Updated U.S. EPA-issued PM 2.5 standard will help in protecting public health

A new national standard for fine particle pollution (PM 2.5 or particulate matter pollution 2.5 micrometers in diameter) was issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Dec. 14, 2012, set at 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air. This replaces the previous standard of 15 micrograms per cubic meter, established in 1997. By year 2020 projections are 99 … Read more

Want a smaller carbon footprint? Think ‘inside’ the box

A little more than a month into this air quality discussion and noticeably lacking has been power generation. In this regard, change starts today. And what better place is there to begin than in my own home? I can think of none. It is helpful to understand the geography and meteorology of California’s San Joaquin Valley; the place I … Read more

Polluted air: The ‘heart’ of the problem

“‘We can no longer afford to consider air and water common property, free to be abused by anyone,’” espoused a determined Richard Nixon in one of his presidential speeches as conveyed in America Revealed, Episode 3: “ELECTRIC NATION,” a 2012 Public Broadcasting System presentation. Question is: In hindsight, could air (and water) afford such a … Read more

On cutting transport emissions, Europe gets high marks

Given the global energy picture, there is continued strong emphasis on fossil fuel use, in the transport sector especially, as its reliance on such is extremely heavy.1 It was this startling piece of information, though, from the Nov. 2011 International Union of Railways (UIC) report High Speed Rail and Sustainability that caught my eye. The … Read more

eMission control – Focus: Railways

At the end of “Cutting-edge transportation: Effective emissions-reductions approaches,” in closing, I wrote: “With that said, transit might just be the best thing going when it comes to mitigating negative environmental impact.” Well, time has come to expound upon that thought. For starters it is helpful to clarify “negative environmental impact.” In the context of … Read more

Updated approach to warn of unhealthy particulate levels draws fire

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think a region in updating its air quality alert system would spark criticism, but it has. According to an article in the Nov. 24, 2012 Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles region’s South Coast Air Quality Management District on Nov. 24th announced it had issued its “first-ever no-burn alert.” I blogged … Read more

L.A. wintertime weather pattern prompts ‘no-burn’ alert and who’s minding your chimney?

According to Los Angeles Times correspondent Catherine Saillant in “Air quality agency issues Southland no-burn alert,” the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) on Saturday, Nov. 24th issued its “first-ever no-burn alert” in the L.A. air basin, all because of an expected wintertime weather pattern. “It’s part of a new program adopted by the South … Read more

Landmark California program could have huge emissions-reductions impact

In the United States, transportation accounts for about 28 percent of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In California’s San Joaquin Valley, GHG emissions are estimated to be as high as 40 percent. Compared to other sectors, emissions from transportation have been increasing more rapidly. “In fact, between 1990 and 2006, growth in U.S. transportation GHG … Read more