Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
By our very nature, we humans are a mobile lot. We move. It’s what we do. But, the act of moving itself should not be confused with doing things and going places; a whole different – and other – ball game. In the span of just a few short months, Americans witnessed miles of travel … Read more
When the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act was authorized in 1976 (also known as the 4R Act) it had been 10 years since the High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965, introduced by Congress, passed. Interest seemed strong through the 1980s and ’90s but funding for and forward momentum in this direction failed to … Read more
There is just no way to know what way the air-quality pendulum will swing for California’s San Joaquin Valley (or simply, “the Valley”) post-COVID-19, well, not at this juncture, anyway. But, by looking at air-quality trends of the past this could provide a clue. So, two points of reference: 2005, prior to the onset of … Read more
Self-emptying or self-flushing toilets: Pretty amazing stuff, right? Now, take that and add to it a self-cleaning aspect and a provision for purifying air and what’s been invented is a self-emptying, self-cleaning, smell-removing commode. Who could ask for more?! Did someone say more? On the Air Quality Matters blog from time to time, covered have … Read more
The below May 7, 2020 press release is from the Texas Central Railroad. Today, the Thirteenth Court of Appeals of Texas ruled in favor of Texas Central, holding that it was both a railroad company and interurban electric railway. The Memorandum Opinion, authored by Justice Nora Longoria, held “Having found that the appellants (Texas Central … Read more
So, let’s explore this idea some more. Part 1 can be read here. Speaking of which, in the earlier installment it was duly pointed out that sold in the U.S. each year are approximately 17 million new cars with at least 850,000 of those, or five percent, being of the zero-emissions-vehicle variety. Post-pandemic, will that … Read more
No one knows with absolute certainty what transportation patterns in the United States will be like once over the Corona Virus pandemic or whether we’ll return to travel patterns exactly the way they were pre-pandemic. Speaking to this, a team of researchers from two universities (Vanderbilt and Cornell) got to work to consider several possible … Read more
The below Apr. 28, 2020 press release is from Earthjustice. Today the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released an updated draft of the nation’s first electric truck standard. The rule asks manufacturers to build zero-emission vehicles that would help strengthen public health in vulnerable communities, and is key to tackling California’s longstanding air quality crisis. … Read more
The below Apr. 15, 2020 press release from the Center for Biological Diversity. A federal judge today ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the law when it approved Nationwide Permit 12, a water-crossing permit critical for TC Energy’s Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and many other pipelines nationwide. The ruling invalidates Nationwide … Read more
It’s been amazing! Around-the-world reports have been pouring in about how clean air in many parts of the world has become. Countrywide lockdowns and stay-at-home/shelter-in-place orders instituted during the COVID-19 outbreak have led to tremendous reductions in not just driving, but public transit use, shipping (on navigable waters) and flying. All of them combined having … Read more