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Cars, Trucks and Climate Change

February 24, 2010

Posted by David Pettit in Curbing Pollution

Tags:
CARB, carbon, climatechange, fuel

A recent study led by climatologist Nadine Unger of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies has concluded that motor vehicles, as a sector in the economy, are “the greatest contributor to atmospheric warming now and in the near term.”  The...continued

Industry Tries to Derail Progress in California, Again

February 4, 2010

Posted by David Pettit in Curbing Pollution

Tags:
california, climatechange, fuel

In a familiar attack on California’s plans to fight climate change, a coalition of industry groups has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Fresno, California challenging California’s low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS).  The low carbon fuel standard is designed to...continued

EPA Ozone Rule Reconsidered: Science, Not Politics This Time.

February 3, 2010

Posted by David Pettit in Curbing Pollution

Tags:
airpollution, airquality, EPA, ozonestandard

In August 2007, I testified at an EPA hearing in Los Angeles on EPA’s proposal to set a new national limit for ozone, which we here in L.A. think of as smog.  My testimony, the testimony of nearly all the...continued

Gov. Schwarzenegger At Copenhagen

December 16, 2009

Posted by David Pettit in Solving Global Warming

Tags:
california, climatechange, coal, portcommerce, portpollution

Yesterday, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger gave a speech to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.  In it, he said that “the world's governments alone cannot make the progress that is needed on global climate change.  They need the...continued

Dr. Geraldine Knatz, Port of LA, on the LA Clean Trucks Plan

November 23, 2009

Posted by David Pettit in Curbing Pollution

Tags:
americantruckingassociation, cleantrucks, cleantrucksplan, portoflosangeles

Just a quick note encouraging people to take a look at Dr. Knatz' Op-Ed on the Clean Trucks Program in the November 19, 2009 Long Beach Press-Telegram.  You can find it at:  http://www.presstelegram.com/opinions/ci_13827753. ...continued

Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Mario Cordero Speaks About The ATA Settlement

November 17, 2009

Posted by David Pettit in Curbing Pollution , Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment

Tags:
americantruckingassociation, portoflongbeach, portpollution, trucking

Last night, there was a hearing at the Port of Long Beach about the Port's decision to settle the American Trucking Association case on terms that I think are so weak that they are a setback to clean air and...continued

Problems With Port Of Long Beach Settlement With ATA

November 9, 2009

Posted by David Pettit in Curbing Pollution

Tags:
americantruckingassociation, ATA, cleantrucks, portcommerce, portoflongbeach, portoflosangeles, trucks

My blog posts of October 19 and 28 about the Port of Long Beach's settlement of the trucking industry's lawsuit against it generated two canned responses and a number of real ones.  I also received a "Dear David" letter from...continued

A Breach Of Trust

October 28, 2009

Posted by David Pettit in Curbing Pollution

Tags:
americantruckingassociation, ATA, portcommerce, portoflongbeach, trucking, trucks

To follow up my blog post of October 19, 2009, here is the text of a letter that was sent today by the following organizations to the Port of Long Beach:  California School Employees Association, Long Beach Chapter; Coalition for Clean...continued

On The Beach

October 27, 2009

Posted by David Pettit in Solving Global Warming

Tags:
carbon, climatechange

Last weekend, as part of a worldwide effort to raise environmental consciousness, Jessica Lass, Noah Garrison and I joined 100 or so others to pick up trash along a stretch of Santa Monica Beach.  Collectively, we picked up 40 pounds...continued

Run, Run Away

October 19, 2009

Posted by David Pettit in Curbing Pollution

Tags:
americantruckingassociation, portoflongbeach, portoflosangeles, portofnewark, portpollution, trucks

Today the Port of Long Beach violated the public trust and sold out the citizens of Long Beach by approving a worthless settlement agreement with the American Trucking Association ("ATA") in ATA's lawsuit against the Los Angeles ports' clean trucks...continued

A Tale Of Two Parties

September 29, 2009

Posted by David Pettit in Environmental Justice

Tags:
environmentaljustice, environmentallawyer, vernon

At Resurrection Church in Boyle Heights, California, a party was thrown recently to celebrate the City of Vernon's withdrawal of a proposal to build a huge powerplant upwind from Boyle Heights and the surrounding, largely Latino communities.  NRDC opposed this...continued

East Yards Communities For Environmental Justice

September 24, 2009

Posted by David Pettit in Environmental Justice

Tags:
dieseltrucks, environmentaljustice, losangeles, losangelesport

This is just a quick note to ask you take a look at a story in today's LA Times about the organization East Yards Communities for Environmental Justice and its director, Angelo Logan.  Angelo and East Yards are leaders in...continued

A Stadium Full Of Excuses

September 9, 2009

Posted by David Pettit in Curbing Pollution

Tags:
california, CEQA, losangeles

The Los Angeles Rams used to play in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a stadium that was built in 1923, used in the 1932 Olympics and used again in the 1984 Olympics.  I used to go see them play when...continued

From Russia With Electric Rail

August 21, 2009

Posted by David Pettit in Moving Beyond Oil

Tags:
electricrail, pollution, transportation

I was reading an article in the New Yorker by Ian Frazier about the Trans-Siberian railroad, the world's longest, when I ran across his statement that the rail line ran under electric power for both passengers and freight.  This was...continued

Not Good For You

August 18, 2009

Posted by David Pettit in Curbing Pollution

Tags:
airpollution, airquality, diesel

Southern California, a semi-arid region in the best of times, is getting drier.  Our wildfire season used to be September and October; now it's year-round.  Another life-threatening year-round problem in California is air pollution. Two recent studies yet again confirm...continued

David Pettit
David Pettit
Director, Southern California Air Program
Santa Monica, CA
I grew up in the L.A. area and am a die-hard Dodgers and UCLA Bruins...
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