Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
Background California’s transportation system, which consists of highways and roads totaling more than 175,000 miles, is valued at around $1.5 trillion. The Golden State, moreover, has north of 500 transit agencies, 12 major ports and an 800-mile total high-speed rail system now under construction. There is more to the state transportation network, so much more. … Read more
From what I have learned, Scott Pruitt, the newly appointed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, publicly acknowledged that the Earth is getting or has gotten hotter; if not in those exact words, then something along these lines. What Pruitt at this point is not completely sure of, apparently, is how much of an influence on … Read more
Railroading is continually being improved upon. You can see it in the physical plant (infrastructure – rails, ties, roadbed, structures, signals, overhead catenary where in use), the rolling stock and equipment (motive power, rail cars – freight, passenger, maintenance of right-of-way) and in operations. To be clear, the basic operating premise has, over the years, … Read more
Getting right to it, consider that over 300 billion miles of travel are driven on California roadways annually – one-tenth of what is driven nationally (as of late). And that’s just driving. When you factor in all other modes – providing residents and visitors alike the means with which to move about whether by the … Read more
There is much that is being learned about air pollution on the move. For example, the distances Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons or PAHs traveled, how they are affected while in flight and what their impact is on human health are all areas researchers explored in a recent collaborative study conducted by Oregon State University (OSU), the … Read more
So, sitting in my living room on Wed. evening Feb. 1, 2017, I watched intently the PBS (Public Broadcasting System) NOVA episode “Search for the Super Battery,” some of the program content shown previously on the Jan. 29, 2017 edition of CBS’ “Sunday Morning.” Batteries being the NOVA program’s key highlight, such others as energy … Read more
If there’s a scent to be sensed, yoo hoo, over here, wind of it (pun intended) I will get! Trust me. Very little, if anything, ever, blows by, pleasant and unpleasant alike, the latter of which I would much prefer to forego completely. And, I’m not going to say “if you get my drift,” so … Read more
The World Bank with assistance from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, Seattle, last year, released its The Cost of Air Pollution: Strengthening the Economic Case for Action study. As to the seriousness of the air-pollution problem, The World Bank shared some sobering thoughts. “Air pollution is recognized … Read more
There’s a new train on the block, engine, actually, and it’s clean as well as lean. The locomotive? A Progress Rail Services product; an EMD F125 diesel, which was first introduced in Los Angeles, California on Jul. 18, 2016. What makes this model unique is that this first-of-its-kind diesel locomotive is designed to meet stringent U.S. Environmental … Read more
In my home, there’s a fireplace. From the backyard, visible is a chimney (if you want to call it that). A vertical pipe would be more like it (galvanized steel, I think) projecting up out of the house’s back portion. Its purpose is to exhaust fireplace discharge, but, I’m having none of that – literally. … Read more