Half of California diesel fuel replaced by clean fuels for first time

SACRAMENTO— California hit an important milestone in its shift away from polluting fuel sources, with clean fuels replacing over 50% of the diesel used in the state in the first quarter of 2023. California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), which requires fuel producers to reduce the carbon intensity of fuel sold in the state, is … Read more

Open-access railroading: Needed more right now than ever before!

Open-access railroading is not a figment of someone’s wild imagination: It really does exist. In fact, according to Robinson Foster in a Jan. 16, 2023 column at climaterailalliance.org, he says the concept has been successfully applied in Europe for nearly three decades. So, what is “open-access railroading”? “Open-access railroading” is a type of operational arrangement … Read more

Appellate court rejects proposed Utahan railway permit

WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court today [Aug. 18, 2023] rejected the U.S. Surface Transportation Board’s permit for the proposed Uinta Basin Railway, designed to quadruple oil production in Utah’s Uinta Basin and move crude through the Colorado Rockies to Gulf Coast refineries. Today’s [Aug. 18, 2023’s] ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the … Read more

Remember RAM: Remedy, Advocacy, Mystery – A climate/climate change explainer

There is no one-size-fits-all method or strategy on how to respond to both the change in climate and relatively recent rise in surface temp. If we’ve lived long enough, then we are fully aware that climatic conditions have changed. And, changed they have! RAM Climate can be summed up using three letters: R-A-M; R for … Read more

NASA’s U.S. pollution-monitoring instrument produces first images

In Aug. 2023, scientists from NOAA, NASA, and 21 universities from three countries are conducting multiple, coordinated research campaigns to investigate how air pollution sources have shifted over recent decades

On Thursday, NASA released the first data maps from its new instrument launched to space earlier this year, which now is successfully transmitting information about major air pollutants over North America. President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that all people have a right to breathe clean air. Data from the TEMPO mission will help … Read more

CHSRA Board begins process of procuring trainsets

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today, the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s Board of Directors took a major step toward bringing high-speed rail service to California by approving the release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to industry for the nation’s first 220 mph electrified high-speed trainsets. Today’s action is the first part of a two-step procurement process. … Read more

Running extra: Caltrain – a clean, green commute-train machine

In 1978, when I moved from Maryland to California (now my permanent home), there were only a smattering of railroads across the U.S. that served the commuting public. Caltrain – before it was called “Caltrain” (providing such service between San Francisco – also known as the City by the Bay – and San Jose – … Read more

America riding a passenger-rail-revival wave

Lots of exciting developments on the U.S. passenger-train front. Before year’s end, Brightline service will be inaugurated between Miami and Orlando International Airport. Top speed on the section between West Palm Beach and the latter, 125 miles per hour. This will be the second such domestic operation whose passenger trains will travel that fast. Quite … Read more