Also being said re California’s emissions-reduction effort?

There is no doubt in my mind that times have changed. Life has emerged from the pandemic business as usual, I’m afraid. Okay, so where exactly am I going with this? To provide perspective, let’s look at just one piece of the entire worldwide greenhouse-gas-emissions-reduction picture, or dare I say, puzzle: California. On this very … Read more

Across the nation, communities of color shouldering growing disease burden tied to air pollution

Despite progress toward cleaner air in the US, a new study suggests that communities of color across the nation are shouldering a growing burden of diseases linked to air pollution. A paper published today by researchers at the George Washington University suggests that racial and ethnic disparities in cases of pollutant-linked diseases like asthma increased … Read more

New report finds marked Canadian CO2 reductions possible by upping transit-ridership levels by 2X

Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – A new report, titled “Putting Wheels on the Bus” from Environmental Defence and Équiterre, supported by modelling conducted by Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors and Leading Mobility finds that Canada can double public transit ridership by 2035 if federal and provincial governments step up … Read more

2023’s traffic-volume trends are in!

It was on Mar. 15, 2023 that I posted: “U.S. driving miles up. VMT still lag pre-pandemic totals: Report.” In that post, covered were things like comparing 2022’s to 2021’s aggregate driving totals, per-capita driving for the same two years, per-motorist driving totals as well as calculation of the amount of carbon dioxide released into … Read more

U.S. LNG export expansion paused

WASHINGTON— The Biden administration announced today [Jan. 26, 2024] it would freeze approvals of new gas export projects, signaling a major pivot in how it considers climate and health harms from oil and gas projects. The White House is directing the Energy Department to expand its criteria for evaluating new gas exports and take a hard … Read more

In preparation for groundbreaking, Brightline West launches field work in So. Cal.

LAS VEGAS (January 23, 2024) – Brightline West is launching field investigation work in Southern California within the proposed rail corridor within Interstate 15 (I-15) right-of-way. The field work will advance final stages of design in preparation for a groundbreaking. Field work also began earlier this month in Nevada. Brightline West will connect Las Vegas and … Read more

Headed for Transportation Technology Center testing are OptiFuel’s RNG loco-tender combo

BEAUFORT, SC – January 12, 2024 – OptiFuel Systems (“OptiFuel”) announced that it will begin testing a prototype 5600 hp Total-Zero™ Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Line Haul Locomotive and 2500 hp Total-Zero™ Powered Tender with 7,500 DGE (diesel gallon equivalent) capacity, in January 2025. The RNG-powered line haul locomotive produces 5100 hp of continuous power … Read more

More active mobility infrastructure investment in cities called for in World Bank and ITDP report

Washington, DC (16 January 2024) — Cycle infrastructure networks are among the most cost-effective approaches to improving urban mobility and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from urban passenger transportation. A new report from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and the World Bank makes the case for expanding urban cycling and pedestrian networks to … Read more

Top air, climate polluters named in UMass Amherst Updated Indexes

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) today published their latest Greenhouse 100 Polluters Index, Toxic 100 Air Polluters Index and Toxic 100 Water Polluters Index, revealing the top industrial polluters in the United States. PERI has also updated its Air Toxics at School database, which tracks air pollution at every … Read more

Diesel-engine maker Cummins Inc. agrees to pay $1.675B in emissions-testing cheat scheme

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Attorney General’s office today [Jan. 10, 2023] released the details of a proposed settlement with diesel engine maker Cummins Inc. for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act and California law. Beyond agreeing to pay a $1.675 billion civil … Read more