I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, with my husband and three kids. When we’re not busy chasing kiddos around or working, i enjoy reading up on real news and relaxing with fake news from the Daily Show & Colbert Report. Laughs with family, a healthy environment, strong coffee and adventures in snorkeling or snowboarding make my world go round.
Posted March 28, 2013 by Diane Bailey in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment
Earlier this month, Maersk Shipping Lines, the largest container shipper in the world announced major cuts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions planned for its fleet of container ships. The Danish company had already proven itself as a green leader by...continued→
Posted February 13, 2013 by Diane Bailey in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
Another report released this week from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) confirms extreme corrosion as the cause of the fire at Chevron’s Richmond refinery last August. The report supports CalOSHA’s recent citation released last month for...continued→
Posted February 11, 2013 by Diane Bailey in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
Sometimes old habits die hard. In the case of California’s freight transportation system, we’ve clung to ancient technology and outmoded methods of moving cargo for far too long. But then again, so has the rest of the nation. Why are...continued→
Posted February 7, 2013 by Diane Bailey in Curbing Pollution
It’s a sad thing when a green tech company goes under, especially a company like Cleaire that kept its manufacturing domestic and provided high quality pollution controls for diesel engines. According to a letter from the Air Resources Board to...continued→
Posted January 30, 2013 by Diane Bailey in Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
The fifteen thousand people who streamed into Bay-Area hospitals knew there was something terribly wrong with Chevron’s Richmond refinery when it caught on fire on August 6th, 2012. What they did not now is that, according to a CalOSHA investigation...continued→
Posted December 5, 2012 by Diane Bailey in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment
Two new studies have been released this week underscoring the critical role that particulate pollution plays in our nation’s health status from quality of life to longevity. The first is a correlation of changes in fine particulate (“PM2.5”) levels related...continued→
Posted November 28, 2012 by Diane Bailey in Health and the Environment
A new study says: Yes, air pollution may be a factor contributing to autism. Researchers at the University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles looked at 500 children in California, half of whom had autism, finding that pollution...continued→
Posted October 17, 2012 by Diane Bailey in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment
Last week EPA awarded $30 million in funding to diesel clean-up projects across the nation through the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA). The program has invested in more than 500 diesel clean-up projects since it began in 2008, reducing hundreds...continued→
Posted September 28, 2012 by Diane Bailey in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment
Eight percent of childhood asthma cases are a result of living close (within 250 feet) to major roadways, concluded a new report out this week. Of the many studies associating traffic pollution with asthma, this one evaluating 27,000 asthmatic children...continued→
Posted September 27, 2012 by Diane Bailey in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment, Solving Global Warming
What if the stroke of a pen could direct more resources to disadvantaged communities? What if we could double health benefits from measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions? And what if we could move the biggest toxic polluters to the...continued→
Posted September 7, 2012 by Diane Bailey in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
Last week marked an important milestone in California’s effort to reduce diesel truck pollution. The State Treasurer announced that $100 million in funds has been given so far to small businesses for loans or lease-to-own arrangements so that they can...continued→
Posted August 23, 2012 by Diane Bailey in Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
It’s hard to believe that for all the technology in the Bay Area, there are no real-time air monitors near the Chevron Richmond refinery, the largest refinery in the state. This was particularly troublesome on August 6th when thousands of...continued→
Posted August 16, 2012 by Diane Bailey in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
Diesel truck idling persists at the Port of Oakland posing a health hazard to workers and the surrounding community. With California’s strict idling limits long in place and a positive recent enforcement report from the state Air Resources Board, you...continued→
Posted June 12, 2012 by Diane Bailey in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization, released its finding today that diesel engine exhaust will now be classified as “carcinogenic to humans (Group 1)”. This recognition, coming from the world’s foremost...continued→
Posted March 9, 2012 by Diane Bailey in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment
News yesterday that a Collins amendment to the Transportation Bill failed a Senate vote should come as a relief to anyone concerned about babies’ health, as well as public health in general. That’s because the amendment would have greatly delayed...continued→
Switchboard is the staff blog of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the nation’s most effective environmental group. For more about our work, including in-depth policy documents, action alerts and ways you can contribute, visit NRDC.org.
