Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
The Amazon is burning. The fire is of staggering proportions and was deliberately set. Irreplaceable rainforest land being cleared for, what, so it can be farmed, developed?! Seventy-five thousand: The number of Brazilian fires this year alone! Seven-thousand-two-hundred: Nearly that many square miles (more than 4.6 million acres) burned this year so far. Add to … Read more
There’s a proposal floating suggesting taking away dedicated monies from high-speed rail in California’s San Joaquin Valley and rededicating those for passenger rail improvement purposes both in the north and south state. The monies would be used for improving existing Metrolink service between Anaheim and Burbank in southern California and Caltrain in the San Francisco … Read more
In many communities contemplating improving local transit service, for them the mode choice is clear: Bus rapid transit or BRT. I have heard BRT described as “light rail transit on the cheap.” Any of these communities would do well to look to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. BRT there was so well patronized – too well patronized … Read more
So, I wanted to know just how useful are the various tools available to the public for assessing the air quality condition where I reside – in California’s expansive San Joaquin Valley. The region is ranked worst in the nation for fine particulate matter pollutant emissions and the nation’s second worst for ozone, the two … Read more
I just recently read – somewhere – America’s air has worsened, in fact, there is 15 percent more pollution in it (I am assuming volumetric-wise), than there was, say, just a few years back. That’s not a good sign. After years, even decades, of encouraging air trends, to some, this news may come as a … Read more
Week-in and week-out on weekends, I watch televised broadcasts of golf matches almost religiously, that is, unless there is something else going on that takes precedence. I don’t miss a beat, meaning I watch these televised golf matches to the exclusion of all other broadcast sports, which on weekends, seem to flood the channels. Golf’s … Read more
With a population of 40 million people and growing, and major road-based transportation-corridor traffic often at a standstill, the prospect of riding a 220-mile-per-hour bullet train across much of the state, sounds extremely appealing. Though the question remains, is this the train Californians will get? One day, hopefully, it is! Object of deserved or unfair … Read more
Represented by the environmental organization Earthjustice, the Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity filed suit in court in an effort to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fulfill its obligations to protect affected communities from unhealthful levels of ozone smog. Affected cities, regions and states, according to Earthjustice in its May 7, … Read more
The below press release dated Jun. 5, 2019 is from UN Environment. Governments, industry, communities and individuals around the world today commemorated World Environment Day, the United Nations’ biggest annual event for positive environmental action, encouraging worldwide awareness and commitment to protect our planet. This year’s celebrations, held under the theme ‘Beat Air Pollution’, called … Read more
A heads-up: June 5, 2019 is World Environment Day 2019. This year’s focus: Air pollution. As part of that in this thread, included is information on air cleanup. Introduction There isn’t a soul anywhere I can think of who doesn’t appreciate clean, healthy air. That said, on Earth, better than 90 percent of humanity is … Read more