"Air pollution in dozens of cities rose after U.S. embassies stopped providing readings that had previously spurred local government action, a study found."
"Air pollution in dozens of cities around the world rose after U.S. embassies and consulates stopped monitoring air quality readings last year, according to a study published Monday.
The Trump administration halted the program that published independent air quality data at more than 80 U.S. diplomatic sites in March 2025, citing budget constraints.
Later that year, local air pollution levels increased by between 24 and 33 percent in 46 of those cities, according to Monday’s study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“This is such a big loss,” said Zoey Zhou, an assistant professor of climate at Columbia University and one of the study’s authors. “Not only for the data, but also for the health impacts and also for accountability.”"
Daniel Wu reports for the Washington Post September 15, 2026.
