Green Options » air quality http://greenoptions.com/tag/air-quality Posts tagged 'air quality' Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:46:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Sisters on the Planet United Against Climate Change http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/07/sisters-on-the-planet-united-against-climate-change/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/07/sisters-on-the-planet-united-against-climate-change/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:46:44 +0000 Susanna Schick http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/07/sisters-on-the-planet-united-against-climate-change/ Coastal Women for Change\'s Sharon Hanshaw

A Woman’s Work…

The Governor’s Global Climate Summit ended with Oxfam America’s inaugural Sisters on the Planet Climate Leader Awards. Thanks to Karen Solomon at Opportunity Green, I was able to attend. The event showcased the work that women all over the world are doing to adapt to climate change. Sisters on the Planet is committed to exposing how livelihoods of the majority of the planet’s women are the most severely impacted by climate change. To quote the brochure:

“But if you remember one thing about Sisters on the Planet, make it this: Climate change is already having a disproportionate impact on poor people in the US and abroad, and it’s hitting women hardest.”

Oxfam is working with women all over the world to develop low-cost adaptation techniques relevant to the regions they’re in. Adapting to global warming requires a range of tactics, from helping families in flood-prone regions elevate their homes, build floating vegetable gardens, and store seeds and other necessities safely to helping farmers in drought-prone areas plant trees, drill wells and improve their irrigation techniques. Oxfam’s publication, Adaptation 101, shows the overall cost of some of these projects, and at what level they need to be carried out- in the community or nationally.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/07/sisters-on-the-planet-united-against-climate-change/feed/ Zap! U.S. EPA Uses Solar Power to Fight Indoor Air Pollution http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/14/zap-us-epa-uses-solar-power-to-fight-indoor-air-pollution/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/14/zap-us-epa-uses-solar-power-to-fight-indoor-air-pollution/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:40:35 +0000 Tina Casey http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/14/zap-us-epa-uses-solar-power-to-fight-indoor-air-pollution/ Small solar panels provide enough electricity to power an exhaust system that almost eliminated TCE fumes in contaminated homes.The U.S. EPA has found that a simple, inexpensive rooftop solar panel can provide enough power to run a fan and remove toxic fumes from homes sitting on contaminated ground.  The EPA gave solar-powered venting a test run on several homes earlier this year, in a Superfund action aimed at tricholoroethene (TCE) vapors in a Grand Prairie, Texas neighborhood.  The pollution had been traced to a site occupied by the now-bankrupt Delfasco Forge company.

Compared to conventional remediation that involves weeks, months or even years of work along with a potentially huge carbon footprint for transporting or capping soil, the solar-powered exhaust systems took mere hours to install and resulted in an immediate 95% reduction in TCE vapors within the homes.  The EPA plans to extend the program this fall to other homes affected by the Delfasco site.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/14/zap-us-epa-uses-solar-power-to-fight-indoor-air-pollution/feed/ Reversible Acid Gas Technology Captures Sulfur Dioxide from Power Plants http://cleantechnica.com/2009/08/27/reversible-acid-gas-technology-captures-sulfur-dioxide-from-power-plants/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/08/27/reversible-acid-gas-technology-captures-sulfur-dioxide-from-power-plants/#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:00:24 +0000 Tina Casey http://cleantechnica.com/2009/08/27/reversible-acid-gas-technology-captures-sulfur-dioxide-from-power-plants/ Global shipping, including coal shipping, is a significant source of sulfur emissions and other pollutants.More sulfur dioxide and other acid gasses could be scrubbed from power plant emissions with a new technology developed by the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The new method, Reversible Acid Gas Capture, is a sustainable twofer: it doubles the amount of pollutants currently captured by the leading water-based scrubber, and it is far more energy-efficient. David Heldebrant, the scientist who headed the PNNL research team, points out that the technology easily lends itself to a retrofit for existing power plants.  That’s good news for reducing pollution from coal-fired power plants, but it would be a mistake to call it a win for “clean coal.”

