Martin focuses on the air pollution in Austin, TX, overview of the main contributors to ozone
2. Where do the authors work, and what are their areas of expertise? Note any other publications by the authors with relevance to the 6 Cities project.
Ken Martin is the founder, editor, and publisher of The Austin Bulldog, a nonprofit online site for investigative reporting, where I found this article posted online.
He previously served as editor and co-owner of Good Life Magazine, the original publication of this article.
He has many other published articles, but none that directly relate to air pollution. Some of his other pieces deal with different environmental issues, and others are more random. It is important to note that he is an investigative journalist and has no direct experience with air pollution science.
3. What are the main findings or arguments presented in the article or report?
The number one source of air pollution in Central Texas is vehicle emissions (also, lots of pollution blows over from the Houston Area)
Culture and infrastructure promote a love of cars in Texas, and most commuters don't feel the weight of the responsibility for their own contribution to air pollution.
Austin is in violation of the CAA for ozone standards, which will have a negative effect on the economy
Austin's ozone violation has not been addressed properly due to ongoing lack of support from Congress, active opposition by the Bush administration, and litigation.
All leads to the point that the appropriate form of action for Austin is to join the Early Action Compact.
Program under which Early Action Plans are developed between the local government, state government, and EPA.
Option available to areas which meet attainment for the one-hour ozone standard but exceed the eight-hour standard, which applies to Austin.
As long as milestones in the plan are being met, the area will not be designated as a non-attainment zone.
4. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
Displayed Texas Commission of Environmental Quality data showing that the Austin area has exceeded 8-hr standards for ozone since 1999. (Note from the data, Austin only had 2 monitoring stations in 2002, now TCEQ website says they have 9)
Lack of Support from Congress: Federal lawmakers imposed a ban for the past 6 years that prevents the US DOT from requiring car manufactures to produce cars with better gas mileage and fewer emissions. Martin quotes US Representative Lloyd Doggett saying that the "creation of more fuel-efficient cars is not just a matter of securing a healthy environment, it is a matter of national security" due to relations with the Middle East. This demonstrates how international relations affect US perspective on technologies that could improve air quality.
Bush administration: "New Source Review" process for power plants, oil refineries. and other industrial facilities
American Lung Association quoted, "Rolling back the New Source Review protections would be the greatest attempt to weaken the Clean Air Act since its inception."
Litigation: lawsuit filed against the EPA by the American Trucking Association and others to attempt to stop EPA from implementing ground-level ozone and particulate matter regulations. US Supreme Court upheld the standards in 2001 but made EPA develop a reasonable approach to implementing the standards. In 2002, the American Lung Association, Environmental Defense, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and others filed notice of intent to sue the EPA unless the agency designated the Austin area and 107 other metropolitan areas in violation of the ozone standards. Negotiations were still in process to avoid lawsuit at the time this article was written.
5. What three (or more) quotes capture the message of the article or report?
"Violating the Clean Air Act is also bad news for our already slumping economy, because it means that, sooner or later, we will be forced by federal and state regulators to clean up the sources of emissions that contribute to ground-level ozone. The uncertainty as to when such action will be mandated—and the reasons why the problem is not being addressed adequately by the federal government—stem from an ongoing lack of support from Congress, active opposition by the Bush administration, and litigation."
"In a sense the Early Action Compact provides political cover for elected officials who would like to improve air quality but face possible opposition from a populace that is not necessarily aware of what's at stake for public health and the economy. "It will take serious, hard-core measures to clean up the air in the Austin area, and it's hard for elected officials to make those decisions if they don't have support from the state and federal levels," Kate Williams says. "That's what the Early Action Compact does-provide support."
"What price must be paid to get that precious fuel into our gas tanks? Under the first President Bush, oil was the root cause of the Gulf War. Now another President Bush is rattling the saber and threatening another war against his father's nemesis. Another war in the Middle East will not only destabilize the region politically but threatens to disrupt oil supplies or oil send prices skittering to who knows where. As Rob Nixon wrote in an op-ed piece for the New York Times October 29, 2001, 'For seventy years, oil has been responsible for more of America's entanglements and anxieties than any other industry...The most decisive war we can wage on behalf of national security and America's global image is the war against our own oil gluttony.' Save fuel, save the country, and save our air. It's up to each of us."
6. What were the methods, tools and/or data used to produce the claims or arguments made in the article or report?
Martin is attempting to establish public support for the Early Action Compact plan. Does so by alerting the reader of the health risks associated with air quality, the economic burdens and restrictions Austin would face as a non-attainment zone, and painting a picture that all forces are working against Austin, unless they utilize this solution.
Entire article acts as an informational guide for any Austin citizen that does not understand the ozone attainment laws or how ozone affects them.
TCEQ data used to describe/prove the problem of ozone pollution, as well as links to and an explanation of TCEQ's daily ozone forecasts.
Health section includes a story about Jesse Saucedo, a three-year-old who experiences extreme asthma flares. Also includes statistics asthma statistics from the Texas Department of Health. This is the least official / professional article I've looked at thus far, but it sucessfully addresses ozone for its target audience and is the first piece of literature I've seen to address transportation, asthma/public health, and politics/legislation all as equal parts.
7. How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report?
Directly ties asthma and other respiratory ailments to ozone pollution, which is unusual compared to other reports.
references a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that reported decreased citywide use of automobiles in Atlanta during the 1996 Summer Olympics led to improved air quality and a large decrease in childhood emergency room visits and hospitalizations for asthma. This demonstrates that transportation can lead to health disparities by putting those who live in high traffic areas at risk.
8. Where has this article or report been referenced or discussed? (In some journals, you can see this in a sidebar.)
Published in print in The Good Life Magazine, published online on The Austin Bulldog, and the author has influence and titles in both those publications. Couldn't find the article referenced anywhere else.
9. Can you learn anything from the article or report’s bibliography that tells us something about how the article or report was produced?
No complete bibliography, but included many sources through out the text.
Many sources referenced are in regards to political groups or events, which agrees with the assumption that this article was produced through investigative reporting.
10. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance your understanding of how air pollution science has been produced and used in governance and education in different settings?
The initiative for Austin to join the Early Action Compact was successful. Northeast Texas, Austin, and San Antonia, all have Early Action Compact plans available on the TCEQ website.
14 states and the District of Columbia sued the Bush Administration to block the changes to the New Source Review.
In 2013, 2014, and so far in 2015, Austin has been in attainment for 8-hr ozone standard.
2. Where do the authors work, and what are their areas of expertise? Note any other publications by the authors with relevance to the 6 Cities project.
3. What are the main findings or arguments presented in the article or report?
4. Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
5. What three (or more) quotes capture the message of the article or report?
6. What were the methods, tools and/or data used to produce the claims or arguments made in the article or report?
7. How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report?
8. Where has this article or report been referenced or discussed? (In some journals, you can see this in a sidebar.)
9. Can you learn anything from the article or report’s bibliography that tells us something about how the article or report was produced?
10. What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance your understanding of how air pollution science has been produced and used in governance and education in different settings?