Reason needed in coal debate

In spring 2013, Professor Dan Jaffe with the University of Washington/Bothell, and head of the Jaffe Research Group, along with four of his undergraduate students conducted an air quality study at two sites along railroad tracks near Seattle.

Online headlines about the study were similar to earthministry.org: “Do Coal and Diesel Trains Make For Unhealthy Air?” (which seems to directly quote the original study title), and earthfix.opb.org : “New Research Provides Evidence of Coal Dust Escaping From Trains.”

Dr. Jaffe’s study might be what Mary Wells referred to last week. The study was paid for, it appears, by the use of a type of crowd-funding mechanism and is an excellent example of how more science can be used to answer issues affecting all of us. That might be of interest to the science teachers in our local schools.

JEREMY CONLIN

Cocolalla

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