Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is big business. But being big business doesn’t necessarily ensure profitability. The recycling industry as a whole, meanwhile, after holding its own for several decades at least, today the outlook, truth be told, appears less rosy. Whether recyclable or non-recyclable material like MSW, finding alternative uses for such refuse can not … Read more
Air pollution and climate change have three commonalities. They: Affect or alter lives Make matters worse Need atmosphere to survive Affect or alter lives This is not something that takes serious contemplation to get one’s head around. In other words, this is not some obscure notion or idea we are talking about here. And, to … Read more
The below Aug. 28, 2020 press release is from the California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board. The California Air Resources Board late yesterday [Aug. 27, 2020] approved a multi-pronged regulation that will dramatically reduce smog-forming emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks. The “Heavy-Duty Low NOx Omnibus Regulation” will require manufacturers to comply with tougher emissions … Read more
The Clean Air Car Race, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in August, had a lasting impact on the auto industry, government regulations, and the students and faculty who took part. By Mary Beth Gallagher, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, MIT MIT News The year 1970 was a milestone for efforts to combat air pollution. On April … Read more
Strong evidence suggests there is a link between air pollution and compromised gut health. This topic was first explored on the Air Quality Matters blog on Feb. 26, 2014 in the post: “Air pollution, digestive tract disorders and the connection between them.” Since that time, some important developments have surfaced in the academic, medical and … Read more
Whether we are talking about atmospheric normalization or global warming’s and/or climate change’s causation, “balance” is the word. That’s right, balance. So in a kind of holistic air-healing sense or maybe more precisely, a holistic air-remedying context, what does being balanced mean exactly? From physics, we know that if an object exerts a force opposite … Read more
The below Aug. 27, 2020 press release is from the California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board. The California Air Resources Board today approved a new regulation designed to further reduce pollution from ocean-going vessels while docked at California’s busiest ports. The rule builds on progress achieved by the groundbreaking At-Berth Regulation adopted in 2007. … Read more
Fooling with Mother Nature is almost certainly asking for trouble. Where this is going is nobody wants a planet that climate change-wise or temperature change-wise reaches the point of no return. If that happens, it’s theoretically curtains. But, don’t think for a second that humankind can’t change weather or climate. We can and have. Want … Read more
There are three distinct possibilities: There is evidence that climate change has altered the concentration or level of pollution in air The evidence of the effect climate change has on the concentration or level of pollution in air is lacking Climate change has no influence on pollution in air period The American Lung Association seems … Read more
The below Jul. 16, 2020 press release is from the Center for Biological Diversity. A federal judge late yesterday reinstated the Bureau of Land Management’s 2016 methane waste rule, aimed at protecting people and the climate from methane waste and pollution from oil and gas extraction on public lands. The ruling is the third defeat … Read more