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"On
the Air" - Sundays at 11:00am
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 "On the Air"
is
a public affairs series dedicated to what is perhaps
the most pressing issue facing the Central Valley today, our
air quality. Hosted by KFSR's Joe Moore and Fresno State
biologist Bill Trayler, "On the Air" presents new
perspectives on air quality, featuring in depth interviews
from a wide variety of local and national guests. Unlike most
media coverage of this issue, which focuses on the political
aspects of air quality, "On the Air" focuses on the
issues themselves, and the science and technology behind air
pollution in the Valley. "On the Air" will help
explain the Valley's air problems in an accessible manner, and
will explain the many consequences of air quality. The program
will also focus on the positive steps being taken right now to
clean the Valley's air, and real world solutions for the
future. "On the Air" is funded with support from Valley
C.A.N. (Clean Air Now), a local non-profit group focused
on improving air quality in the Central Valley.
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On
the Air Program #35 - Traffic Signals and Air Quality
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This
week, On the Air features
an interview with Jose Benavides, Traffic Engineering Manager
for the city of Fresno. We'll talk about what the city is
doing to try to improve traffic flow at traffic signals, and
thus improve Valley air quality.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #34 - Hybrids, EPA fuel economy and more
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This
week, On the Air features a conversation about hybrid
gas/electric cars with an expert on the subject, Dennis
Simanaitis, Engineering Editor for Road and Track Magazine.
We'll talk about the pros and cons of these vehicles, such as
the Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape Hybrid. We'll also talk
about how they perform in the real world, and why the EPA
quoted city/highway MPG figures are often unattainable by the
drivers of hybrids.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #33 - Clean Diesel Technology in Autos
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This week, On the Air examines the world of
diesel automotive engines, with a conversation with Dennis
Simanaitis, Engineering Editor for Road and Track Magazine.
New technology has helped make diesel engines are extremely
popular in Europe, making up nearly forty percent of new car
sales on the continent. However, despite the fact that diesels
offer up to 25 to 35% more fuel efficiency than comparable gas
engines, they traditionally have much higher NOx and
particulate matter emissions than gas engines. Plus, the
newest clean burning diesels can't run on the high sulfur
content diesel fuel used in the US. We'll talk about the past,
present and future of diesel engines in cars, and learn how
clean diesel can fit into the energy supply of the future.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #32 - Ozone Attainment Plan - Don Hunsaker
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On this edition of On the Air, we feature an interview with Don Hunsaker of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Don will tell us more about the new Draft Extreme Ozone Attainment Plan. The plan is currently up for public review. We'll learn what went into the development of this plan to attain compliance with federal ozone regulations by 2010, what it contains, and how Valley residents can learn more about it and give their feedback.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #31 - Air Quality and Economic Development
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This week, On the Air invites Fred
Burkhardt, director of Economic Development for the City of Fresno to discuss the impact of the Valley's air problem on the economy of the Valley. We'll talk about how poor air quality keeps away higher paying jobs and more educated workers, and
contributes to our stagnant economy. We'll also talk about the ways the further economic growth can help to improve the air quality in the region, and how the Valley can become a center for the clean air industry.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #30 - Asthma in the Valley w/ Dr. Kevin
Hamilton
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On
the Air looks at asthma in the Valley this week, with an
interview with Kevin Hamilton, director of the Asthma Program
at the Community Health Center in Fresno. We'll find out about
the work he's doing to help fight the asthma epidemic in the
Valley, and about the extent of the problem. We'll also find
out about how much the high asthma rates cost the Valley in
both health and economic terms.
