In the Air Tonight...Whoa Oh

Journalistic truism #539: Headlines that reference 1980s pop songs draw in readers. Proof? Well, you're here, aren't you? Just some musings about air pollution in honor of Thanksgiving. And no, I don't really get the connection, either. First, CNN reports that five years worth of negotiations between state and local agencies and airports have failed to result in emissions cutbacks for airports.

2 minute read

November 24, 2004, 10:10 AM PST

By Anonymous


Journalistic truism #539: Headlines that reference 1980s pop songs draw in readers. Proof? Well, you're here, aren't you?



Just some musings about air pollution in honor of Thanksgiving. And no, I don't really get the connection, either.



First, CNN reports that five years worth of negotiations between state and local agencies and airports have failed to result in emissions cutbacks for airports. Some of 'em pump out more nitrogen oxides (NOX) than power plants. Sayeth C to the N to the N:

Specifically, the groups said the proposed nitrogen oxide emission standard for aircraft engines was not strong enough and excluded other pollutants, such as soot.



The officials also opposed excluding airports not in metropolitan areas that failed to meet EPA's clear air standards and were concerned there were few protections against "dumping" old equipment at non-participating airports.





Puts me in the mind of some of my favorite scientific research of all time (what, you don't have favorite research?), which took advantage of the empty skies after the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and DC. When the Federal Aviation Administration grounded US air traffic, the trails of mists and exhaust that jet planes leave behind also disappeared. A couple of enterprising climate scientists took advantage of that to try to find an effect on the weather. Here's a press release from one of the universities involved in the work, and here's a good Science News story. Explaineth Science to the News:

Wispy cirrus clouds are the only ones that form naturally at the high altitudes where jets cruise. These thin clouds slightly cool Earth's surface by blocking some incoming sunlight, but they moderately warm the lower atmosphere by trapping a portion of Earth's outbound infrared radiation. Scientists have suspected that contrails have similar but stronger effects.





Turns out they do. Think about that next time you're getting irradiated by cosmic rays on a daytime cross-country flight. (I knew a political operative -- Democratic, not that it matters -- who refused to fly during the day because he'd found out that a cross-country flight was the equivalent of getting a chest X-ray.)



And finally, if you're super interested in tracking pollution all over the country -- and you know you are -- the Environmental Protection Agency has just the Web site for you. AirData has maps and reports from every pollution reporting station in the United States. Mmm...statistics.


portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight