Backyard fire pits add to already poor air quality (Pittsburgh: buying, to live in)

[Gypsy3n8]

Originally Posted by gg

I have a feeling this is not a local post and was a response from way outside of Pittsburgh.

You are right, I am not in the city itself, but this forum isn't limited to city residents. And I am not 'way outside' of Pittsburgh, just in a suburb.

[MountainDewGuy]

Originally Posted by Clint.

Refular yard fires out of pallets in the city limits? That's pretty Shady. What neighborhood?

Pallets tend to be treated with chemicals. It's not clean wood. I would inquire with the township to find out of it's allowed.

[Independentthinking83]

It is crazy, Christmas Day in the Pittsburgh metro and we are under an air quality alert. I wonder what is creating all of this pollution? The cracker plant isn’t even up and running yet and most facilities aren’t producing goods and hardly anybody is working today.

Maybe it’s all of the reindeer farts when Santa delivered presents to the Pittsburgh area last night?

Merry Christmas!

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

It is crazy, Christmas Day in the Pittsburgh metro and we are under an air quality alert. I wonder what is creating all of this pollution? The cracker plant isn’t even up and running yet and most facilities aren’t producing goods and hardly anybody is working today.

Maybe it’s all of the reindeer farts when Santa delivered presents to the Pittsburgh area last night?

Merry Christmas!

I'm down in Southern Maryland by the Chesapeake Bay and we have an air quality alert, too. No one, even the Washington Post article, had much of an explanation other than "It sometimes happens in the wintertime".

[tyovan4]

Its a temperature inversion.

Caused by a temperature inversion, the weather phenomenon resulted in limited visibility, led to numerous flight delays or cancellations and caused unhealthy air because of pollutants trapped at ground level.
...
The state Department of Environmental Protection had predicted a “Code Orange air quality action day” for the region on Wednesday, due to high amounts of fine particles in the air and a temperature inversion plus low wind speed that will trap the pollutants at ground level, particularly in the Mon Valley but extending beyond it. Much the same conditions could persist through Thursday.

The temperature inversion, which occurs when a layer of warm air overrides a layer of cooler air, is resulting from a stagnant high pressure system.

Mr. Bookbinder said while it was 28 degrees earlier Wednesday morning at ground level, it was 50 degrees 1,000 feet up.

https://www.post-gazette.com/local/r...s/201912250078

[Independentthinking83]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

Its a temperature inversion.

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. I assume this is more apt to happen here with the terrain?

[tyovan4]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. I assume this is more apt to happen here with the terrain?

Yes - the rivers and the hills certainly don't help this phenomenon at all.

[Independentthinking83]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

Yes - the rivers and the hills certainly don't help this phenomenon at all.

I guess you can try to rid the entire region of companies that emit pollution and it still won’t make a difference. The topography is our own worst enemy.

[tyovan4]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

The topography is our own worst enemy.

That and the congestion caused by overburdened roads (many of which are poorly designed)...
One of the biggest pollution sources downtown is diesel particulate emissions... but those who scream loudest against a cracker plant in a different county ironically also scream loudest for continued development of density in the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods such as the Strip and the North Shore - which will only increase congestion, which will only increase diesel particulate emissions, which will only increase air pollution...

Pollution from suburban and exurban industries = bad, bad, bad! Listen to Greta, we only have 12 more years!

Pollution from urban density = good, good, good! Signs of progress!!

It would be quite funny if it weren't so ridiculous.

[gg]

I was thinking of picking up one of these. g