Houston has joined Los Angeles in being classified as having a severe smog problem by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). LA and Houston, America’s second largest and fourth largest cities, respectively, are the only such areas in the country to be so designated by the EPA.

The reclassfication of Houston is a bit of a bureaucratic tango however between the State of Texas and the, frighteningly, still Bush-controlled EPA.  Texas Governor Rick Perry had essentially run out of time to improve the air quality of Houston based on a 1997 assessment by the EPA which at the time ranked Texas’ biggest city as having “moderate” air quality, but is today considered unsafe for public health.  So Perry petitioned the EPA to reclassify the city as severe, which under EPA rules would give the state another 10 years in order to improve its air quality. 

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Los Angeles area residents can breath a bit easier now that the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have banned pre-1989 diesel-spewing trucks as part of an exemplary pollution-control project.  Removing 350 million tons of diesel emissions from the air will go a long way to reducing child asthma rates, drivers risk for cancer and hopefully the 1,200 annual deaths associated with the pollution.

Unfortunately, Governor Schwarznegger, another brawny relic of the 80’s, has vetoed a bill that would have raised $300 million annually for congestion relief and clean-air technologies.  It seems Governor Sarah Palin, along with other corporate interests,  strong-armed Schwarznegger into shutting down this bipartisan clean-air effort, by claiming it was a threat to the state’s fragile economy.  Let’s hope he’ll be back (sorry, couldn’t help it) with a plan that goes even further in helping clear up pollution and health hazards, and doesn’t continue to bow to conservative and corporate interests.

takepart by learning more from the Coalition for Clean Air and demand that Gov. Schwarznegger support clean-air legislation.

Another Mother’s Day has passed (I hope you had a good one) but luckily for you the Top 10 Movie Moms are available all year round - here’s the final Top 10 - including 2 new ones not yet profiled! Keep in mind these Moms may not be the most typical (they’re all actually pretty unique) , but they are definitely the most dynamic and interesting to watch on the screen.

10. Carol White in Todd Haynes’ Safe

A disturbing and eeery portrait of a California housewife and step-mom that suddenly turns sick from the chemicals in the air is in part an attack of suburban culture and in part a more general metaphor for the AIDS epidemic. But these social critiques aside, Julianne Moore’s turn as Carol White is a fascinating look at a woman who wants more that to run a house. The scene of Carol at a pals baby shower, when a young child is sitting on her lap as she starts to experience an attack will sit with you for some time… As will the last moment of the film. It’s a true testament to the side our mother’s keep to themselves…

And even though Carol may have had other problems, to ensure we all have clean air to breathe!

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Why are flowers losing their scent? A new study, described in a recent article in the The Independent, finds the cause is pollution. The research by the U.S. National Science Foundation concludes that pollutants originating mainly from automobile exhaust emissions are stifling plants’ abilities to create their natural smells.

But the damage doesn’t stop there. The same scents that are pleasing to the nose in a bouquet are the very ones that attract bees and other pollinators and in turn enable plants to reproduce. The study shows that scents created in a low pollution environment which would be capable of traveling 1200 to 1300 meters would have their range curtailed to a mere 200 to 300 meters in today’s environment around much of the globe - making it a difficult task for a bee or other pollinator to find the flower. The information provides a bleak glimpse into the future of not only your local florist, but of the world food supply as a whole, much of it deeply dependent on efficient pollination to reproduce new generations.

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Tyra Banks and NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg got down and dirty this week as they did their part to bring more trees to New York City. They were working with MillionTreesNYC - a group that plans to increase the green in the big apple by planting 1 million trees over the next decade :

Why Plant A Million Trees?

New York City is growing! You can see it””and feel it””in every neighborhood in every borough. It’s exciting, and it’s what makes New York the greatest city in the world. But, like in any thriving metropolis, it’s important to make sure the Big Apple and its residents””meaning you!””are healthy and happy while adjusting to the growth and the many changes it will bring with it.

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