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/08/27/reversible-acid-gas-technology-captures-sulfur-dioxide-from-power-plants/feed/ Nearly 4,000 Airlines Must Reduce Emissions or Are Banned in the EU http://cleantechnica.com/2009/08/24/nearly-4000-airlines-must-reduce-emissions-or-are-banned-in-the-eu/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/08/24/nearly-4000-airlines-must-reduce-emissions-or-are-banned-in-the-eu/#comments Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:51:45 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/08/24/nearly-4000-airlines-must-reduce-emissions-or-are-banned-in-the-eu/

The European Union (EU) released a 94-page list of airlines that must reduce their emissions or will be banned from European airports two days ago. These are airlines of various sorts from all around the world. Some top players include United Airlines, US Airways, and the US Navy.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/08/24/nearly-4000-airlines-must-reduce-emissions-or-are-banned-in-the-eu/feed/ Small, Immediate Gains More Tempting than Large, Long Term Gains Regarding Environment http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/small-immediate-gains-more-tempting-than-large-long-term-gains-regarding-environment/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/small-immediate-gains-more-tempting-than-large-long-term-gains-regarding-environment/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:53:23 +0000 Ruedigar Matthes http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/small-immediate-gains-more-tempting-than-large-long-term-gains-regarding-environment/

We’ve all done the elementary school math story problem: Would you rather have $10,000 right now, or a penny doubled every day for a month? Well, in the end, those of us who were greedy enough to take the $10,000 right up front ended up poorer than those who took the penny.

This problem seems silly to us though. Now what about this one. Would you rather take $1,000 right now or $4,000 three years from now? Chances are, you chose the immediate cash. Psychologists use the term ”delay discounting” to describe our inability to resist the temptation of a smaller immediate reward in lieu of receiving a larger reward later. Most people choose the smaller, more immediate reward over the larger “patience is a virtue” reward.

And no matter what the context, discounting stems from three factors: a bias for the present; uncertainty; and projected resources. We are a people who thrive on instant gratification; that’s one reason we love TV so much. It is also a contributing factor to the current economic crisis (and debt in general).

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/small-immediate-gains-more-tempting-than-large-long-term-gains-regarding-environment/feed/ SCORE: A Cookstove That Generates Electricity http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/24/score-a-cookstove-that-generates-electricity/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/24/score-a-cookstove-that-generates-electricity/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:21:02 +0000 Ariel Schwartz http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/24/score-a-cookstove-that-generates-electricity/

Those of us who don’t live in developing countries might not always remember that the majority of the world still uses biomass-fired cookstoves that produce smoke and other toxins. It’s a serious problem–indoor air pollution kills 1.6 million people yearly. Enter the SCORE (Stove for Cooking, Refrigeration, and Electricity), a $33 cookstove developed by researchers at the University of Nottingham that doubles as an electrical generator.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/24/score-a-cookstove-that-generates-electricity/feed/ EPA to Reconsider Monitoring Requirements for Airborne Lead http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/epa-to-reconsider-monitoring-requirements-for-airborne-lead/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/epa-to-reconsider-monitoring-requirements-for-airborne-lead/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:58:18 +0000 Ruedigar Matthes http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/epa-to-reconsider-monitoring-requirements-for-airborne-lead/

Lead is a metal found in the earth’s crust. However, due to human activity such as mining, burning fossil fuels and manufacturing, it has become more widespread. Lead is also toxic. Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body over time. At very high levels lead can be fatal; but even in small amounts it can cause serious health problems, particularly in children under the age of 6 who can develop mental and physical impairments.

Lead emitted into the air can be inhaled or can be ingested after it settles out of the air. Lead particles that settle in soil can last for years, which continues to be a major problem, particularly around highways and urban settings. Because they are more likely to ingest lead and their bodies are developing rapidly, children are most susceptible to lead exposure. There is no known safe level of lead in the body.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/22/epa-to-reconsider-monitoring-requirements-for-airborne-lead/feed/ Tiny Molecular Bowls Pull Carbon Dioxide Out of the Air http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/16/tiny-molecular-bowls-pull-carbon-dioxide-out-of-the-air/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/16/tiny-molecular-bowls-pull-carbon-dioxide-out-of-the-air/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:37:57 +0000 Bryan Nelson http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/16/tiny-molecular-bowls-pull-carbon-dioxide-out-of-the-air/ Coal-fired Plant

The discovery of a tiny bowl-shaped molecule which collects carbon dioxide right out of the air has beckoned some creative solutions to global warming.

