Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Health and the Environment , The Media and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
Ever wonder why some buildings in New York have a plume of black smoke coming out of their smokestacks? That soot comes from #2 heating oil, a close cousin of diesel fuel. It's similar to the diesel fuel in New York's...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in The Media and the Environment
Today, EPA named Judith Enck as Regional Administrator for Region 2, which covers New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Like many of us at NRDC, I've known Judith for almost twenty years. Judith is the rare...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment , The Media and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
I just received a copy of EPA's Report to Congress on its Diesel Emissions Reduction Program, and it's encouraging news. With nearly $50 million in EPA's FY 2008 budget for this program, EPA made 119 grants nationwide that enabled more...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Environmental Justice , Green Enterprise , Health and the Environment , Living Sustainably , The Media and the Environment
Yesterday, NYC Mayor Michael P. Bloomberg and Newark Mayor Cory Booker teamed up with Teamsters President James P. Hoffa to endorse federal legislation that would enable ports around the nation to adopt local green-growth programs to reduce air pollution and...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment , The Media and the Environment
Every day, more than 7,000 large and small school buses take thousands of students to and from school. Unfortunately, their free trip to school usually includes a heavy dose of diesel soot pollution-pollution that has been shown to trigger asthma...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment , The Media and the Environment
I'm testifying at EPA's hearing today on its proposed regulation to reduce emissions from the largest, dirtiest diesels in our midst-the huge diesel engines (regulated as "Category 3" engines because of their size) that power the ocean-going vessels (OGVs) at...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Environmental Justice , Green Enterprise , Health and the Environment , Living Sustainably , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy
After a four-month hiatus, my monthly column at the Gotham Gazette is back up and running. If you don't know the Gotham Gazette, it's a great place to read about NYC's political and policy debates, with columns on just about...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , The Media and the Environment
This morning, while I was reading latest from the auto world (no, not just the possible merger of GM and Chrylser), I learned that several of the icons of the full-size SUV world, the Dodge Durango, the Chevrolet Tahoe, and...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Health and the Environment , Reviving the World's Oceans , The Media and the Environment
Good news on the Dump Dirty Diesels Campaign front today... Yesterday, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted new fuel and emissions standards for large diesel-fueled, ocean-going ships. When fully implemented, this will help reduce pollution by 80 percent or more...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Health and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
An important, new study just came out that addresses the effect of urban planning and road development on the health risk of students attending schools near major roadways. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati looked at the proximity of public...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy
Sorry that I’ve been out of the Switchboard loop for awhile. While I was away, my friends at USPIRG held a “21st Century Transportation” video contest and you can watch the winner here. (Kudos to Streetsblog for highlighting this today,...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Health and the Environment , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , The Media and the Environment
With all of the stories being written about the increase in gasoline prices lately, it’s only a matter of time before reporters and producers start writing and taping stories about the increase in diesel prices and what that means for...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Health and the Environment
Over the weekend, I read, with great interest, Andy Revkin’s recent dotearth blog post about the Copenhagen Consensus. The Copenhagen Consensus is shorthand for a research effort by a group of 8 leading economists, including 5 Nobel Laureates, which attempted...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Health and the Environment , Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , The Media and the Environment
Just a short note today…my monthly Gotham Gazette column has my latest thoughts on biking in New York City during this great National Bike Month. A quick preview: 4 reasons why this is a good time to write about bicycling to...continued→
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Health and the Environment , Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , The Media and the Environment
Happy Bike to Work Day!Sorry that I haven’t kept up with this series. I thought I’d have time to write about biking in the City every few days during this “bike month,” but work has gotten in the way. And the...continued→
