Pennsylvania’s proposed new air rules generating furor

Harmful pollution emissions should be on their way out, not up. In one state, Pennsylvania, as it pertains to proposed new smog rules that notion could quite possibly be turned upside down. “The Sierra Club, the American Lung Association, the Clean Air Council, and other groups say that under the new emission limits, the state’s biggest … Read more

Earth Day 2014: ‘Conserve’ is the word

Putting and keeping Earth on a sustainable track is the best medicine. In addition, it goes without saying, or should, that staying that course requires our help because, frankly, in this regard our planet cannot go it alone. To achieve that end will take work – heaping helpings of it, in fact. Fortunately, causes like … Read more

To encourage greater usage, should ZEV buy incentives be made part of the sales deal?

In the more than a-year-and-a-quarter’s time since I began blogging on air quality, cars have not been a hot-ticket item for me. In other words, in the big-picture perspective, I haven’t given autos their due like I have trains. So, today, for the auto I thought I would dedicate space. ‘Charge Ahead California’ campaign hits … Read more

Air: It is what it is and what it is, is not good

Globally, in 2012, from the effects of air pollution 7 million people died prematurely, according to World Health Organization or WHO estimates. This is up from an estimated 800,000 in 2000. The fact of the matter is, without mitigation, the situation could get worse. Although the 7 million amounts to just 0.1 percent of the … Read more

One for the road: New vehicle fuel, tailpipe-emissions standards set despite opposition

Score one more for the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently moved to set standards for fuel and tailpipe emissions. In a Mar. 3, 2014 “EPA Sets Cleaner Fuel and Car Standards, Slashing Air Pollution and Providing Health Benefits to Thousands” news release, the federal agency explained it thusly: “Based on extensive input from … Read more

State of state air: The worse for wear, but nothing that can’t be fixed

The other day (Feb. 7, 2014), I posted: “Annual per-capita California driving 1.5 times the national average.” So, to recap: In California: Annual average per-capita miles driven – 13,636 Number of licensed drivers – 22 million Number of registered vehicles – 27.5 million Annual average fuel consumption – 681.81 gallons Average vehicle fuel economy rating … Read more

Annual per-capita California driving 1.5 times the national average

Californians love their cars. So, how do I know this? Well, depending upon source referenced, in the Golden State there is anywhere between 27.5 million and 32 million registered motor vehicles. Even at the more conservative of the two numbers, that’s a minimum of 1.25 statewide registered cars and light-duty trucks for every licensed in-state … Read more

Transportation’s contribution to air pollution could be much, much less if …

If I were to tell you that an automobile manufacturing mogul and a leading auto-membership-association executive both touted personal mobility and public transportation use, what would you think? Would not such a notion seem incredulous? I don’t know about you but, in my view, it would. Here’s what I’m getting at. At DC.Streetsblog.org, Angie Schmitt provides the … Read more

Re emissions-savings, utilization, value, train-time vs maritime: And the winner is …

About a year from now, an upgraded, vastly expanded and improved Panama Canal will open its gates. Making their way through the canal itself will be eastward- and westward-traveling ships once this happens – not unlike what is transpiring presently. A key difference, however, will be in regard to ship size and numbers. Presumably, the numbers … Read more