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...
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...
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,...
Federal Roundup: Recent Executive and Legislative Actions
It’s been a few weeks since I updated everyone on executive and legislative actions. Sadly, this is not because there has been nothing to update; so this will be a long one! However, one reason this update is delayed is because I attended an inspiring conference two...
The AirBeam Saga Part II: Placement and Testing Around 3 Birmingham High Schools
Once I was able to understand how to connect the AirBeam to my phone, and to input data into its open source map, AirCasting, I was finally able to test the pollution around Birmingham. To learn how to connect the AirBeam to your phone, and how to operate AirCasting,...
Do Air Pollution Protections Kill Jobs? Not Exactly.
If you're like me, you try to stay as informed as possible about current events, trends, and research. I think it's important to know what's going on and why so I can contribute positively to my community. Recently, there has been a lot of talk about rolling back...
Using Comedy to Lift Spirits, Raise Awareness
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Gasp is teaming up with the Alabama Rivers Alliance to host a unique event Sunday, March 26 at Cahaba Brewing Company. "A Viscous Cycle: Thick Comedy" seeks to lift spirits and connect supporters of the two organizations. Gwen Sunkel and Carson...
Federal Roundup for March 6
Wondering what's been going on since I blogged about the most recent updates two weeks ago? Don't worry, we've got you covered! This is the latest installment in our series on federal executive and legislative actions. Several new developments have cropped up and we...
Coosa Riverkeeper Introduces New Fish Guide, Fish Advisory Hotline
Fishers can call the toll-free hotline (1-844-219-RISK) and follow the prompts to hear advisories in their watershed.
The AirBeam Saga Part I: Installation and Connection to AirCasting
[Editor's Note: Be sure to click on the images to enlarge them, especially if you plan to try this at home.] Before I conducted my pollution study around the city of Birmingham, I needed to test the AirBeam itself. The AirBeam is a portable air monitor that is used to...
The Truth About Rep. Gary Palmer’s Anti-EPA Bill
BACKGROUND. Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-6) introduced H.R. 637 in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 24, 2017. The stated purpose of the bill is “to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from exceeding its statutory authority in ways that were not...
Federal Roundup for February 17, 2017
As promised, we are continuing a series to keep you updated about executive and legislative actions in this new administration. I blogged about the most recent updates last week, and we are still encouraging you to oppose Scott Pruitt as EPA Administrator. Several new...
Federal Roundup for February 8, 2017
The first few weeks of the new administration have been very eventful. I blogged about the REINS Act a few weeks ago, and we are encouraging you to oppose Scott Pruitt as EPA Administrator. However, many other things have happened at the executive and legislative...
Clean Air, Healthy Brain?
New evidence reveals a surprising link between air pollution and cognitive health Research has for years linked exposure to air pollution with health risks like asthma, lung cancer, and, more recently, heart disease. But now alarming new...
Meet the Interns: Dania Ashour
Yesterday we introduced you to our intern from the UAB School of Public Health, Nkereuwem Samuel Unwana — who goes by Life. Now we would like you to meet our intern from the UAB School of Engineering, Dania Ashour. Dania is working with a pair of brilliant volunteer...
My Experience at the Women’s March in Birmingham
When we were asked if Gasp would participate in the Women’s March in Birmingham, we enthusiastically agreed. The March stands for principles Gasp absolutely supports. Plus, it would be great to set up a table and spread the word about healthy air and clean energy to...
Meet the Interns: Nkereuwem ‘Life’ Samuel Unwana
This week we will introduce you to two interns who are working with Gasp this semester through the Academic Small Business Alliance at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dania Ashour and Nkereuwem (Life) Samuel Unwana are working to develop a scalable...
Alternative Facts: Air Pollution, Climate Change & Health
This past Sunday, a Meet the Press interview featuring Counselor to President Donald Trump Kellyanne Conway went viral after she coined the phrase "alternative facts." I couldn't help but chuckle when I heard this euphemism coming out of the new White House. (I also...
EPA Makes Positive Changes to Comply with Civil Rights Act, but Uncertainty Remains
On December 29, 2016, the EPA withdrew a proposed rule to amend its nondiscrimination regulation regarding compliance information for Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Last year Gasp weighed in on the proposed changes and objected to the removal of deadlines in the...
5 Steps to Getting Started with Solar
We get this question quite a bit. Yes, we’re a solar company, and yes, we’re in what seems like a solar-wilderness being in the deep South. But, it is a legitimate question. So, let’s make this simple: (If you’re curious if solar is illegal or allowed by the power...
REINS Act Could Spell Disaster for Clean Air
Today the 115th Congress convened in Washington. Experts and policy wonks anticipate that the House of Representatives is likely to pass H.R. 427, "Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2017" — better known as the REINS Act. This bill passed the...
