Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
San Joaquin Valley air between Nov. 1, 2012 and Feb. 28, 2013 was considerably cleaner than it was this time a year ago. This is based on two metrics: fewer wood-burning prohibitions (bans) and corresponding citations issued. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) in its Mar. 1, 2013 news release: “Better air quality, fewer wood-burning bans … 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
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
I’m no stranger to the words “inventory” and “audit.” Fact is, my very first job required that inventories regularly be taken to prevent in this case new home audio electronic equipment supplies from running low or out. It mattered not what the consumer product in question was. If in-stock quantities were down, then through the reordering process, stock was … Read more
The manufacture of Portland cement involves the grinding and heating in a rotary kiln of clay, iron ore, limestone and sand, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). After cooling and grinding and upon being mixed with gypsum this is what creates the Portland cement. If aggregate and water are added, the result is concrete. The processes of heating … Read more
Number 14 in the Clean Air Technologies Series. If I mention the National Park Service (NPS) what draws to mind? Conjured up images of environmental sustainability? How about awards presentation? Probably neither, correct? First order of business here is the subject of environmental stewardship. I ask: is it not the preservation of open spaces, scenic vistas and the … Read more
In the Feb. 5, 2013 “A California air quality progress report” post, in citing the California Air Pollution Control Officers’ Association (CAPCOA) from its “California Progress Toward Clean Air” report, I wrote: “That being said, CAPCOA points out that ‘Clearly, California’s clean air strategies continue to serve as a model for the rest of the nation … Read more
California is home to approximately 38 million people. According to the California Air Pollution Control Officers’ Association (CAPCOA) April 2012 “California’s Progress Toward Clean Air” report: “California, the most populous state in the nation, includes regions with pristine air quality as well as regions with the highest number of violations of the federal health-based standards for … Read more
From information provided by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in a news release, I learned that “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, these airborne SOA particles travel the currents and … Read more
The Public Policy Institute of California in its report: “Planning for a Better Future: California 2025: 2010 Update (Transportation),” revealed based on California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board data, in California in 1975, and within the transportation sector, smog-forming emissions generated via passenger vehicles accounted for a full 70 percent with the remainder being released from heavy duty … Read more