Chasing Clean Air

City of Porterville, California Gets All-Electric Buses to Mitigate Air Pollution

The City of Porterville is located in California's San Joaquin Valley, which has some of the worst air pollution in the United States. So the benefits of deploying the EV350 all-electric buses are huge and include cleaner air and quieter operation.

If Porterville can do it, your town can provide carbon and pollution-free buses, too.

Two of ten EV350 all-electric transit buses were delivered to the City of Porterville to replace existing CNG (compressed natural gas) powered transit buses. The EV350 was designed and built by California based GreenPower, a manufacturer of all-electric buses. The next three EV350 all-electric transit buses are expected to be delivered in April, with the remaining five by the summer. 

Commenting on the buses delivery, Peter Christensen of the California Air Resources Board, which provided the California Climate Investments grant funding to the City for purchasing the new buses, said:

“We are pleased to see GreenPower meeting these important milestones. The citizens of Porterville will benefit in the near-term from immediate air quality benefits, and in the longer term from the jobs and on-site job training at GreenPower’s Porterville manufacturing facility currently under construction.”


 

IQAir Healthpro Plus Is My Trusted Air Purifier

Swiss-made IQAir Healthpro Plus is my trusted air purifier. Situated in my bedroom, I feel safer breathing at night because living in the city of angels and traffic is, let's face it, dirty. I was recently in need of new air filters, which prompted me to reflect on what costs are worthwhile and which are not. On par with spend more for organic vegetables and wine, does an air purifier really make a difference? I believe over the long-haul, minimizing indoor air pollution does make a difference. For some allergy and asthma sufferers, an air purifier can make an immediate difference. I believe whatever I can control to enhance my environment is wise. 

IQAir Healthpro Plus emits no ozone, no ions, no UV or chemicals. Mold, pollen, and dust are said to be filtered out with an efficient, well-sealed system, making an indoor air room 99.5% clean. The filtration system is effective against ultra-small particles known to cause cardiovascular and lung disease. It offers a relatively quiet hum sound on level 2 fan speed, which is where I keep it.

New studies suggest there is a correlation between, not only increased cardiovascular disease risk with long-term exposure to air pollution, but a potential greater risk for dementia due to magnetite particles in air pollution, which enters the brain via the nose. To read more about that, click here.  

I have reviewed a number of air purifiers, and I stick with the IQAir Healthpro Plus as my personal favorite and the one I consistently use. This air purifier was used by Hong Kong hospitals during the SARS epidemic. I spoke to someone who said his daughter had night asthma but with the IQAir Healthpro Plus next to her bed at night, her asthma was no longer triggered. 

According to the IQAir literature,

"The IQAir HealthPro Series features HyperHEPA filtration technology for superior airborne particle removal. IQAir's HyperHEPA filtration is tested and certified by an independent third-party lab to effectively filter harmful ultrafine pollution particles down to 0.003 microns in size.

This is 100 times smaller than what is achieved with ordinary air filtration technology and 10 times smaller than a virus.

In addition, to ensure that every IQAir HealthPro air purifier is actually delivering superior air quality, each and every system is individually tested at the factory with an electronic particle counter and is certified to filter a minimum of 99.97% of all particles 0.3 microns or larger."

IQAir provided a particle scanner to test my new air purifier, which I keep in the bedroom. On particular smoggy days, my bedroom air tested significantly better than the rest of the apartment and outside air. It gave off no odors like some other manufacturers' air purifiers, and I trust that the IQAir Healthpro helps me breathe easier. It's a keeper!

Until next time, breathe easy and make life an adventure!

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Until next time, breathe easy and make life an adventure. Let's go! Out of Los Angeles and into the world, chasing clean air, beauty, and a sustainable life!

 

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger's PSA to Combat Climate Change and Trump Election

'Less Meat Less Heat' starring Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (WILDAID | 5 To Do Today) from WildAid on Vimeo.

Entertainment industry icons and climate activists Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron and Li Bingbing star in a series of public service announcements to inspire individual climate action against the backdrop of uncertainty in the environmental movement wrought by the election of Donald Trump to the White House.

