Archive for May 22nd, 2012

Credit: DonkeyHotey

One of the most puzzling aspects of the global warming controversy is the divergent responses to the simple question: Have global temperatures been rising in recent years?

Sounds simple enough, yet I keep hearing two very different answers. One side says yes, temperatures have continued to rise; the other side says no, temperatures have not risen for about the past decade. Read the rest of this entry »

Smog is an ever-present urban problem hanging over many large cities today, primarily the result of car and truck emissions combining with industrial fumes. These emissions react in the atmosphere with sunlight, taking on a life of their own and often referred to as “photochemical smog.”

In the United States, nine of the top 10 smog capitals are in California, with the Riverside-San Bernardino, Visalia-Tulare-Porteville and Los Angeles-Long Beach areas making up the top three. The lone top 10 U.S. smog capital outside of California is Houston, Texas. More than 1 million people die each year because of elevated levels of outdoor air pollution, and many more become ill, according to the World Health Organization. The American Lung Association recently reported that about 127 million Americans – more than 40 percent of the U.S. population — still live in areas that have been graded with an “F” in air quality.

To help address the issue, the commercial sustainability industry has brought to market a number of solutions ostensibly designed to combat urban smog with technology. Read the rest of this entry »