Ernest Welde says he’s been chased, swung at and even pushed by truck drivers, who disapprove of his side gig. From his phone, Welde records trucks that are parked for longer than three minutes with their engines still running, an offense in New York City.
“Every time I go out of my house, I am prepared for an assault,” Welde, an environmental attorney by day, told CNBC. “You have to go out expecting there’s going to be a confrontation.”
Welde’s hunt for idling trucks started because of an online citizen reporting program the NYC Department of Environmental Protection launched in 2019. It’s called the Citizens Air Complaint Program, and it allows ordinary New Yorkers to receive a monetary reward for their “enforcement efforts.”
Emissions from idling gasoline and diesel motor vehicle engines are known contributors to health problems, including asthma, respiratory issues and cardiovascular harm, according to the agency’s website.
To participate in the program, citizen reporters need to shoot a video showing a commercial vehicle idling for more than three minutes. They then log on to the city’s Idling Complaint System to file and track their complaint.
According to the DEP, the fine for a first-time offender is $350, and more for repeat offenders. A 25-percent cut — or $87.50 — is paid to the person who shot the video and filed the complaint.
The debate underscores the challenges state and local officials face in greening energy grids, even in blue states like New York that have prioritized fighting climate change. The city has only become more reliant on fossil fuels since the state passed a law requiring it to cut emissions 40 percent by 2030. How it will reverse that trend and clean the grid is an unsettled question.
Should be mild for the weekend but maybe a bit rainy. 💦
Maybe that means we can stick a fork in the leaves 🍴 at least for the higher elevations, although it’s still be pretty green down here in city. I am going to probably stay in town to volunteer on some local political campaigns, and spend some time reading. Sunday I’ll probably do a short, local hike and maybe go out to the parents house for Sunday dinner.
It would have been a nice week to have gone to West Virginia, 🍂 but I kind of messed up the amount of time it would take to get my truck aligned and new tires. But with gas prices so high, and that fact I’ve been to West Virginia so many times before, I don’t think it’s a big loss. I could still go later in the month, but over the past few days, I’ve been thinking less and less of that. I did have a nice Columbus Day Weekend though down in the Catskills, camping down at Betty Brook. No crying over spilled milk, West Virginia will be around for another year.
I might still go to Pennsylvania or the Finger Lakes come November, 🦃 but nothing is set on stone on that either. A lot depends on my schedule, and how things go getting my truck fixed up. She’s becoming an old gal, but I need to make at least some repairs so it passes inspection in November and I can continue to travel and explore.
Today. Feels like … September 21st.
Areas of dense fog before 11am. Otherwise, partly sunny.
Light south wind.
and
72 degrees
,62 max dew point,
6:16 sunset.
Tonight. Feels like … August 30th.
Patchy fog between 2am and 3am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy.
Calm wind.
and
58 degrees
,
7:07 sunrise.
Thursday. Feels like … September 19th.
Partly sunny.
Calm wind becoming northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
and
73 degrees
,62 max dew point,
6:14 sunset.
Thursday Night. Feels like … September 3rd.
Mostly cloudy.
Calm wind.
and
57 degrees
,
7:08 sunrise.
Friday. Feels like … September 17th.
Partly sunny.
Light south wind.
and
74 degrees
,63 max dew point,
6:12 sunset.
Friday Night. Feels like … August 13th.
A chance of showers, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy.
Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
and
61 degrees
,63 max dew point,
7:09 sunrise.
Saturday. Feels like … September 19th.
Showers, mainly after 8am. High near 73. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
and
73 degrees
,64 max dew point,
6:11 sunset.
Saturday Night. Feels like … September 24th.
Showers, mainly before 8pm. Low around 49. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Good morning! What day is it? Hump Day, of course. 🐪
Mostly cloudy and 59 degrees at the Washington Square. ☁ Calm wind. The dew point is 54 degrees. The skies will clear around 10 am. 😎 I found a parking space, it was pretty easy, as Wednesday is street cleaning day until 7 AM on the street where I like to park downtown.
This morning I drove in, 🛻 something that is very uncommon for me to do — I haven’t drove my truck downtown since 2019, well except maybe once or twice for a late night in evening at work. But I found a parking spot where I normally park, 🅿️ when I drive to work. I usually just find it easier when I’m heading out of town to camp to just catch the bus home and either leave from there or leave the next morning.
I am going to drop my truck off at the shop this afternoon, 👩🔧 as they said they need it in by 7 AM on Thursday. I originally thought I was supposed to have it on Wednesday, but I got confused until I looked at my notes. That’s good as I didn’t want to have to get up really early this morning. I am anxious as heck about the whole thing, 🔧 as I know it’s going to cost money and I’m sure they’ll find broken shit, but I need to have those wheels good and straight before I put the big bucks into the new tires. ⚫
Have you seen how much gas prices have gone up lately? ⛽ I thought it was bad last weekend at $3.33 a gallon, but I noticed today that Cumbies in Glenmont is up to $3.45 a gallon. Ouch. Maybe I should think eventually about getting an electric car. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they have electric car charging in Hobart when I was there over the weekend. 🔌 Electric cars are a future, despite the critics. Not just because of pollution concerns — but because electricity is a much more diversified and flexible fuel. You can burn almost anything to make electricity or get it from splitting atoms, burning garbage or pig shit, wind and solar, hydro-electric.
Probably have to move somewhere though that has electric car charging. 🚘 I am surprised none of CDTA park and ride lots yet have electric charging. DC fast charging on Thruway I’ve been told. I am committed to Big Red for a few more years, especially if I replace the tires but I really like the idea of having a much cheaper and flexible source of fuel for driving, and not having to park and drive some big massive haulking vehicle everywhere I go.
