Charlotte Metro Air Pollution and Environment

[dubone]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/spo...ts/13266736.htm

I'm really glad that the Dale Earnhardt foundation chose to plant 7 million trees. I think that is a really cool legacy. The idea of getting kids to map out where to plant trees on their school grounds is an awesome way to get the kids interested in the environment and the effects of tree cover for quality of life and the environment.

CMS has a way of clearcutting their lots, popping up a cinderblock school that looks like a big box store, and planting grass seed that never grows. Having the kids plant trees is a great way to improve school campuses as part of a learning tool.

This project is also a really interesting way to build environmental awareness among a demographic that is probably most oblivious to it, the auto racing fan base. Think about Bruton Smith clear cutting trees in order to get people to a parking lot. This project is definitely unexpected coming from the racing world. Hopefully, it will give people in that community a pride in the trees that represent southern life.

[monsoon]

^ i dunno about that.....but it is true that there are more churches per capita than anywhere else in the us

That is not true either.

[monsoon]

CMS has a way of clearcutting their lots, popping up a cinderblock school that looks like a big box store, and planting grass seed that never grows. Having the kids plant trees is a great way to improve school campuses as part of a learning tool.

I think one thing that could help in the area a great deal would be for businesses and residences in the CLT area to switch from cool season grasses such as Fescue & Rebel, to a warmer season grass such as Bermuda or Charleston grass that propogates via runners.

The advantage of the warmer season grasses is they need little water, and the annual ritual of reseeding and aeration is eliminated. They are much better for the environment because you don't need all the chemicals to make them look good, they don't produce as much waste during mowing so most people could get away with simple mulching mowers, and they are much more resistant to fungus and other diseases.

Some newer developments in the CLT area are converting to warm season grass. The only downside is the grass will go dormant and turn brown in the winter here which is why it is not more adopted.

[dubone]

That is a good idea. I don't know anything about grass, but that makes sense to me.

A lot of the grass that I see around uptown is already brown. Does that mean they used the warm season grasses you describe?

The grass at the schools that I can think of in CMS are neither brown nor green. The lawns are practically just exposed red clay dirt. It is almost like entering the third world when walking on campus .

[monsoon]

Time to revive this thread again.

It's still only May and we are projected to have a Code Orange air pollution level today. Air will be in the unhealthy range for people who might venture outside. What is especially disappointing is that we had Code Yellow days over the long holiday weekend when presumably, the roads are not crammed with commuters.

Do you think this year will be worse for air pollution than last year?

[dubone]

The pollution in this region is embarrassing. I can't believe we don't even have those fume traps on the gas pump nozzles!

I actually think with the cost of gas, pollution will be a little less bad, but it will still be very bad due to growth in population and vehicle-miles travelled.

[queensguy06]

I just read in the paper today that Charlotte has the highest mercury levels in fish of any U.S. city. Makes you wonder where it's coming from...

[AuLukey]

While driving uptown today to take a few pictures along N. Tryon I noticed how muggy/smoggy the city really is. It has the pollution levels of cities much larger than it.

[dubone]

I just read in the paper today that Charlotte has the highest mercury levels in fish of any U.S. city. Makes you wonder where it's coming from...

It's no mystery. The mercury comes from coal power plant emissions. It is one of the emissions that will need to be curbed as part of NC's very progressive Clean Smokestacks law.

[GamecockEngineer]

In the latest edition of Men's Health Magazine, they ranked the "Cities that Breathe Easy". Needless to say, Charlotte was not one of them, ranking 89/100. Just wondering what ya'll thought. Will the HOV lanes on 77 and the opening of the light rail make a big difference? What else can be done?

89. Charlotte, NC D-

90. Fresno, CA F

91. Atlanta, GA F

92. Grand Rapids, MI F

93. Arlington, TX F

94. Milwaukee, WI F

95. Wilmington, DE F

96. Sacramento, CA F

97. Bakersfield, CA F

98. Pittsburgh, PA F

99. Chicago, IL F

100. Detroit, MI F

Mash here for the article.

[lupitachica]

wow. that's a scary ranking. What can be done to fix this?