By genetically engineering microbes to manufacture the handy molecule, scientists hope to make it useful as an industrial absorbent for CO2 capture. That could help clean up smokestacks from dirty coal-fired power plants, but it’s also possible that the molecules could be used for pulling carbon dioxide right out of the ambient air.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/16/tiny-molecular-bowls-pull-carbon-dioxide-out-of-the-air/feed/ Stretchable Salt Could Unlock Secrets of Smog http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/05/stretchable-salt-could-unlock-secrets-of-smog/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/05/stretchable-salt-could-unlock-secrets-of-smog/#comments Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:42:20 +0000 Tina Casey http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/05/stretchable-salt-could-unlock-secrets-of-smog/ A tiny block of salt exhibits stretchable properties observed with an interfacial force microscope.

It’s “not supposed to do that,” but it is: salt has revealed a previously undiscovered talent for stretching.  The startling revelation was made by researchers from Sandia National Laboratories and the University of Pittsburgh, using a powerful Interfacial Force Microscope.  The discovery of stretchable properties in salt could lead to the development of more efficient desalination technology, and it could also provide more insight into the potential for alternative fuels to contribute to smog formation.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/05/stretchable-salt-could-unlock-secrets-of-smog/feed/ The Sky May Be Falling, But We Can Fix It http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/08/the-sky-may-be-falling-but-we-can-fix-it/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/08/the-sky-may-be-falling-but-we-can-fix-it/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:29:09 +0000 Jeff Kart http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/08/the-sky-may-be-falling-but-we-can-fix-it/

When it comes to environmental news, doom and gloom often rules the day. And it’s easy to get discouraged. But scientists from Yale University say most polluted ecosystems can recover in as little as 5 or 10 years.

The study means it’s not too late to turn things around if societies commit to cleanup, restoration and sustainability, according to Yale’s analysis of 240 independent studies. The findings appear in this month’s issue of the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/08/the-sky-may-be-falling-but-we-can-fix-it/feed/ Household Energy Use to Triple by 2030, Due to Power-Hungry Electronics http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/19/how-the-ipod-killed-the-refrigerator/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/19/how-the-ipod-killed-the-refrigerator/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 17:04:17 +0000 Jeff Kart http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/19/how-the-ipod-killed-the-refrigerator/ myuibe, via flickr.Experts call energy efficiency the low-hanging fruit, because it’s cheaper to cut power use than create new energy from fossil fuels like coal.

But our creature comforts — like iPods, cell phones, PCs and plasma TVs — are sucking the life out of advances in energy efficiency around the world, the International Energy Agency says.

In other words, too much fruit is rotting on the vine.

The IEA says in a new “Gigawatts and Gadgets” report that electricity consumption from power-hungry electronics could cause household energy use to triple by 2030. That means increased greenhouse gases from electric generation, and increased electric bills for creating that power.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/19/how-the-ipod-killed-the-refrigerator/feed/ Breathing Easier: Beijing Extends Car Restrictions for Another Year http://sustainablog.org/2009/04/06/breathing-easier-beijing-extends-car-restrictions-for-another-year/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/04/06/breathing-easier-beijing-extends-car-restrictions-for-another-year/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:26:21 +0000 Elizabeth Balkan http://sustainablog.org/2009/04/06/breathing-easier-beijing-extends-car-restrictions-for-another-year/ Beijing authorities have announced that driving restrictions will be extended another year, as part of the city’s overall strategy to reduce airborne pollution and traffic congestion, according to reports from China’s state-run media. The plan hopes to take 930,000, or roughly 20%, of Beijing’s over 3.6 million vehicles off the road each weekday.

