Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
UN Climate Change News, 24 November 2024 – The UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) closed today with a new finance goal to help countries to protect their people and economies against climate disasters, and share in the vast benefits of the clean energy boom. With a central focus on climate finance, COP29 brought together nearly … Read more
SACRAMENTO – California is launching a new statewide funding program that will put 1,000 new, zero-emission school buses on the road, furthering the state’s lead in having the most clean buses in the nation. “California is showing the nation and the world how to move from ambition to action,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “This is … Read more
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today [Jun. 24, 2024] that it will consider part of an appellate court decision tossing out the U.S. Surface Transportation Board’s permit for the proposed Uinta Basin Railway. The project is designed to quintuple oil production in Utah’s Uinta Basin and move crude through the Colorado Rockies to … Read more
ST. JAMES PARISH, LA — Formosa Plastics wants to build a massive petrochemical complex with 14 facilities that make single-use plastic products. Even though the facility is not yet built, the company must renew its operating permits under Title V of the Clean Air Act. Since Formosa Plastics last applied for these permits in 2020, … Read more
Um, no. Background The average global surface-air-temperature-rise — compared to that which was present at the time the Industrial Revolution first became a thing back in year 1750 — must climb by no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (C), in order “to reduce the greatest global risks and avoid significant, wide-ranging, and severe impacts,” as … Read more
WASHINGTON – Today, March 20, [2024], the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced final national pollution standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 and beyond. These standards will avoid more than 7 billion tons of carbon emissions and provide nearly $100 billion of annual net benefits to society, … Read more
SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently awarded $33 million in grants to support projects that increase access to zero-emissions transportation and diversify mobility options for schools and communities that service more than 20 low-income areas, including a new effort that empowers communities with resources to plan for future transportation projects. The programs, … Read more
Los Angeles – In a major win for polluter accountability, a legal settlement announced today will require the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) to adopt a rule that could fine polluters for their emissions contributing to the region’s poor air quality. Plaintiffs estimate that a fee rule could result in SCAQMD collecting over … Read more
WASHINGTON – Today [Jan. 29, 2024], EPA is announcing a settlement with Open Mountain Energy, LLC, a geothermal power generation company, for the attempted illegal import of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which is the latest in a series of enforcement actions EPA has taken recently against importers of HFCs. HFCs are a super climate pollutant with global warming … Read more
WASHINGTON — Amid record industry profits and rising climate damages, a new NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) report documents 57 federal and state subsidies that the fossil fuel industry receives in the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico that incentivize extraction, cost taxpayers billions, worsen climate change and increase harmful air pollution. The authors … Read more