NEWS
September 26, 2011 | By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times / For the Booster Shots blog
You've decided to help your health and the environment by riding your bike to work. Good for you! Sorry to have to deliver the bad news: you may be inhaling more soot. The amount might be more than twice as much as urban pedestrians, says a pilot study presented Sunday at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress . The study involved five cyclists who regularly biked to work and five pedestrians from London. They ranged in age from 18 to 40 and were healthy nonsmokers.
NATIONAL
December 14, 2012 | By Neela Banerjee, Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration announced a new air pollution standard Friday that would bring about a 20% reduction in microscopic particles of soot emitted by coal-fired power plants and diesel vehicles that contribute to haze and respiratory ailments. The new limit, fought by industry and welcomed by environmentalists, marks the first time the Environmental Protection Agency tightened the soot standard since it was established 15 years ago. "These standards are fulfilling the promise of the Clean Air Act," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.
OPINION
December 28, 2012
Lisa Jackson, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, did not produce the record some had hoped for, as she was continually held back from her ambitious regulatory plans by business and political opponents. And even her last major action - she announced last week that she is leaving her post - is overdue but still welcome. The EPA is demanding of local governments a 20% reduction in soot emissions. If it is successful in producing those results, the new standards will save thousands of lives and reduce the nation's healthcare costs by billions of dollars.
BUSINESS
June 20, 2010 | By Barry Stone
Question: I painted the inside of my home six months ago, and already it needs to be repainted. Portions of the walls have become visibly darkened. Strangely, this occurs wherever there are framing members behind the drywall. I can see where all the wall studs and ceiling joists are. Not only that, I can see dark spots where all the drywall nails are. What could be causing this, and what can I do about it? Answer: What you are seeing is a phenomenon commonly called "ghosting."
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
October 19, 1992 | DANNY SULLIVAN, TIMES STAFF WRITER
Dear Street Smart: Can you tell me why it is that those of us who drive personal vehicles are required to have our cars "smog-checked," yet day after day, large trucks, semis, etc., can be seen belching huge gobs of black smoke on our freeways, highways and streets? Are they exempt? Mary Regan, Tustin Diesel-powered trucks and buses are not exempt from air pollution regulations, and you should find fewer truck polluters on the road as the state's smog-check program for diesels picks up speed.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 27, 2011 | By Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times
Smog and soot levels have dropped significantly in Southern California over the last decade, but the Los Angeles region still has the highest levels of ozone nationwide, violating federal health standards an average of 137 days a year. The city ranks second in the country, behind Bakersfield, for the highest year-round levels of toxic particles or soot, and fourth in the nation for the number of short-term spikes in soot pollution. The rankings, part of the annual "State of the Air" report by the American Lung Assn., are based on federal and state data, which show that more than 90% of Californians live in counties with unhealthful air. Unlike parts of the East and Midwest, where coal-fired power plants are a primary source of toxic pollution, Southern California's chemical stew is the product of tailpipe emissions from cars and diesel pollution from trucks, trains and ships linked to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.