Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
Pollution: What’s it good for?! Some might think I’m just blowing smoke or I’m full of it or hot air. Me?! Well, I’ve got news! Pollution is a serious matter. Every year in the world, air pollution – just one kind – claims 7-8 million lives. That’s not nothing! The World Health Organization, meanwhile, in … Read more
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today [Jun. 27, 2023], the Biden administration decided to close several civil rights complaints and an investigation into whether the State of Louisiana failed to protect a community beset by decades of toxic air pollution. For much of the last decade, residents of St. John the Baptist Parish have had the highest … Read more
To some, the reasons may be obvious. To others, maybe not so much, but I’ve been paying really close attention of late to the weather in my neck of the woods – that’d be California’s mid-San Joaquin Valley region. Why? Because it’s been a bit unusual to say the least. How? For starters, the month … Read more
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Conservation organizations have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) seeking to halt the unlawful drilling of multiple oil and gas wells in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The agency rushed the approval of the well permits in the Mount Poso oil field near Bakersfield without allowing … Read more
There’s an electric-truck wave headed for California. Although relatively slow in coming, make no mistake: the sweep will be thorough. “‘California continues to lead by example with first-of-its-kind standards to slash air pollution and toxics from heavy-duty trucks,’ said Yana Garcia, California’s Secretary for Environmental Transportation.* ‘Where you live, work, or go to school should not … Read more
WASHINGTON — The signs of climate change are all around us, and children are uniquely vulnerable to its impacts. Climate change-related impacts in childhood can have lifelong consequences due to effects on learning, physical health, and housing security. A new national-scale, multi-sector EPA report showcases some of the ways children are especially vulnerable to a variety … Read more
More needs to be done to protect the health of children and adolescents from the negative impacts of air pollution, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality assessments published [Sunday, Apr. 23, 2023]. Air pollution causes over 1,200 premature deaths per year in people under the age of 18 in Europe and significantly … Read more
SACRAMENTO — California today [Apr. 17, 2023] released its annual report for California Climate Investments, which highlights that 74% of investments from 2022 — almost $1 billion — supported communities and households facing greater economic and environmental challenges. The statewide California Climate Investments initiative is a critical component of the state’s transition to a carbon neutral, more equitable … Read more
The American Lung Association’s new “State of the Air” report finds that nearly 120 million people in the U.S., or more than one in three, live in counties that had unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. Overall, air quality has improved across the nation; however, major differences exist between air quality in eastern and … Read more
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today [Apr. 12, 2023], EPA unveiled two regulatory proposals to lower tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks. The cars proposal seeks to modernize the nation’s car standards and gradually shift passenger vehicles in the United States to non-polluting, zero emissions vehicles. The standards will cover model years 2027 to 2032, and build … Read more