Emissions-reductions’ the word!
Pollutant emissions in California have been on the retreat for quite some time now. And, for good reason.
According to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, in 2023 just in the Valley alone, 8,492 tons of fine particulates (PM2.5), 10,383 tons of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and 7,179 tons of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) have been scrubbed from the air. These gains likely would not have come about without specific technological advancements being made, and without targeted regulatory, enforcement and other actions taken.
A leading contributor in state of not just these pollutants but the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, is transportation. One of the strategies, meanwhile, being employed to remove said emissions in the atmosphere is through a process known as selective catalytic reduction (SCR). Another is by establishing statewide of a low-carbon fuel standard or LCFS.
As it pertains to the last, a preferred option is the use of renewable diesel.
In fact, according to an Amtrak press release (dated Jun. 13, 2024), in locomotives used to pull or push state-supported Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquin trains, 2 million gallons of renewable diesel was used in place of fossil fuels during the 2023 Fiscal Year, resulting in corresponding GHG emissions reductions of approximately 63 percent.
“To shift people out of cars and planes, the strategies within Amtrak’s Climate Commitments are improving sustainability and increasing resiliency to become a bigger part of the solution for addressing climate change.
Where these kinds of emissions-reductions actions have been implemented, corresponding air-improvement strides made are testament to program effectiveness.
Updated: Jul. 2, 2024 at 4:21 p.m. PDT.
Corresponding, connected home-page-featured image: CalEPA Air Resources Board
— Alan Kandel
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