The president-elect has previously claimed that climate change is a hoax perpetuated by the Chinese, leaving an opening for China to establish itself as the global leader in sustainability and the booming renewables industry.

Electrolux UltraFlex Vacuum Review

Meet my new go-to vacuum!

Electrolux UltraFlex Vacuum after cleaning bedroom carpet and emptying dust cup.

Powerful, versatile and light!

Shopping for a vacuum? I highly recommend the powerful and light Electrolux UltraFlex vacuum, which works well on plush carpets, wood floors, drapes, lightweight fabrics, upholstered furniture, frames, bookshelves, and hard to reach nooks and crannies. Measuring 13 x 11.5 x 20 inches and weighing just under 12 pounds, this versatile vacuum takes up little space and is easy to maneuver. Plus it's equipped with the all-important HEPA filter, which captures 99.5% of all dust, pollen, and other airborne irritants.

I couldn't believe how well the Electrolux UltraFlex vacuum worked, picking up loads more dust - in a convenient bagless system - than my last vacuum. 

In other words, the Electrolux UltraFlex vacuum offered peace of mind for a gal attempting to breathe cleaner air in a congested city: The perfect compliment to my IQ Air HealthPro Plus air purifier. 

Let's examine the powerful UtraFlex vacuum.

 

Lightweight, Versatile, and Easy to Navigate

 

Out of the box, I saw a pretty red machine, which I picked up by its convenient handle - lightweight! While the instructions were easy to grasp, initially I figured basic things out on my own due to its intuitive design. I read about its versatile tools like a crevice tool and dusting brush stored conveniently on the handle to clean crevices and stairs in one quick step, and upholstery and bare floor nozzles to help clean all surfaces. Plus the added convenience of three level height-adjustments.

A nifty 21-foot power cord pulled out of the canister and with the touch of button shot right back in. Pure ease! No more laboriously wrapping a cord around and around like my last vacuum.

A self-cleaning dusting brush that removes tangles from the brush roll with the touch of button sounds incredible for human and animal hair removal.

On versatility, I live in a one-bedroom carpeted apartment, though I'd prefer hardwood floors. So that UltraFlex attachment for wood floors - the bare floor tool - will be much appreciated one day. I'll keep dreaming. I did use the vacuum on my bathroom floor, first turning the brushroll switch to "off". Also, I'm reading about minimalist living where multi-functional home tools are all the rage. 

Back to my carpets.

 

Power in a Vacuum!

 

I'd vacuumed my apartment recently (my old vacuum), so I was shocked when the UltraFlex bagless dust cup, attached to the canister, completely filled with dust on the first go! I maneuvered around furniture easily due to a smooth swivel-turning design. And in tough to reach spots, I removed the power nozzle and used suction in narrow areas, utilizing the different power suction settings. It was as if I'd never vacuumed my rooms before. Yet, I had!

Dust, dust everywhere, spun in the canister as I vacuumed. It was kind of cool to watch, like watching clothes in a dryer, and also frightening because all these years I thought I'd vacuumed well enough and obviously that wasn't  true. While the vacuum behaved beyond amazing, I wondered to what degree I'd unnecessarily breathed unhealthy air in previous years.

I don't have a pet but I read the UltraFlex works wonders with pet hair and dander. So to my friends with pets, consider this wonderful machine.

 

Clean-Up a Breeze

 

When I finished vacuuming, I put on gloves - oh, so much dust in that dust cup! - and with the touch of a button, easily removed the dust cup from the canister. I turned my face away in case loose dust poofed into the air, and dumped a huge dust ball into the garbage bag. Twist-tied the bag to keep that dust away, and returned the pretty red machine to its new spot in my apartment. Voila!

 

Extra Special Features for Cleaner Air

 

As for the benefits and impacts of the HEPA filters, HEPA is an acronym for "high efficiency particulate air.” The Electrolux s-filter® HEPA Washable Filter in the UltraFlex canister provides top cleaning performance with a high-tech design that captures 99.5% of all dust, pollen, and other airborne irritants. It's recommended to replace the HEPA filter in approximately 2 years and wash every 3 months in cold water. Also replace foam dust cup filter every 2 years, and clean every 3 months in cold water. Make sure filters dry for 24 hours before placing back in the canister.

