Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
California’s San Joaquin Valley in 2016 exceeded the 2008 national 8-hour ozone health standard of 75 parts per billion (ppb) 88 times – a jump of six over 2015’s total. Regarding the more stringent 70 ppb standard, one that would have been more protective of public health, and incidentally, the one approved by the U.S. … Read more
The information printed below is provided by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) carries out experiments in which volunteer participants agree to be intentionally exposed by inhalation to specific pollutants at restricted concentrations over short periods to obtain important information about the effects of outdoor air pollution … Read more
I know, I know, Earth Day is a month away. But, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start thinking about making preparations for when it arrives. So, what is this about, really? Day to day I both learn about and see – both with and without the aid of vision correction (read: “eyeglasses”) – struggle, strife, … Read more
As with air quality, when it comes to infrastructure, condition matters. So, right now, according to one measure – the one just out Mar. 9, 2017: the American Society of Civil Engineers’ “2017 Infrastructure Report Card,” condition-wise, overall, America’s infrastructure got a D+. A serious situation: make no mistake. So, what is going on here? In … Read more
Getting right to it, consider that over 300 billion miles of travel are driven on California roadways annually – one-tenth of what is driven nationally (as of late). And that’s just driving. When you factor in all other modes – providing residents and visitors alike the means with which to move about whether by the … Read more
There is much that is being learned about air pollution on the move. For example, the distances Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons or PAHs traveled, how they are affected while in flight and what their impact is on human health are all areas researchers explored in a recent collaborative study conducted by Oregon State University (OSU), the … Read more
So, sitting in my living room on Wed. evening Feb. 1, 2017, I watched intently the PBS (Public Broadcasting System) NOVA episode “Search for the Super Battery,” some of the program content shown previously on the Jan. 29, 2017 edition of CBS’ “Sunday Morning.” Batteries being the NOVA program’s key highlight, such others as energy … Read more
If there’s a scent to be sensed, yoo hoo, over here, wind of it (pun intended) I will get! Trust me. Very little, if anything, ever, blows by, pleasant and unpleasant alike, the latter of which I would much prefer to forego completely. And, I’m not going to say “if you get my drift,” so … Read more
The World Bank with assistance from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, Seattle, last year, released its The Cost of Air Pollution: Strengthening the Economic Case for Action study. As to the seriousness of the air-pollution problem, The World Bank shared some sobering thoughts. “Air pollution is recognized … Read more
Ozone exceedances in the San Joaquin Valley in California’s interior, preliminarily speaking, in 2016 numbered 88. This is six exceedances more than the year before. 2015’s numbers are preliminary also. The ozone season in the Valley roughly lasts from March through October. So, why the increase? Keep in mind that a big part of the … Read more