Blog Archive
Securing Environmental Justice for Northern Birmingham
Tidying up my family's summer vegetable and flower gardens brought some calmness to a hectic week. With every season and year that passes, playing in the dirt as therapy gains greater significance for me. I recall when my boys (now teenagers) were young, giving them a...
Air Monitor Construction Status Update
At Gasp my project is to build an air monitor meaning this device needs to measure temperature, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, ambient particulate, and humidity levels. Purpose: Currently, there is a small of amount of data on the particulate matter. There only 7...
Intern Kenneth Paik: What I’ve Learned So Far
Interning at Gasp has definitely brought a lot of things to my attention regarding health and safety in the city of Birmingham. Birmingham per se contains an immeasurable number of pollutant factors, all of which produces damaging toxins into our air. These factors...
Is Attorney General’s Office Stonewalling Gasp for Political Purposes?
If you've been following the North Birmingham corruption investigation involving Drummond Company, Balch & Bingham, and former Rep. Oliver Robinson, you know that our work is a huge part of the story. (Robinson plead guilty on Sept 7.) Yesterday, al.com's John...
Science Project Idea: Create Your Own Solar-Powered Fan
Our mission requires us to educate the public about the harmful effects of air pollution and about cleaner sources of energy. You might say we're big "fans" of clean energy like wind and solar — and science in general! We're always looking for creative ways to teach...
Meet Fall Intern Kenneth Paik
The fall semester is in full swing at Alabama’s colleges and universities and we’ve got some awesome new interns to introduce! Last week we introduced you to fall intern Vaishali Nijampatnam, a junior at UAB majoring in biomedical engineering. Today, we'd like you to...
GASP Calls on Sessions to Recuse Himself
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GASP Calls on Jeff Sessions to Recuse Himself from North Birmingham Corruption Investigation BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sept. 6, 2017) — GASP, a Birmingham-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the reduction of air pollution through education and...
Meet Fall Intern Vaishali Nijampatnam
The fall semester is in full swing at Alabama's colleges and universities and we've got some awesome new interns to introduce! Vaishali Nijampatnam and Kenneth Paik will be working with Gasp this fall through UAB's Academic Small Business Alliance internship program....
Gasp & Sierra Club Praise Rep. Terri Sewell for Opposing ‘Smoggy Skies Act’
This is how democracy ought to work. Last year, Rep. Terri Sewell voted in favor of the so-called Ozone Standards Implementation Act. Fortunately, after House approval, the legislation stalled in the Senate and wasn’t signed into law. This year, Rep. Sewell listened...
Meet Summer Intern Sara Jones
What are you studying at Birmingham Southern College? I have not yet chosen a major, since I am hesitant on rushing into a career option without being sure of whether or not I would enjoy it. I am currently taking classes in order to figure out what career I would...
Gasp Responds to Corruption and Bribery Charges Related to North Birmingham
The following is a statement from Gasp Executive Director Michael Hansen regarding corruption & bribery charges related to North Birmingham: I was stunned to learn the extent of the conspiracy involving former-Rep. Oliver Robinson, Balch & Bingham, and...
President Trump’s Decision to Withdraw from Paris Climate Agreement
Below is a statement from Gasp Executive Director Michael Hansen on President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement: "Pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement jeopardizes our role in the world as leaders on climate action. Global problems...
Trump Expected to Back Out of Paris Climate Agreement
Multiple news outlets are reporting that President Trump will announce this week his intentions to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate change agreement. The move is likely to upset U.S. allies across the globe, especially considering that the accords were agreed to...
What I Learned Working at Gasp: A High School Intern’s Point of View
This blog post was written by Cayla, our work study intern for the past two semesters. Interning here at Gasp from Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School through a Corporate Work Study program, I learned many different things about the environment that I did not...
AirBeam Saga Part III: Analyzing Pollution Data in Five Local Parks
After conducting an air study around three major public high schools, I decided to conduct some testing around Birmingham’s local parks. The five parks tested were Elyton, Lynn, Greenwood, Avondale, and Homewood Park. I tested each park over a period of three days,...
Federal Roundup: Trump’s First #100Days Edition
The news is a buzz this week with assessing President Trump’s first 100 days in office. NPR did a great Q&A with Cokie Roberts about this Presidential benchmark and its significance, if any. I have been doing my best to keep you all up to speed since day one of...
Guest Post: Science Education as a Civil Right
Below is the text of a speech given by Kathryn Drago at the “Shelby, show up for science” march April 21. Ms. Drago is a science educator and curriculum developer. She has all but defended her Ph.D. in Science Education from University of Michigan and has M.A. in...
Guest Post: The Importance of Science
Below is the text of a speech given by Dr. Patrick R. LeClair at the "Shelby, show up for science" march April 21. Dr. LeClair is a professor of physics at the University of Alabama. He has a B.S. in Materials Science from MIT and a Ph.D. in Physics from the Eindhoven...
Renew Alabama Conference to Shine a Light on Climate Change
Countering a national agenda which seeks to divide us will require us to discover our shared values. Renew Alabama is a new coalition united under a common banner of social, environmental, and climate justice. Grounded in our shared humanity, experiences and faith,...
BREAKING NEWS: Alabama Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Gasp
The Alabama Supreme Court today denied a petition from ABC Coke (a division of Drummond Company) and the Jefferson County Board of Health for writ of certiorari in ABC Coke and Jefferson County Board of Health v. GASP, Inc. In other words, the Alabama Supreme Court...