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On
the Air Program #29 - Remote Sensing of Automobile Emissions
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This
week we feature new technology that enables remote testing of
emissions from automobiles as they drive on the roads. Our
guest Niranjan Vescio is the General Manager of the
Remote Sensing Division of Environmental Systems Products, the
company which pioneered this new technology.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #28 - Two Stroke Engine Technology
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Two
stroke internal combustion engines are commonly found in
everything from leaf blowers to personal watercraft, and have
provided compact power at an affordable price for over a
century. However, two stroke engines have also been among the
dirtiest engines when in comes to air pollution. On this
program we talk with Dr. Brian Wilson Professor of Mechanical Engineering
and Research Director of the Engines & Energy Conversion Laboratory
in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University,
Fort Collins. Dr. Wilson and his students have developed new
technology that can cut emissions from such engines by about
99 percent, while still providing all of the benefits of
traditional two stroke engines.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #27 - Valley Farmers and Valley Air
Quality
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This
week our guest for On the Air is Fresno County farmer Paul
Betancourt. Paul grows over 700 acres of almonds and cotton
on his farm, and is not only an active farmer in ag issues,
but also in air quality issues as well. We'll ask Paul about
the reaction of Valley growers and ranchers to the new air
permit process, and hear more about what the Valley's ag
industry is doing to help clean the air. Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #26 - Valley Rides and Spare the Air
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This
week On the Air examines the Spare the Air program and tells
listeners about simple things that we call can do to help keep
the Valley's skies cleaner. We'll also find out about Valley
Rides, a new website that pairs Valley residents with similar
commutes to be car pool partners. Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #25 - Clean renewable energy for the Valley?
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This
week On the Air looks at the issue of renewable energy
resources in the Valley, and how this region can meet its
growing power needs in an environmentally friendly way. We'll
talk with J.P. Batmale, renewable energy
program manager for the nonprofit Great Valley Center. Topics
will include solar power, biomass, ethanol, all of which are
on the rise in the Valley today, and promise more energy and
cleaner skies for the future. Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #24 - Fresno Area Skytrain - Mass Transit for
Fresno?
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 This
week our guest is Deryl Bear, the leader of the group Fresno
Area Skytrain. This ambitious private sector group is leading
the way to bring a one of a kind monorail system to provide
clean, efficient, and fast public transportation for the
residents of the Fresno Clovis area. We'll learn about the
origins of this visionary plan, how much such a system would
cost, and what the results of a recent study say about the feasibility
of this proposal.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #23 - Fresno County Farmers and Air
Quality
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This
week our guest is Debbie Jacobsen, President of the Fresno
County Farm Bureau. We'll talk about what agriculture is doing
to help reduce air pollution in the Valley, including a new
program which requires growers to submit specific plans on
practices they will implement to reduce particulate matter
generated by their operations. Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #22 - Urban Planning and Air Quality
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This
week our guest is Darrell Unruh, a planning manager with the
City of Fresno's Department of Planning and Development. We'll
talk about the city's current general plan, the relationship
between development and air quality, and also new development
techniques, including everything from higher density, infill
developments to traffic circles in an effort to help clean the
Valley's air. Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #21 - Clean Green Yard Machines - Ag
Dust
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This
week we are joined by Kelley Malay from the San Joaquin Valley
Air Pollution Control District, to discuss a new program that
provides Valley residents coupons good towards the purchase of
an electric or push lawn mower. We'll also talk with Dr.
Michael D. Buser, an Agricultural Engineer with the USDA's Ag
Research Service in Lubbock Texas. Dr. Buser will tell us
about a recent study that sheds new light on the role
agricultural operations play in creating air polluting
particulate matter.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #20 - Operation Clean Air
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 This
week we are joined by Brian Wise, the Executive Director of
Operation Clean Air, a new non-profit organization that is a
coalition of local industry and government, dedicated to
cleaning the Valley's air. We'll talk about their efforts, as
well as the economic effects of air pollution in the Valley.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #19 - The world's first hybrid SUV - the Ford
Escape Hybrid
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 This
week, we will be joined from Dearborn, Michigan by Tom Watson,
Ford Motor Company's hybrid powertrain supervisor for the brand new 2004 Ford Escape HEV (Hybrid
Electric Vehicle). We'll find out more about the new Escape,
the world's first ever hybrid SUV, which gets up to 40 miles per
gallon, with the same performance and capability as a
conventional V6 Escape.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #18 - Fleet Vehicles in the Valley
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This
week, On the Air invites Sam Armentrout to tell us more about
the things that managers of large fleets of vehicles can do to
help the Valley's air quality. Sam serves as the fleet manager
for Fresno County, is a Madera City Council Member, and is on
the board of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control
District. In Madera, his efforts at improving air quality have
led the city to update its fleet of vehicles to clean burning
CNG (compressed natural gas). We'll find out the unique
problems that managers of fleets face, the options that exist,
and what various municipalities are doing to help run cleaner
burning fleets. Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #17 - Rail Consolidation In Fresno
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Efforts
to consolidate the two major rail lines that run right through
the heart of Fresno are in the spotlight this week on "On
the Air". We'll look at the extra air pollution caused by
traffic backups each day as motorists wait for trains, and how
much of an impact a new rail alignment would have on our air.