[peaceloveunderstanding]

In the latest edition of Men's Health Magazine, they ranked the "Cities that Breathe Easy". Needless to say, Charlotte was not one of them, ranking 89/100. Just wondering what ya'll thought. Will the HOV lanes on 77 and the opening of the light rail make a big difference? What else can be done?

89. Charlotte, NC D-

90. Fresno, CA F

91. Atlanta, GA F

92. Grand Rapids, MI F

93. Arlington, TX F

94. Milwaukee, WI F

95. Wilmington, DE F

96. Sacramento, CA F

97. Bakersfield, CA F

98. Pittsburgh, PA F

99. Chicago, IL F

100. Detroit, MI F

Mash here for the article.

There's more to air quality than Asthma rates, which this ranking is solely base upon.

[GamecockEngineer]

There's more to air quality than Asthma rates, which this ranking is solely base upon.

"Unlike with a trash-choked stream, it can be difficult to eyeball dirty air. If there isn't heavy smog or a horrid smell, the danger is invisible. So we analyzed 100 cities' daily Air Quality Index (AQI) -- a chemical snapshot of ground-level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide -- and looked at how often the EPA rated the AQI "good" or "bad" in '05. Then we evaluated the Texas Transportation Institute's Travel Time Index, a measure of traffic congestion, and by extension, traffic pollution. (Since diesel exhaust is a particularly noxious offender, we also gave credit to cities that had purchased hybrid-electric buses as of July 2005.) Finally, because the best gauge of a city's air quality is the lungs of the people who live there, we tracked asthma rates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System."

I think they looked a little more in depth than that. This certainly wasn't the most scientific study, but they did take into account more than just asthma rates.

[dubone]

Even though the bill to require 10% green energy died last year for being unreachable (ie. they actually had to TRY to be good), it appears that a 5% standard is gaining traction! Apparently, it wouldn't take as much effort, some would even say half the effort, so there is less opposition at the outset from companies like Duke.

This standard would create much more power than the planned coal plants near Charlotte, yet would support growth without contributing to our city's pollution. We are already a top ten city for many different types of pollution, so imaging how much more with new coal plants nearby! Not to mention contributing to strip mining in the mountains, and pollution killing the appalachian trees.

We really need to get at least the 5% standard in place fast! Then hopefully, some efficiencies will be gained, and we can consider a higher standard in the future.

[Neo]

Looks like yesterday was Charlotte's first code purple day since 1999. I wonder if we'll have two of these days this year. Considering the heat we've had and the lack of rain it is anyone's guess.

[DigitalSky]

Looks like yesterday was Charlotte's first code purple day since 1999. I wonder if we'll have two of these days this year. Considering the heat we've had and the lack of rain it is anyone's guess.

[Spartan]

It probably didnt reach code purple levels until late afternoon or early evening, but I heard all the weather people talking about it being at code red levels and to stay indoors last night. I guess they didnt realize how bad it was going to get.

[abttown]

We were under an air quality advisory yesterday, although no one expected it to get quite so bad. I believe they were predicting a code orange. The Charlotte area as well as Greenville (SC), Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and the Raleigh Durham areas are all under Air Quality advisories for a code orange today as well. With this hot and dry pattern we have been stuck in for some time now, don't expect things to get better anytime soon. Stay indoors or hold your breath if your outside

[monsoon]

It should be noted that Duke Energy operates some of the dirtiest coal fired steam plants in the nation in the Charlotte area. They are having a public hearing on replacing the units at Cliffside, just west of Charlotte in Belmont, but they don't want to spend money to put the most effective air pollution scrubbers on the plant.

[DigitalSky]

It should be noted that Duke Energy operates some of the dirtiest coal fired steam plants in the nation in the Charlotte area. They are having a public hearing on replacing the units at Cliffside, just west of Charlotte in Belmont, but they don't want to spend money to put the most effective air pollution scrubbers on the plant.

[Raintree21]

Coincidently, I saw an article about Duke's newest coal plant in western NC where it said they would be using the latest technology in filters for their smoke stacks. Why can't that technology be used at all of their plants?