More hydrogen-powered trains on their way to California this decade

The below Sept. 20, 2022 press release is from Stadler US Inc.* Stadler has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for the design and delivery of four zero emission hydrogen FLIRT trains for California. This MOU articulates the responsibilities and roles … Read more

Reimagined development: What cities could be offering instead

Here in America, our building style has old-world influences. There is direct evidence of this. Make no mistake. It’s understandable considering that Europe and Asia are where our ancestors were before emigrating – Europeans to the east and Asians to the west. Our ancestral roots and backgrounds definitely came into play here. Think Victorian, Renaissance, … Read more

In climate-fix catch-up mode: COP27 ends on high note

The below Nov. 20, 2022 press release is from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 closed today with a breakthrough agreement to provide “loss and damage” funding for vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters. “This outcome moves us forward,” said Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change … Read more

Air: The state it’s in, where it’s been and how to make it good again

According to United Nations Environment Programme data nine in 10 people in the world are affected by harmful air. A sobering thought if ever there was one. If there is a bright side here it is this: That number could be higher; thankfully it’s not! But, that doesn’t mean the extent of harmful air couldn’t … Read more

Extreme Sept. heat tests grid, degrades air in San Joaquin Valley

For those who don’t know, California’s approximately 300-mile-long by roughly 80-mile-wide San Joaquin Valley has some of America’s worst air quality. For the past 20 years or so, such Valley cities as Bakersfield, Fresno, Hanford, Madera and Visalia, for example, have consistently ranked among those places in the United States with the highest amounts of … Read more

Sinking heat to space: Could this be the next big thing in air cleaning?

Everyone and their sibling in the field of climate science it seems having anything and everything to do with searching for the end all, be all with regard to course-correcting, anthropogenically-prompted global warming and climate change, is looking for that one silver bullet. As far as I know, no one has yet to find this … Read more

Affordable, air-friendly, comfortable, efficient, reliable, safe, speedy…electric trains

So, I’ve been paying very close attention to the travel news and, in particular, that part dealing with statistics and here is what I’ve learned: For travel this weekend connected with the Independence Day holiday, Americans traveling out-of-town number 48 million; those hitting the roadways journeying 50 or more miles, 42 million or 87.5 percent; … Read more

Changing with the times – transportation

My sense is that universal electric-motor-vehicle-operation acceptance by every driver driving American roadways, based on the present rate of EV adoption, will happen. It’s only a matter of time. What I am less confident of, on the other hand, are two things. First is regarding the technology type – battery- or fuel-cell- electrification and second … Read more

Electric vs gas-powered lawn-mowing: On practicality, benefit and efficiency

It’s summertime again and, for many, that means grilling outdoors, vacation-venturing to places near and far, and, with lawns and gardens now waking from their colder-temperature-induced dormancies, respectively, associated lawn-and-garden-care chores. On that last note and here in America with the average price for gasoline nationwide now hitting $5 per gallon, with regard to maintaining … Read more

More attention, intervention needed to tame crisis air pollution

Part of the challenge to clean the supply of air is to recognize that the world has an air pollution problem. The problem, in fact, is so extensive, the situation has reached crisis proportions. The World Health Organization, besides concluding that 7 million people each year in the world lose a personal fight to hold … Read more