By Sharon Udasin and Saul Elbein

Today is Thursday. Welcome to Equilibrium, a newsletter that tracks the growing global battle over the future of sustainability. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup.

The 2022 Winter Olympics begin Friday, but athletes can expect far more breathable conditions than they experienced during Beijing’s last turn as host city in 2008.

Pollution across China has plummeted by about 40 percent, and by about 50 percent in Beijing specifically, due in large part to the country’s “war against pollution” that was launched in 2013, an analysis from the University of Chicago’s Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) has found.

As a result of these reductions, the average Chinese citizen can expect to live two years longer, while Beijing residents can expect to live about four years longer, assuming these improvements are maintained, according to the AQLI.

“The air people in Beijing breathe today is dramatically cleaner than it was during the last Olympics, allowing residents to live longer, healthier lives,” Michael Greenstone, a co-creator of the AQLI, said in a statement.

Today we’ll look at a contentious hearing over the role of the Federal Reserve in regulating climate risk. Then we’ll look at how states this year may address toxic compounds found in common household items.

Continue Reading at The Hill…

Areas of Focus: Environment
Definition
Environment
Producing and using energy damages people’s health and the environment. EPIC research is quantifying the social costs of energy choices and uncovering policies that help protect health while facilitating growth.
Air Pollution
Definition
Air Pollution
Air pollution from fossil fuel combustion poses a grave threat to human health worldwide. EPIC research is using real-world data to calculate the effects of air pollution on human health...
AQLI
Definition
AQLI
Particulate air pollution is one of the most serious risks to human health globally. To help communicate those risks, the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) converts particulate air pollution into...
Definition
Air Pollution
Definition
Air Pollution
Air pollution from fossil fuel combustion poses a grave threat to human health worldwide. EPIC research is using real-world data to calculate the effects of air pollution on human health...