Starting Monday, April 13, cars will be banned from metro roads one day per working week, depending on the last digit of their license plate. There will be no restriction on weekend driving.

This measure represents the most strict action taken since lifting a ban that was put in place one month prior to and during the Olympics, wherein vehicles were prohibited from driving in Beijing every other day, as officials scrambled to achieve decent air quality and clear roadways for the competing athletes and attendees.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/04/06/breathing-easier-beijing-extends-car-restrictions-for-another-year/feed/ DIY: How To Grow Your Own Fresh Air http://cleantechnica.com/2009/03/26/diy-how-to-grow-your-own-fresh-air/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/03/26/diy-how-to-grow-your-own-fresh-air/#comments Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:09:16 +0000 Jerry James Stone http://cleantechnica.com/2009/03/26/diy-how-to-grow-your-own-fresh-air/

According to GreenSpaces, these three plants not only lead to fresher indoor air…but also an increase in productivity!

GreenSpaces has tested these plants for the past 15 years in a 20 year old, 50,000 ft2 building with over 300 occupants, and 1,200 plants! A study published on September 8, 2008 found that there is a 42% probability of increasing blood oxygen by 1% if one is inside the building for 10 hours. In fact, the building is rated the healthiest building in Delhi by the Government of India.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/03/26/diy-how-to-grow-your-own-fresh-air/feed/ News from the Microsoft Futurists: A Cool Montage and Video of Visions of Clean Technology in 2019 http://cleantechnica.com/2009/03/01/news-from-the-microsoft-futurists-a-cool-montage-and-video-of-visions-of-clean-technology-in-2019/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/03/01/news-from-the-microsoft-futurists-a-cool-montage-and-video-of-visions-of-clean-technology-in-2019/#comments Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:33:01 +0000 Lucille Chi http://cleantechnica.com/2009/03/01/news-from-the-microsoft-futurists-a-cool-montage-and-video-of-visions-of-clean-technology-in-2019/ Microsoft presents it’s vision of the year 2019, and I’m so pleased to see some thinking on the green tech side, as I’ve tried to capture in the screen-stills below. Ten years is not too far out, and some of these ideas are fun. For example:

* Connected classrooms where learners share a lesson in natural systems
* Smart home energy monitoring
* Better ecological awareness (through cataloging and intuitive access)
* Urban green roofs

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/03/01/news-from-the-microsoft-futurists-a-cool-montage-and-video-of-visions-of-clean-technology-in-2019/feed/ Dairy - The Udder Truth http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/02/11/dairy-the-udder-truth/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/02/11/dairy-the-udder-truth/#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:01:20 +0000 Amy Bell http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/02/11/dairy-the-udder-truth/ Gooey melted cheese on pizza, a glass of cold milk with freshly baked cookies, ice cream on a hot summer day… who hasn’t at one time or another enjoyed something made from milk?

Dairy products are part of most American diets on a daily basis, but what is the health and environmental impact of this high demand for milk?

The production of much of the milk in this country is done in large scale-operations, some having thousands of cows.

That’s a lot of manure to be dealt with, this reduces the air quality (especially for people living near the dairy operation), and consistently finds its way into our rivers, streams, and groundwater.

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/02/11/dairy-the-udder-truth/feed/ Embrace Eco-friendly Child Care http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/05/embrace-eco-friendly-child-care/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/05/embrace-eco-friendly-child-care/#comments Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:46:12 +0000 Low Impact Living http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/05/embrace-eco-friendly-child-care/ eco-friendly daycareYou care about the environment and also your family’s health. So it’s time to embrace eco-friendly child care!

Many daycare and child-care centers around the U.S. are embracing eco-friendly ways, and it’s not a day too soon. That’s why we’re building a huge directory of eco-friendly child care centers around the country. We have over 120 listed so far and we’re adding more every day. Check them out! And if you know of one you’d like to add, please send us an email to feedback@lowimpactliving.com.

