Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
In my collection of resource materials, I found a book that I had completely forgotten about. The book is titled: “30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do To Save The Earth.”1 Energy savings idea number 27 on page 57 has to do with: “Auto Savings.” On that page near the top in italics is the … Read more
Number nine in the Clean Air Technologies Series. I find it amazing the way technology has evolved so. I remember being able to walk into the neighborhood electronics parts store with vacuum tubes from home audio entertainment equipment, guitar amplifiers, televisions, radios, and what-not and being able to test their integrity on vacuum tube testers, … Read more
In America a half-century ago, transportation ate up approximately 10 percent of household income. Those days and times are gone for good, but, then again … At any rate, according to renowned architect, a founding member of Congress for the New Urbanism and book author Peter Calthorpe in “The New Transit Town: Best Practices in Transit-Oriented … Read more
Number eight in the Clean Air Technologies Series. Think how many fugitive vapors or emissions there are in the world. What if they could all be captured and put to good use? In “Device converts manure gases into clean and useful energy,” discussed was how methane, a biogas emitted naturally from manure and, how with the … Read more
In “Trains prove their worth in helping improve air,” I offered, “In the final analysis if the growth in passenger train ridership is to continue, then additional service will be necessary. ….Electrified California high-speed rail service, on the other hand, expected to break ground later this year, when built and operational, will provide a viable alternative to meet … Read more
In “CATS: Decline in smog-forming emissions from California cars a bright spot,” I credited improvement in state motor vehicle smog-forming emissions to “initiatives such as the state’s Smog Check and other programs.” California’s Smog Check Program, by the way, went into effect in 1984. Moreover, noted in “Planning for a Better Future: California 2025: 2010 Update,” a Public Policy … Read more
Number seven in the Clean Air Technologies Series. In a 1952 “Key Events in the History of Air Quality in California” entry, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) revealed, “Dr. Arie Haagen-Smit discovered the nature and causes of photochemical smog. He determines that nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons in the presence of ultraviolet radiation from the sun forms smog (a … Read more
To digress a bit here, if there is one item I would have liked to have saved from my entire academic training experience, it would be an extensive report I did as a kid in elementary school. The assignment I agreed to, had to do with producing a compendium of sorts covering the U.S. in which … Read more
When I first stepped foot on Golden State real estate (I’m not a California native), I had little idea what to expect. The year was 1972 and I was all of 19 years old. For me the California experience was like no other I had had up to that time. Included in that was Disneyland, Lombard … Read more
By the time the mid-20th century rolled around, the American streetcar had seen far better days. But for this inspiring institution, it was neither the end of the road nor the end of the American electric street railway story. Yes, the near-total disappearance of the once-mighty and utilitarian trolley network is sad, but it’s also profound, though … Read more