In our quest for climate answers, asking questions is key
Every person and their brother, or so it would seem, has ideas for how they think carbon net-zero emissions can be achieved. Even Microsoft founding partner Bill Gates has gotten involved. In fact, he weighs in on the matter in a new book. One approach involves pulling carbon out of the atmosphere and using it […]
Kansas City Southern announces commitment to lower locomotive GHGs, raise fuel efficiency
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 […]
Presidential executive action that helps stabilize climate, fight pollution, protect wildlife
The below Jan. 20, 2021 press release is from the Center for Biological Diversity. As President Joe Biden takes office today, his administration announced a series of steps aimed at combating the climate crisis and protecting wildlife from extinction. These include reentering the Paris Agreement, cancelling the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, and imposing […]
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 […]
And, by the way, what does climate have to do with it all, anyway?!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the word “sustainability” come up in conversation lately. The word seems to be all the rage. That straightforward construct here undoubtedly needs no elaboration, no explanation. Not so with climate, another buzzword, catch-phrase of this modern era we’re living in. While the number of times I […]
‘Scorecard’ highlights building, transportation energy efficiency progress in 100 large U.S. cities in 2020
It is no secret that all across the world in the past couple of decades the area of clean energy has experienced leaps-and-bounds growth. One organization, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), annually compiles what it calls a “City Clean Energy Scorecard.” The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) in “Scorecard: Leading […]
A critical look at surface-air-temperature change: Influencing ground-level ozone or not is the question
Ozone (O3) is a colorless but not odorless gas. When ignited, ozone gives off a chlorine-bleach-like odor. So, obviously, based on this, there is a point at which ozone ignites, and it is when this ignition point is reached that the chlorine-bleachish smell from the ozone is produced and released. It is in this sense […]
The Clean Air Act turns 50 and what that means for me, should mean for US
In “The three commonalities of air pollution and climate change,” posted here on the Air Quality Matters blog on Sept. 22, 2020, the passage having to do with polluted air expressly and that just about says it all, reads: “Air pollution is a disrupter in how it affects people’s lives. Depending on concentration, amount, type […]
Report findings: U.S. ‘off track’ in regard to meeting 2030 climate goals
The below Dec. 8, 2020 press release is from the Environmental Defense Fund. A new report from Environmental Defense Fund using emissions data from Rhodium Group finds that U.S. states with climate commitments are not on track to bring their emissions down consistent with science-based trajectories for 2030. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate […]
Montgomery County, MD releases action-plan-draft for meeting climate goals
The below Dec. 14, 2020 press release is from Montgomery County (Maryland) Government. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has released the Draft Climate Action Plan for public review. The Climate Action Plan is the County’s strategic plan to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 percent by 2027 and by 100 percent by 2035. [Note: […]
