Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
I know, I know, Earth Day is a month away. But, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start thinking about making preparations for when it arrives. So, what is this about, really? Day to day I both learn about and see – both with and without the aid of vision correction (read: “eyeglasses”) – struggle, strife, … 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
A week ago one television news broadcast (the one I was watching, of course) had a news item pointing out America’s best city in which to live. Before the answer was revealed, I could only think of one place – Denver. I was close: Denver dropped to the number two spot. That means that last … 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
Yesterday, I gave inconspicuous gazes as the neighbor, quite in vain, I might add, dutifully used his trusty leaf-blowing appurtenance in an all-but-futile attempt at bringing a prim and proper look to his yard, that is, after having tended to lawn-mowing and edging chores. What I observed from my across-the-street vantage point was the cloud … 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
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
Many large cities today are bloated. Many smaller ones are too. Before forging ahead farther, it is important at this juncture to be clear on what delineates cities. One way cities are categorized is according to population size. Large cities: metros with population densities of from 500 thousand-plus to 10 million. Medium cities: metros with … Read more
You’re familiar with the idiom “fish out of water” right? I sometimes wonder if that’s what we’re becoming like. The World Health Organization tells us that 92 percent of the world’s people are breathing polluted air. That’s profound! It’d be so much better if only eight percent did, but even that’s not good. No one … Read more