Why reporting accurately air quality information is crucial

Exhibit A In The Fresno Bee article: “Valley air officials aim to cool down decades-old smog problem,” environmental reporter Mark Grossi wrote: “In sweltering September 2011, Fresno could have used more trees. Temperatures climbed, winds died and lung-searing ozone spiked the season’s highest readings on three days. “Worse yet, all three peaks broke the one-hour … Read more

Great Western Cities ‘On-the-Air’ tour: Flagstaff, Arizona

The sixth in this series. Flagstaff, Arizona is one “amazing” city. I say that because each and every time I visit I continue to be awed. There is just something about Flagstaff. A mountain community where two major highways cross (Interstates 17 and 40), Flagstaff is situated south of the Grand Canyon’s south rim at an elevation of 6,910 … Read more

Calif. air cleaner despite more people, more miles driven, more gas burned. The road ahead?

Fact: California has some of the worst air pollution in all of North America. Add to this that population and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) have grown. There would seem a connection. Meanwhile, the California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board (ARB) projects the growth in both population and VMT will continue. From the ARB’s “California Almanac of Emissions … Read more

Should American freight/passenger rail go their separate ways?

Calling for separate if not equal passenger- and freight-train-operating platforms As a person who pays close attention to railroad happenings, in particular to those in the U.S. and those proposed or planned high-speed-rail systems here as well as those under consideration, those under construction and those built and operating systems elsewhere, I know when I … Read more

Great Western Cities ‘On-the-Air’ tour: Long Beach, California

The fifth in this series. Home to the permanently docked RMS Queen Mary and the Long Beach Grand Prix in April, Long Beach, California in Orange County, sits to the south of Los Angeles in Los Angeles County. So, why profile Long Beach for this “Great Western Cities ‘On-the-Air’ tour” series and not the bigger … Read more

Great Western Cities ‘On-the-Air’ tour: San Luis Obispo, California

The fourth in this series. For California cities, I can think of no better example than San Luis Obispo for inclusion in the “Great Western Cities ‘On-the-Air’ tour” series. Reason being, San Luis Obispo – “Spanish for St. Louis, the Bishop [of Toulouse]” – is one of this nation’s most environmentally conscious towns – in … Read more

July 4th fireworks cause spike in San Joaquin Valley PM levels

In a Jul. 2, 2014 San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (Air District) two-page news release, on page 2 there is a graph. This graph shows July 4th – Independence Day – fine particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5) levels over a 24-hour period. More specifically, the illustration shows the concentration in fine particle pollution on Jul. … Read more

The big cleanup dustup that need not be

Whether home or away it is impossible to not notice leaf-blowing activity. Leaf-blowing activity: no big deal, right? Think again. For starters, I just don’t see where the area supposedly being leaf-blower cleaned is actually being ridded of debris and/or dirt and/or dust. It is my observation that debris and/or dirt and/or dust gets airborne … Read more