Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
If you want to know where some of the worst places in America are for ozone and particulate pollution, look no farther than California. That’s not just a blemish on the Golden State (and America), it’s a black eye. Add the term “eye sore” to regions plagued with smog. Still, in a Patterson (Calif.) Irrigator report written by … Read more
Fresno, California has fallen on hard times – really hard times. Fresno is not alone. The Fresno Bee columnist George Hostetter in a May 25, 2013 article wrote: “City Hall is broke. [Fresno Mayor Ashley] Swearengin has been fighting budget woes since she took office in January 2009. She expects to make ends meet in … Read more
Is our transportation system broken? Americans, some of if not the world’s most mobile people, day in and day out, manage to get to where we need and/or want to go. But, does this mean mobility can’t be improved? I’m pretty sure everyone can agree that it can. So, where are we going, how are we … Read more
On visits to the Phoenix metropolitan area in both May and November 2009, I had the opportunity to ride the region’s Valley MetroRail light rail system. At the station at 44th and Washington streets, construction was then underway on what is today’s Phoenix (PHX) Sky Train™ system, an automated people mover (APM) connecting light rail riders to … Read more
Number 19 in the Clean Air Technologies Series. Fuel being a central and huge and important element in the energy production story, I doubt very many people realize there is at least one fuel, an alternative fuel, that can not only produce energy but help clean air, soil and water as well. The fuel? It’s called: “Megaflora.” … Read more
“A new state law that quietly moved through this year’s legislature gives cities and counties unprecedented freedom to spend tax dollars on transportation projects other than roads and bridges,” Monte Whaley wrote in the Denver Post. “This means communities for the first time can use their share of the $250 million pot of money made up of … Read more
“Diesel, used by most [heavy goods vehicles], causes more air pollution per kilometre than other fuels such as petrol.” This was a determination of the European Environment Agency (EEA), as brought to bear in the EEA’s Feb. 28, 2013 “Reducing the € 45 billion health cost of air pollution from lorries” press release – a … Read more
In a May 1st Air Quality Matters blog post, I referenced the Unites States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) document titled: “Second Report to Congress: Highlights of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Program,” a document to be of particular relevance and importance. (To learn more and read what I had written, see: “EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction program is showing promise”). … Read more
At one part in particular in the previous post, in essence, I asked if it is not more economical to expand California State Route (SR) 99 – which is currently being widened from four to six lanes at various spots between Kern County, located in the south San Joaquin Valley, and Sacramento to the north, rather than to … Read more
In my last post I was pretty direct by suggesting, in effect, that American roadway infrastructure was heading in the wrong direction. As you know, roadways can only handle so many vehicles per given unit of time operating at a per given unit of speed. The proper term is “capacity.” Too little capacity and traffic flow becomes … Read more