Comments on: More (Or Less) Road Salt http://www.clf.org/blog/massachusetts/more-or-less-road-salt/ For a thriving New England Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:21:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Brian http://www.clf.org/blog/massachusetts/more-or-less-road-salt/#comment-741 Brian Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:18:21 +0000 http://www.clf.org/?p=2808#comment-741 I worked in the public sector for many years and can tell you that a great number of communities struggle with their "salting" policies. Some communities choose the "black roads" or "running water" approach to snow and ice control; X number of hours after a storm the roads must be clear down to asphalt. The alternatives, usually due to a mixture of finance, regulations and environmental consciousness, taken by some is to limit the use of salt dramatically in favor of sand. One common factor: No single alternative is favored by a majority of communities. Yet, all residents want their streets to be ice-free and passable. A tough assignment given limited resources and near unlimited pressure to please all sides. I worked in the public sector for many years and can tell you that a great number of communities struggle with their “salting” policies. Some communities choose the “black roads” or “running water” approach to snow and ice control; X number of hours after a storm the roads must be clear down to asphalt. The alternatives, usually due to a mixture of finance, regulations and environmental consciousness, taken by some is to limit the use of salt dramatically in favor of sand. One common factor: No single alternative is favored by a majority of communities. Yet, all residents want their streets to be ice-free and passable. A tough assignment given limited resources and near unlimited pressure to please all sides.

]]> By: Emily Long http://www.clf.org/blog/massachusetts/more-or-less-road-salt/#comment-735 Emily Long Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:46:59 +0000 http://www.clf.org/?p=2808#comment-735 Sorry about the confusion. Due to the high inter-annual variability of precipitation, it's difficult to distinguish a consistent long-term trend from natural fluctuations- hence the uncertainty. In any case, you raise a very good point (and the 1900s was definitely not a desert!). It seems the NEICA report must have made a mistake and I am kicking myself for missing it! I should have written, "Compared to the 1900, average annual precipitation has increased by 5 to 10%." Precipitation has NOT increased by 5 to 10% each year; rather in the past 100 years, we've seen a total increase of 5 to 10%. Sorry about the confusion. Due to the high inter-annual variability of precipitation, it’s difficult to distinguish a consistent long-term trend from natural fluctuations- hence the uncertainty. In any case, you raise a very good point (and the 1900s was definitely not a desert!). It seems the NEICA report must have made a mistake and I am kicking myself for missing it! I should have written, “Compared to the 1900, average annual precipitation has increased by 5 to 10%.” Precipitation has NOT increased by 5 to 10% each year; rather in the past 100 years, we’ve seen a total increase of 5 to 10%.

]]> By: Robert Evans http://www.clf.org/blog/massachusetts/more-or-less-road-salt/#comment-733 Robert Evans Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:00:12 +0000 http://www.clf.org/?p=2808#comment-733 In your article you state "In the Northeast, there has been a 5 to 10% increase in annual average precipitation since 1900." I don't understand the statement. It can't mean there has been a 5 to 10% annual increase in rainfall; extrapolating backwards, it would make 1900 a desert. On the other hand, I don't see why we would not know the average precipitation increase over the last century to within more precision than +/-5% In your article you state “In the Northeast, there has been a 5 to 10% increase in annual average precipitation since 1900.”

I don’t understand the statement. It can’t mean there has been a 5 to 10% annual increase in rainfall; extrapolating backwards, it would make 1900 a desert. On the other hand, I don’t see why we would not know the average precipitation increase over the last century to within more precision than +/-5%

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