According to a recent researcher's report in the online journal Nature Communications, soot breathed in by pregnant women can make is way far past their lungs, all the way into the womb surrounding their developing baby.
The Green Energy Institute released A new report titled Deconstructing Diesel: A Law & Policy Roadmap for Reducing Diesel Emissions in the Portland Metropolitan Area which offers a road map for reducing diesel pollution in the Portland metro area.
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Tags: Oregon, Pollution, Legislation
The Financial Times reporters Anjli Raval and Josh Spero provide an informative article on pollution resulting from ocean shipping and the changes underway with industry leaders to address the growing issue.
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Fine Particulate Matter
Wrapping up an investigation begun four years ago, the California Air Resources Board announced July 1 it fined brewing company Anheuser-Busch $500,000 for medium- and heavy-duty trucks that violated the state’s air pollution laws.CARB launched its investigation in March 2015 and discovered that the St. Louis-based brewing company had failed to properly self-inspect 19 diesel trucks, as required by the state’s Periodic Smoke Inspection Program, to ensure they met state smoke emission standards.
In addition, CARB staff discovered that Anheuser-Busch was not in compliance with the state’s Truck and Bus Regulation because they failed to meet required compliance deadlines. A total of 86 trucks were noncompliant with the applicable in-use performance standards, according to the Sacramento, Calif.-based agency.
A CARB spokeswoman told Transport Topics the investigation of the Class 6 through 8 trucks was begun following an anonymous tip. The company’s fleet headquarters is in San Diego.
Anheuser-Busch did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“California has some of the country’s poorest air quality and because of this, our laws are tough to protect public health. All businesses must do their part to ensure their fleets are fully compliant with California’s anti-pollution regulations that are designed to clean our air and protect our children,” CARB Enforcement Division Chief Todd Sax said in a release.
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Tags: California, CARB, Air Quality, Pollution
It wasn’t that long ago that most of us had never heard of fine particulate matter, or FPM. It’s a term that first appeared in news reports surrounding the Volkswagen diesel cheating scandal.
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Tags: Diesel Particulate Filter, World Health Organization, Emissions, Pollution
When it comes to air quality, Long Beach and Los Angeles County rank among the most polluted areas in the nation. According to the 2019 “State of the Air” report released by the American Lung Association (ALA) last month, Southern California residents “face the most challenging air pollution levels in the United States.”
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Tags: Emissions, Air Quality, Pollution, Ports
Carbon emissions from fossil-fuel use hit a record last year after energy demand grew at its fastest pace in a decade, reflecting higher oil consumption in the U.S. and more coal burning in China and India.
Those findings from the International Energy Agency mark a setback for the effort to rein in the pollution blamed for global warming just three years after a landmark deal in Paris where all nations committed to cut emissions.
The figures showed that natural gas is becoming a preferred fuel for factories and utilities while the pace of installing renewable forms of energy is lagging. The report also indicated the strength of the global economic expansion last year, with gains in electricity consumption and more notably in the U.S.
“We have seen spectacular growth of the economy in the U.S.,” said Fatih Birol, executive director of the Paris-based institution advising nations on energy policy. “We have seen several new petrochemical projects coming online.”
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Tags: Emissions, Air Quality, Pollution
Despite a reputation for being environmentally progressive, Oregon is falling behind its neighbors when it comes to diesel pollution. Portland State University professor Linda George, studying diesel air pollution in the area. On a random Thursday morning, her sensors in southwest Portland registered black carbon at an alarming level.
“It is 1,400 nanograms and the health benchmark for Oregon is 100. For California it is three,” George said. What’s more, those tiny black bits are different than other types of air pollution George said. “Those particles, diesel particulate matter, are small particles that get into your lungs and pass into the brain. And they are a known carcinogen.”
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Tags: Oregon, Pollution, Diesel Particulate