Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
July 11, 2021 begins a new era in space flight as the United Kingdom’s Sir Richard Branson via an exciting and revolutionary rocketing system, rode into sub-orbital space, that’d be 65 miles up. The entire flight lasted all of an hour and the elevation reached was high enough for the flight crew in question to … Read more
At its most utilized point in 1916, route-miles of common-carrier railroad track numbered 254,000. Today, that figure has been whittled away quite a bit – 140,000 or a reduction of 44.88 percent. Imagine what it would be like in the current operating environment for railroads to move the same amount of tonnage they did 105 … Read more
Turns out ride sharing as an eco-friendly transportation alternative may not be all it was once cracked up to be. In addition, new research suggests that compared to private-passenger-vehicle- or taxi-use, ride-sharing, in the area of environmental-friendliness, may not be – to use an idiomatic expression – up to speed. Some reading this may be … Read more
Train travel – there is nothing else on Earth quite like it! I experienced such beginning at an early age, at either 11 or 12, more than likely 11, traveling on the then Pennsylvania Railroad between my at-the-time hometown of Baltimore, Maryland and New York City in 1964 or 1965, more than likely 1964, to … Read more
Extra-orbital space travel – only a handful of persons can ever say they’ve done that. A few more can lay claim to flying in sub-orbital aircraft at faster-than-sound speeds. So given the numbers that have a fascination with this sort of thing, the expectation is reasonable that if supersonic (or close to it) evacuated or … Read more
So often, the question comes up in cities looking to make improvements in their public transit service offerings and systems regarding what type of service and system is best suited to meet the majority or mass-public need. Services and systems suggested often run the gamut, after which a thorough review and narrowing of selections are … Read more
The below Jan. 20, 2021 press release is from the Mineta Transportation Institute. According to a new report from the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI), Investing in California’s Transportation Future: Public Opinion on Critical Need, Californians want the state to invest in transportation systems that are safer, greener, and more efficient. “Respondents sent a crystal-clear message … Read more
The below Jan. 19, 2021 news release is from Kansas City Southern. Kansas City Southern … announced that it has submitted a commitment letter to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) pledging to set a science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction target. KCS’ science-based target will align with what climate scientists say is needed to meet … Read more
I understand that in the world there are some 1 billion motorized vehicles. That may sound like a lot but what it works out to on average is 1 vehicle for every 7 people essentially. In the United States, on the other hand, the ratio is a lot tighter. On average, that’s roughly 1 motor … Read more
As we saw here on the Air Quality Matters blog on Jan. 13, 2021 in the post: “The respective gain, dip in light-duty vehicle travel miles, fuel-economy in America and what’s driving the change,” there were increases in aggregate light-duty vehicle (LDV) road-travel miles (VMT) 2019 versus 2018, and adding injury to insult was the … Read more