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...
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 school...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 Month, Switchboard readers!Today starts Bike Month in NYC. So, for the next few weeks, I will be writing about biking issues every few days. How come?First of all, biking is part of how I got involved and interested...
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Green Enterprise , Health and the Environment , Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil , The Media and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
Recently, a good friend asked me about last year’s transition to ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD). fuel. More specifically, he wondered about the price differential between ULSD and the prior low-sulfur diesel fuel (yes, in the jargon of the policy world that...
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Environmental Justice , Green Enterprise , Health and the Environment , Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , The Media and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
By now, of course, anybody who has followed the saga of congestion pricing in New York knows the outcome: on Monday, the New York State Assembly failed to vote on the congestion pricing program, ensuring that it won’t go forward,...
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment , Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil
Mariano Rivera is taking the mound now, trying to do his magic to pull out a win...Crain's, the Washington Post, the NY Daily News, the NY Post are all telling various stories of last-minute negotiations, hallway discussions, and everything else...
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment , Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , The Media and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
On Monday, the New York City Council passed, by a margin of 30-20, the congestion pricing bill, kicking off an intense week of lobbying for its passage in Albany.This was a huge victory for Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council...
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment
In recent comments on the blog, a number of readers have expressed concerns about the cost of delivering goods in the City, as well as other aspects of the congestion pricing proposal being debated in New York this month. Today,...
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment , Living Sustainably , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , The Media and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
Awesome news! Governor David A. Paterson just announced that he’s presenting a program bill to the New York State Legislature to implement congestion pricing in the City. Here’s what Governor Paterson said: “Congestion pricing addresses two urgent concerns of the residents...
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment
One of the biggest canards of the congestion pricing debate in New York is that the program is somehow regressive, i.e., it discriminates against poor people and mostly benefits upper-income people. Throughout the past two weeks of lobbying, I cannot even...
Posted by Rich Kassel in Curbing Pollution , Health and the Environment , U.S. Law and Policy
A day off from congestion pricing (at least in my blogging).Here's why: last month, I wrote a post, “Where’s the rule?” alerting Switchboard readers to our five-year wait for a strong EPA program to reduce pollution from the nation’s dirty...
