Should smoking be prohibited in public places? Two columnists each give their own take on the merits of considering a ban on smoking. [News Source]

Too close for comfort. The bill on coastal drilling and exploration would permit oil and gas companies to drill as near as 50 miles to U.S. coasts. [News Source]

Asphalt plant will be costly to people throughout county. Franklin County has the fourth dirtiest air in the commonwealth, leading to warnings that it is dangerous to children and to adults with respiratory problems. [News Source]

Making a global issue a local one. Arlington Mayor Bob Cluck quite probably doesn't know Harvard's Daniel Gilbert and thus is unfamiliar with the professor's four reasons that most of us can't get excited about global warming. [News Source]

Health department to release air quality results. The Madison County Health Department will release results Wednesday from an indoor air quality. [News Source]

Hong Kong to switch off in pollution protest (AFP via Yahoo! News) Environmentalists hope to turn out the lights of Hong Kong's dazzling skyline in a protest aimed at telling the world about the city's rapidly worsening air pollution, organisers said. [News Source]

Shady side of livability.

The increasing temperatures present a clear and present danger to Greater Phoenix’s future.

[News Source]

We need to consider how sprawl relates to water conservation. Albuquerque's tough water-saving measures this summer are virtually useless, when building permits are skyrocketing throughout the region and sprawl continues to rampage. [News Source]

How can I make my car greener? 'Civilise' your driving habits and you'll not only be limiting your CO2 emissions, but also your fuel bills, says Lucy Siegle [News Source]

Stirrings of smart growth Frustrated by years of relentless and poorly planned development, activists in East Hampton last fall challenged the status quo at the ballot box. [News Source]

Global solutions. The $2 billion air pollution-reduction plan introduced last month by the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles won deserved applause. [News Source]