We'll also look at issues ranging from public safety to
economic benefits with our guest Tom Bailey, the President of
the group Fresno Area Residents for Rail Consolidation. Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #16 - C.A.R.T. - Students Researching Air
Quality
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 This
week On the Air features the student of C.A.R.T. the Center
For Advanced Research and Technology, a school for high school
juniors and seniors run jointly by the Fresno and Clovis
Unified School Districts. The school has an innovative program
that has students looking at multiple aspects of the Valley's
air quality problems, and we'll hear from some of these bright
and talented students, and find out what they're doing to help
clean the Valley's air.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #15 - Air Quality & the Dairy Industry -
new research
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This
week our guest is Dr. Charlie Krauter, a professor of Plant
Science at Fresno State, who is currently conducting a
landmark study for the California Air Resources Board on the
effects of the dairy industry on air quality.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #14 - Idle Aire technology reduces truck stop
pollution
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 This
week On the Air looks at new technology developed by the Idle
Aire corporation that eliminates emissions for big rig trucks
idling at truck stops nationwide. Our guest is Tom Badget, the
Chief Information Officer for Idle Aire. Their technology,
which provides truckers with a device that attaches to their
cabs at truck stops, features heating and air conditioning,
internet access, telephone service, television and more.
Before Idle Aire, most truck drivers would leave their engines
running while they were rest or sleeping in the parked trucks,
wasting fuel, causing wear and tear on the machines and the
truckers themselves, and most importantly, causing an enormous
amount of unnecessary pollution. Idle Aire systems are
currently in use in Bakersfield, Los Banos and Lost Hills, all
major stops for trucks in the Valley.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #13 - Fuel Cell Cars on the Horizon
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 This
week we examine one of the most exciting (and technically
challenging) of all recent clean air developments - "fuel
cell" cars that are powered by hydrogen. Our guest is an
expert on the technology - Dave Barthmus, an environmental
specialist with General Motors, a leader in the development of
fuel cell cars. GM hopes to have the technology refined to a
point where mass production of these eco-friendly cars is
possible by 2010. We'll learn about the basic technology
behind fuel cells, the challenges that engineers face in
bringing them to market, and what it can mean for both
consumers and for the quality of our air.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #12 - Air Quality in the Sierra Nevada
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This
week, we focus on the impact our Valley air pollution has on
the forests in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Our guest will be
Annie Esperanza, air specialist with the National Park Service
at Sequoia National Park. We'll talk about how air pollution
is effecting the ecosystem in Sequoia Nation Park and more.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #11 - The American Lung Association
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This
week, On the Air features an interview with Sanrda Eaton,
Program Director of the American Lung Association of Central
California. We'll learn about the Lung Association's annual
State of the Air report card, various programs for kids and
adults that can help make living with asthma and other lung
diseases easier and much more.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #10 - The Toyota Prius gas/electric hybird
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Our
guest on this Sunday's program is Bill Reinart, National Manager of the
Advanced Technology Group for Toyota, and one of the
supervisors for the wildly popular new hybrid gas/electric
sedan the Toyota Prius. We'll find out more about the
technology that went into making the Prius the most
sophisticated car on the road today, and also one of the
cleanest and most efficient, earning a miles per gallon rating
of 60 city/51 highway from the EPA. We'll also learn about
some of Toyota's future product plans including their upcoming
hybrid SUV's and more.
