source]

China says to automate monitoring of big polluters. China plans to set up an automated system to monitor big polluters by 2008, Xinhua news agency said, underscoring government efforts to clean up the country's dirty air and water. [News Source]

The rape of spring: Health concerns over crop. Stricken by rasping throats and itchy eyes, some claim the yellow tide is destroying our health as well as our countryside. [News Source]

Mystery Source of Urban Pollution Revealed (LiveScience.com via Yahoo! News) A crucial but unknown source of molecules linked with smog has long eluded scientists trying to uncover the origins of air pollution in cities. Now researchers find the grime that builds up on windows, buildings, roads and other urban surfaces might be this mystery source. The findings could help improve bad-air predictions and strategies to fight smog. While grime outside cities is often just ... [News Source]