Air pollution ‘as bad as smoking in increasing risk of miscarriage’

Scientists called study’s findings upsetting and said toxic air must be cut

Sonic doom: how noise pollution kills thousands each year

From heart disease to type 2 diabetes, noise is having dire effects on people’s health. So who is most at risk, what can be done about it – and can you protect yourself?

Pollutionwatch: bicycles take over City of London rush hour

Traffic has fallen 40% in the City since 1999, which is good news for air pollution – and people’s fitness

High-vis, low-conflict: Kampala gets its first Critical Mass cycle ride

Uganda’s first ever Critical Mass is missing the air of protest normally found in Europe or the US. This may be for the best in a country where dissent is often quashed with rubber bullets and tear gas

David Davis’s ignorance: now that’s what I call health and safety madness

Austerity has already driven a coach and horses through environmental standards – and we haven’t even got to the Brexit cliff edge yet, writes the Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

Air pollution linked to poor sleep, study finds

Exposure to nitrogen dioxide and airborne particles affects sleep efficiency, says medical professor

How air pollution harms your health – and how to avoid it

It can cause eye irritation, breathing difficulties and heart disease. Here are ways to limit the damage

‘You can taste it in the air’: your stories of life in polluted cities

Readers shared their experiences of living in cities affected by air pollution – from the curse of the ‘Delhi chest’ in India’s capital to celebrating blue sky in Shanghai

The importance of urban forests: why money really does grow on trees

Mature trees clean air, lower stress, boost happiness, reduce flood risk – and even save municipal money. So why are they cut down when cities develop – and how should the UN’s new urban agenda protect them?