Smog is subject of op-ed, help solicited to fight it

I am always encouraged when I read about others advocating for clean air, especially when those advocating are in a position of some influence. Such is the case with Bakersfield Californian editorial page editor Robert Price in: “Our fatalistic acceptance of horrible air.”1 I wouldn’t exactly call Price in this commentary an alarmist and neither … Read more

eMission control – Focus: Vehicle air impact fees

Over the course of much of my life I have owned many motor vehicles. In total, the motor vehicles I have owned generally have become cleaner-burning over time. The way I see it, by my adhering to such a practice, fewer and fewer toxic emissions are being released into the air. I, for one, see this as a good … Read more

Can PM 2.5 lead to early mortality?

The question on the table is: Is there a cause-and-effect relationship between fine particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5) and premature death? Here is what one newspaper columnist had to say. “I’ve done numerous stories on studies showing that PM2.5 isn’t killing Californians,” Lois Henry insisted in her “Enforcing smog rules this way is bad for … Read more

Fresno, California BRT vs. LRT: Decisions, decisions, decisions

Being weighed in Fresno is whether or not to install a 15.7-mile-long, $48 million bus rapid transit (BRT) system by 2016. It should be noted that “Council Member Steve Brandau says Fresno Area Express, the well-known FAX bus system that serves the city’s 112 square miles, is in a state of disrepair,” wrote George Hostetter in: … Read more

Transport rationalization: A second look

I take a look around me. Now I ask: Are more transportation modes than what currently exist needed? My answer is: Yes. I am fast reminded of the collective amount of delay, fuel and productivity waste and air quality and environmental impact. In “Rationalization of transportation: Putting the brakes on delay, worsening air, etc.,” I … Read more

Kern County biomass plant a hit … and miss

“Here’s the rub: that global energy production from fossil-fuel burning is as pronounced as it is, a byproduct of which is the release of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere creating an ever-present human-health hazard, to slow and perhaps reverse the air damage already done, sustainable energy-production methods must not only be employed but exploited as … Read more

TIFFS: The right route when the going gets tougher?

Number six in the Transport in a Fine Fix Series. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the expression “expect the unexpected.” So what can be expected when the unexpected happens? Well, that would depend on what the unexpected happening is. Fork in the road Over the weekend beginning Friday, Oct. 18th, the San … Read more

Air quality by the numbers – it’s an alphabet soup

At the California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board’s (ARB) “Key Events in the History of Air Quality in California” page, noteworthy air-quality-related events are chronicled. Referencing the year 1980, the corresponding passage reads: “CA’s population reached 24 million people. Total registered vehicles surpassed 17 million and vehicle miles traveled [VMT] is 155 billion. Cumulative … Read more

Amtrak year-over-year ridership gains impress, inspire

Some good news. In the 2013 federal fiscal year which ended Sept. 30th, the National Railroad Passenger Corp. – better known as Amtrak – set a new ridership record meaning it broke the previous one set in FFY 2012. A total of 31.6 million passenger trips were made on Amtrak trains, according to Tim Sheehan … Read more

Air – if only it came with a guarantee

There is a saying: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But, what if something, like air, for example, is broke – what then? Good question and one in which there is no one answer – or so it’d seem. I mean it isn’t like air can be replaced, like the way a polluting car can … Read more