The State of Oregon’s Environmental Council has taken a pioneering role in certifying child-care centers with their Eco-Healthy Child Care program.  Child care facilities qualify as “Eco-Healthy” by completing a 25-element checklist that highlights 25 steps facilities can take to ensure a safe place for children. Eco-healthy child care centers commit to reducing a child’s exposure to toxins and other environmental health hazards.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/05/embrace-eco-friendly-child-care/feed/ Funding for Virginia’s Air Inspector Force Evaporates http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/27/funding-for-virginias-air-inspector-force-evaporates/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/27/funding-for-virginias-air-inspector-force-evaporates/#comments Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:25:20 +0000 Scott James http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/27/funding-for-virginias-air-inspector-force-evaporates/

Virginia will cut its air pollution inspectors by more than 20% due to a budget shortfall. The Department of  Environmental Quality reported that 14 of the 54 inspector positions had been eliminated as part of Governor Timothy Kaine’s proposed $12 million in cuts to the state secretary of natural resources.

“If [polluters] are out of compliance, we may or may not find it as quickly or easily as we once did,” said State Secretary of Natural Resources L. Preston Bryant Jr.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/27/funding-for-virginias-air-inspector-force-evaporates/feed/ Life Expectancy Increased Only 0.5% With US Air Cleanup in 80s & 90s. http://ecoscraps.com/2009/01/26/life-expectancy-increased-only-05-with-us-air-cleanup-in-80s-90s/ http://ecoscraps.com/2009/01/26/life-expectancy-increased-only-05-with-us-air-cleanup-in-80s-90s/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:59:29 +0000 Dave Harcourt http://ecoscraps.com/2009/01/26/life-expectancy-increased-only-05-with-us-air-cleanup-in-80s-90s/ A study of the change in life expectancy in the USA in concludes that the change in air cleanliness has increased life expectancy by 21 weeks or significantly less than half a year. The question is, with today’s life expectancy of 78 years, what kind of return on investment is this over and above than the sheer beauty of clean air!

Clean Air

The study lead by Arden Pope, an epidemiologist at Brigham Young University in Utah, found that life expectancy had increased by 2.72 years between 1980 and 2000. Fifteen percent of this increase could be attributed to air quality, giving the reported 21 weeks. The reduction in smoking and general increase in socioeconomic conditions were the two most significant factors improving life expectancy.

Photo credit: Augapfel on Flickr under a Creative Commons license.

]]> http://ecoscraps.com/2009/01/26/life-expectancy-increased-only-05-with-us-air-cleanup-in-80s-90s/feed/ New York City Rolls Out Comprehensive Air Quality Monitoring Program http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/08/new-york-city-rolls-out-comprehensive-air-quality-monitoring-program/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/08/new-york-city-rolls-out-comprehensive-air-quality-monitoring-program/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:24:35 +0000 Levi Novey http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/08/new-york-city-rolls-out-comprehensive-air-quality-monitoring-program/

Thanks to a new program, New Yorkers will now have yet another way to compare the relative prestige of where they live within the city: air quality. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently initiated what will be the city’s most comprehensive air quality monitoring effort to date.

Rather than monitor air quality from the tops of buildings as the state’s Department of Environmental Quality has done for some time at 25 locations, the new “NYC Community Air Survey” program has placed 150 monitoring units at street level.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/08/new-york-city-rolls-out-comprehensive-air-quality-monitoring-program/feed/ St. Louis Ranks Among Most Polluted Cities in America http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/24/st-louis-ranks-among-most-polluted-cities-in-america/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/24/st-louis-ranks-among-most-polluted-cities-in-america/#comments Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:21:59 +0000 Adam Williams http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/24/st-louis-ranks-among-most-polluted-cities-in-america/ St. Louis, Mo., rates as one of the dirtiest cities — in the bottom 10 percent — in the United States “in terms of air releases of recognized carcinogens,” according to scorecard.org.

It pains me to have to put more horrifying news about St. Louis out to the world. If anyone not from St. Louis, my home city, thinks anything of this historic, blues-music thrumming, Gateway Arch-boasting, Stan Musial-loving, Mississippi River-guarding city, it’s likely about the city’s position in the annual “most dangerous city” rankings.

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