Air Quality

Transportation's effects on public health are rarely discussed by policy-makers, but they remain very real -- and the National Research Council (NRC) put a number on them today, reporting that cars and trucks have about $56 billion in "hidden" health costs that are not reflected in the price of oil or electricity.

PG&E workers installing an LED streetlight. Photo: PG&E

On Monday, reader M asked for some advice while traveling outside. While some readers stepped up with some good advice, I asked some of our local bike safety experts for their advice.

A new survey released yesterday by the Public Policy Institute of California has been getting a lot of play in the press because of the strong support Californians are showing for Greenhouse Gas reduction programs, even in the midst of the current recession and budget crisis.

The Washington Post's Ezra Klein, whose blog is a must-read look at the political dynamics of congressional policy-making, makes an eyebrow-raising assertion in his food column today:

Did you know that the city of Burbank will pay you to bike to work? Have you heard about community college students flocking to low-cost transit with their new institutional TAP program? What about California's parking cash-out law?

An angry State Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-LB) vowed yesterday to continue fighting for clean air, but won't be re-introducing legislation next year that would place a container fee on all freight using the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland to raise funds for clean air initiatives.  In a statement released to the press, Lowenthal blamed a Governor more interested in doing the bidding of multi-national corporations and Republican Vice-Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin than in protecting thousands of Californian families from dangerous air pollutants.