Extreme Sept. heat tests grid, degrades air in San Joaquin Valley

For those who don’t know, California’s approximately 300-mile-long by roughly 80-mile-wide San Joaquin Valley has some of America’s worst air quality. For the past 20 years or so, such Valley cities as Bakersfield, Fresno, Hanford, Madera and Visalia, for example, have consistently ranked among those places in the United States with the highest amounts of … Read more

Suit filed against EPA over plans aimed at reducing smog in three key areas prove ineffective

(Below is a Jun. 7, 2022 press release from the Center for Biological Diversity). Environmental and public health groups filed a lawsuit today against the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to ensure that Los Angeles, Sacramento and New Hampshire have effective plans to reduce dangerous smog pollution. ”The EPA is simply not doing its job … Read more

More than meets the nose and eyes only: Air quality

Contrary to what you may think, the word “quality” when paired with the word “air” doesn’t always connote, or isn’t always connected necessarily with something good, something bad. Air quality can be in reference to matter-of-fact kind of stuff like temperature, humidity, density and characteristics or conditions such as fragrance, odor or smell. Call these … Read more

Air report finds 137 million Americans lived in counties impacted by harmful smog, soot levels

(The below Apr. 21, 2022 press release is from the American Lung Association). A news report from the American Lung Association reveals that nearly 9 million more people were impacted by particle pollution, which can be deadly, than in last year’s report. The Lung Association’s 23rd annual “State of the Air” report, released today, also … Read more

Globally, 99% of people now impacted by bad air, WHO declares

(The below Apr. 4, 2022 news release is from the World Health Organization). Almost the entire population (99%) breathes air that exceeds WHO air quality limits, and threatens their health. A record number of over 6000 cities in 117 countries are now monitoring air quality, but the people living in them are still breathing unhealthy … Read more

An up-close look at Fresno’s dirty-air condition as Air Quality Awareness Week approaches

With Air Quality Awareness Week fast approaching, the focus of discussion today centers on Fresno, a central California city that year after year sees some of the country’s worst air pollution. Having said that, what better time than this to bring attention to the air-quality deficit that Fresno has long been hamstrung by, done in … Read more

An all-hands-on-deck approach to achieving clean, healthy air

I can’t help but think back to when I was an editorial associate for a Fresno, California-based publisher. This was a step up from the copywriter assignment that I had had previously. The person who had occupied the then editorial associate spot had just recently quit. So, with no one in charge of magazine editorial … Read more

Leading by example: California shows continued, strong commitment to state emissions reduction

California can be credited with many air-quality-improvement firsts. Listed among these is a waiver granted by the fed that allowed the state to establish its own more stringent light-duty vehicle tailpipe-emissions standards, that is, apart from those prescribed for the rest of the U.S. In an Oct. 19, 2020 news release, meanwhile, the California Environmental … Read more