Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
Back on Oct. 23, 2012, Monte Morin in a Los Angeles Times newsstory reporting on the health implications of diesel exhaust, wrote: “A chemical analysis of air samples taken from California’s San Joaquin Valley and an Oakland traffic tunnel show that diesel fuel emissions are more polluting than previously thought, according to researchers.” The European … Read more
I hold on to hope that one day cars will be a significant contributor to the overall effort to clean the air – that they’ll be more a part of the solution than what is right now the case. That’s not expecting too much, right? I will try to answer that question by posing another: Without significant … Read more
It’s always heartening to learn when new measures are being implemented to reduce emissions. Such is the case with amendments in Canada to cut air pollution levels from vessels navigating Canadian waters. This is on top of other air-emissions-reduction actions already taken. “The amendments bring new requirements into force for vessels under Annex VI of … Read more
I cannot imagine there being a single vehicle owner who wouldn’t support a rule stipulating cars run cleaner. If not that, then how about much improved motor vehicle fuel economies – who would not want this? Maybe I’m just a dreamer. Washington Post correspondent Juliet Eilperin on Mar. 29, 2013, wrote: “The Environmental Protection Agency … Read more
A comprehensive examination of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions must be undertaken and completed prior to any decision being made on whether or not U.S. Northwest ports can be set up for coal export to China. This, in effect, is what Gov. John Kitzhaber of Oregon and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee expressed in a … Read more
In the Nov. 15, 2012 Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s “Airborne particles smuggle pollutants to far reaches of globe” news release, Mary Beckman wrote: “Floating in the air and invisible to the eye, airborne particles known as secondary organic aerosols live and die. Born from carbon-based molecules given off by trees, vegetation, and fossil fuel burning, … Read more
Regarding your next vehicle purchase, what’s it going to be? Will it be a hybrid? Will it be an electric (EV)? None of the above? As far as motorized vehicles go, hybrids and electrics are both, relatively speaking, economical, that is, once paid for. But there is the obvious trade off in terms of electric … Read more
If there is a more popular summertime institution than out-of-doors cooking I am hard-pressed to think of it. Staying with this train of thought, it turns out there just might be more to this outdoor culinary experience than meets the grill. “When [University of California at] Davis scientists collected air pollution particles in Fresno and then exposed laboratory mice to … Read more
When queried on environmental matters, many cite polluted air as a problem, responses reflecting that the problem is somewhat serious, serious or very or extremely serious. Now add to this the attention paid the issue at times. Such was the case with the gathering in the nation’s capital on Feb. 17, 2013 of an estimated … Read more
The California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board (ARB) states: “CA’s population reached 24 million people. Total registered vehicles surpassed 17 million and vehicle miles traveled is 155 billion. Cumulative CA vehicle emissions for [nitrogen oxides] and [hydrocarbons] remain at 1970 levels of 1.6 million tons/year despite a rise of 45 billion in VMT over … Read more