Listen
to this program online...
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On
the Air Program #9 - Reduced Emissions from School Bus Fleets
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This
program features two guests, Joseph Bjerke, Director of
Transportation for the Clovis Unified School District, and
Edward Richards, President of the Engine Control Systems
division of the Lubrizol Corporation from Ohio. CUSD and
Lubrizol are in the middle of a demonstration project that
involves using Lubrizol's PuriNOx fuel, and additional
hardware modifications that can reduce nitrogen oxide
emissions by 30 percent and harmful particulate matter
emissions by up to 65 percent from the existing bus fleet. The
district estimates that this new technology will prevent an
estimated 1.5 tons of nitrogen oxide pollutants will be
removed from the air by this program. We'll learn more about
this new technology, how it works, and how it can help
contribute to cleaner skies in the Valley.
Listen
to this edition of On the Air...
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On
the Air Program #8 - Agriculture and Air Pollution
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Our
guest for this edition of On the Air is Jerry Prieto, Fresno
County Agriculture Commissioner. We'll talk about what impact
agriculture has on air pollution (both negative and positive)
as well as what farmers and ranchers are doing to help.
Listen
to this edition of On the Air...
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On
the Air Program #7 - Air Pollution & Plants, Fireplace
Burning Continued
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Dr.
John Constable, a plant physiologist at California State
University Fresno joins us to talk about the impact that air
pollution can have on plants. We also continue our discussion
of fireplace burning in the Valley, this time with guest Chris
Caron, Vice President of the Duraflame Corporation of
Stockton, a manufacturer of engineered firelog
products.
Listen
to this edition of On the Air...
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On
the Air Program #6 - Fireplaces and Air Pollution in the
Valley
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This
week, our program focuses on the pollution caused in the
Valley by residential fireplaces, wood stoves, and other solid
fuels burned for home heating. We'll talk about the new
regulations regarding fireplace burning in the Valley with
Kelly Malay, of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control
District. We'll also talk with Rod Poplarchick, owner of
Climate Control Systems, a local firm which specializes in the
installation of clean burning home heating systems.
Listen
to this edition of On the Air...
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On
the Air Program #5 - Air Quality and Health - w/ Dr. David
Pepper
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This
week, we are joined by Dr. David Pepper, a local physician
with expertise in air quality issues, to discuss the impact
air pollution has on the health of Valley residents.
Listen
to this edition of On the Air...
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On
the Air Program #4 - The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution
Control District
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Our
guest is Josette Merced Bello, public information officer for
the San Joaquin Valley air pollution control district. We'll
learn more about that the district does, how it operates, and
what is in store in the future as they work to help clean the
Valley's air.
Listen
to this edition of On the Air...
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On
the Air Program #3 - Major Sources of Air Pollution Locally
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Our
guest this week is Don Hunsaker, a planned development
supervisor with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control
District. We'll talk about some of the major sources of local
air pollution, some of which you might not be aware of.
Listen
to this edition of On the Air...
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On
the Air Program #2 - The Valley's Physical Geography and
Air Pollution w/ Dr. Steven Lewis
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This
program helps explain how and why the unique geography of the
San Joaquin Valley helps contribute to the Valley's air
problems.
Listen
to this edition of On the Air...
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On the Air Program #1 - General
Terminology w/ Dr. Alam Hasson
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This
program deals with some of the general terminology and general concepts
frequently
used in discussions of air quality.
Listen
to the debut edition of On the Air...
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Support
for On the Air
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On the Air is funded in
through support from Valley Clean Air Now - a non-profit
organization committed to improving air quality in communities
throughout the California San Joaquin Valley. More information about
Valley C.A.N. is available online at www.valley-can.org.
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