Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
Nairobi, 7 September 2024 – The world marked the fifth annual International Day of Clean Air for blue skies today with calls for investment in clean air solutions now, as air pollution causes increasing public health, environmental, and economic harms. More than 99 percent of humanity is now breathing polluted air, leading to more than 8 million annual deaths, … Read more
SACRAMENTO – California is launching a new statewide funding program that will put 1,000 new, zero-emission school buses on the road, furthering the state’s lead in having the most clean buses in the nation. “California is showing the nation and the world how to move from ambition to action,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “This is … Read more
San Diego – The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) today [Aug. 22, 2024] announced that ridership increased more than 10% over the past year as more and more residents opt to use the transit system to get around. During the last fiscal year (July 2023 – June 2024), the transit agency logged 75,663,343 passenger … Read more
Today [Aug. 10, 2024], Caltrain debuted its cutting-edge electric fleet, hosting a VIP tour where participants boarded the trains for its historic inaugural service. After nearly a decade of construction, these new trains signify a landmark shift towards a faster, more frequent and environmentally friendly public transportation network along the San Francisco Peninsula. The event … Read more
Over the past several years I’ve been keeping a watchful eye on the goings-on in the locomotive-and-train-propulsion-power-development-progress arena. There have been numerous postings here at the Air Quality Matters blog since day 1 that have dealt with this area. Here is just a small sampling of those. American high-speed rail building on a roll – … Read more
In the very early hours of June 21, 2024, before sunrise, the revolutionary next generation of clean passenger rail vehicles arrived in San Bernardino County. Slated to begin service this fall between the cities of San Bernardino and Redlands, the arrival of North America’s first self-powered, zero-emission passenger train that will meet Federal Railroad Administration … Read more
Emissions-reductions’ the word! Pollutant emissions in California have been on the retreat for quite some time now. And, for good reason. According to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, in 2023 just in the Valley alone, 8,492 tons of fine particulates (PM2.5), 10,383 tons of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and 7,179 tons of … Read more
SACRAMENTO — The sales of new zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks in California in 2023 have doubled from the prior year, now representing 1 out of every 6 new vehicles sold for services that include last-mile delivery, freight transportation, and school buses, according to a report released by the state today [Jun. 6, 2024]. With 18,473 medium- and heavy-duty … Read more
GILLETTE, WY — The Biden administration announced today that it will end coal leasing in the Powder River Basin – the largest coal-producing region in the United States. The decision represents an historic shift in federal management of coal in the region, recognizing that the market has shifted away from coal as an electricity source … Read more
Um, no. Background The average global surface-air-temperature-rise — compared to that which was present at the time the Industrial Revolution first became a thing back in year 1750 — must climb by no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (C), in order “to reduce the greatest global risks and avoid significant, wide-ranging, and severe impacts,” as … Read more