 

Cleaning for those of compromised strength 

 

After residual strength issues from shoulder and wrist injuries, I needed to go light with everything in my life or forego what used to be easy.

Like vacuuming.

Uncle Franklin, Marin County, 2016. He likes breathing clean air in Marin county. He told me my grandma used an Electrolux vacuum too.

When my uncle Franklin asked why I chose the Electrolux UltraFlex model over another model, that was easy: The UltraFlex is lightweight, does multiple jobs in a powerful way, uses minimal extra parts, is easy to maneuver and store, and has a HEPA filter. It works for me and I'm grateful to be able to vacuum without suffering unnecessary pain.

 

About Electrolux, the company you can feel good about

 

Electrolux is a global climate change leader, using renewable energy in their operations. They've set a target to grow their share of renewable energy use to 50% by 2020.  Recently recognized by the nonprofit climate change group, CDP, Henrik Sundström, Head of Sustainability Affairs at Electrolux, said, 

“Improving our climate impact is a core part of Electrolux sustainability framework for the better, and CDP’s assessment is one of the most important external references showing we are at the forefront of the industry.” 

Great job, Electrolux!

To learn more about the UltraFlex vacuum by Electrolux - a dream machine - click here.

Electrolux Appliances provided the UltraFlex vacuum for review.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Save A Forest: Get Involved!

Photo from my 2007 drive to America's protected rain forest - Hoh Forest in Washington State

A tropical rain forest exists - untouched. Trees bath in clouds. Exotic birds and insects dance in a rare paradise.

About to be logged.

Today, I'm shining a spotlight on efforts to save the largest unprotected virgin cloud forest in Central America: Cerro Amay located in Guatemala. To protect the Cerro Amay forest, The Cloud Forest Conservation Initiative is working alongside local indigenous Maya people, who need your help.

The sale of the primeval forest is now up for sale. According to The Cloud Forest Conservation Initiative, in just the last 10 days a five-acre clear cut began. To maintain the beauty, magnificence and ecological importance of this forest, the world must take action. 

The Cloud Forest Conservation Initiative is raising money and awareness to protect the forest now. 

To contribute money click here. To read more about the Cloud Forest Conservation Initiative click here.

I hosted a podcast about saving acres of redwoods in Northern California's Mendocino County, which you can listen to here. I interviewed the man chiefly responsible for raising the money and awareness to successfully save Mendocino's remaining 1000+ year old trees from logging. He worked through The Save the Redwoods League and The Mendocino Land Trust.

In this inspirational episode, learn how the 426-acre Noyo River Redwood property and its endangered species were saved for future generations.

For those who are actively organizing to save the Cerro Amay forest, you might especially want to listen and learn from those who succeeded.

Below is my pitch from previous show with link to podcast.

Canadian Island Offers Americans Refuge If Trump Wins: "If Trump Wins I'm Moving to Canada"

I enjoy clean air on Horny Island, British Columbia, Canada

The winner of Super Tuesday is Canada. Clean air. Beautiful land. Free health care for its citizens. Civilized people who smile and say hello.

Disappointed by Super Tuesday's results - a familiar thought breezed through - a thought that roamed when Bush approached reelection. Get me out of here! Canada, here I come!

So I googled my thought only to learn millions of Americans are thinking the same thing:

I typed in Google: If Trump wins I'm moving to Canada

And Google page one result: Canadian Island Offers Americans Refuge If Trump Wins

The island of Breton located off the Canadian eastern seaboard is offering Americans refuge if Trump wins. It may be a joke but interest is so strong that the tourist bureau is reportedly ready for an influx of Americans, at least tourists to begin the march out of the United States should Trump win. Frankly, I know a lot of folks unhappy with Senator Clinton, too. (Biased judgment funded by Wall Street.) But Trump is beyond words, listen to his own here.

As it turns out, I already plan to be on the island of Breton later this year. As a journalist, not a refugee.