Air Pollution in California
by Yarely De Santiago Vazquez
Air pollution has been around for hundreds of years, and it is still going to this day. In case you, didn't know the term "air pollution" describes the discharge of contaminants into the atmosphere that are harmful to both human health and the environment. There are different types of air pollution, and those are indoor and outdoor air pollution. Examples of indoor air pollution are tobacco products, household cleaning products, and fuel-burning combustion appliances. While bushfires, powerplants, and motor vehicles are examples of outdoor air pollution. The common air pollutants are particulate matter(PM10 & Pm2.5), ozone (o3), Nitrogen dioxide(NO2), Carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide(SO2). In LA (Los Angeles) they have received the worst grade for air quality in the national report. According to L.A. Times "98 percent Californians live in communities, with unhealthy levels of smog or fine particles."Now there are many sources where air pollution comes from. Those are mobile, stationary, area, and natural resources.
Mobile sources: cars, buses, planes trucks, and train
Stationary Sources: boilers, eletctric power plants, and factories
Area Sources: Cities, gas stations, autobody shops
Natural sources: Wildfires, Volcanic Eruption, Radiation Fall-out
Towards the southside of California such as Los Angeles, San Bernadino, Riverside, and Inyo have experienced the worst unhealthy ozone days. Between the lowest 12 days to the highest 177 days. The increase in air pollution will cause huge problems in the environment and also our health. It affects the environment, less crops and plant growth. According to a website article called UCAR Center for Science Education, state that "Ozone pollution harms plants by damaging the structures stomata, which are tiny pores on the underside of leaves that allow plants to breathe." Three oxygen atoms make up the highly reactive gas known as ozone (O3). It is a natural and man-made substance that occurs in the Earth's high atmosphere. Additionally, it can cause acid rain from the fuels that the elements sulfur and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. Another thing is that it increases hotter weather.
It affects our health in short-term and long-term problems. Short-term problems, it can be coughing, wheezing, headache, dizziness, or irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat. While long terms can cause diseases. Such as cancer, stroke, lung cancer, asthma, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), and heart disease. Every year, more than 9 million people are killed as a result of air pollution. It is worrisome to think about, especially in my community.
Where I feel like the low communities are being more affected by it, due to there being more power plants and factories. Including low-income communities, such as South Central don't have the luxury of having solar power. This is one way to the limit use of fossil fuels, carbon monoxide, and other particle properties that are being released into the atmosphere. While in higher-up areas in Beverly Hills, Malibu, Bel Air, and Hollywood you never really see it. To support my statement, APM Research Lab states that "The LADWP invested $340 million in residential solar installation, $14 million in residential energy efficiency and $5 million in residential electric vehicle incentive programs, between 1999 and 2022. However, disadvantaged communities, mostly located in the South Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, and Harbor areas, received less of those allocations." Reading it is upsetting because we have the money and the technology to provide more eco-friendly power, not only for the safety of us human beings but for the environment. It also really makes you think about
how the United States system is treating us.
how the United States system is treating us.
Alfred Henry Destiny Brown. Roy Garcia
23 year old 24 year old 24 year old
1)Do you feel a difference in the air quality then vs now?
A "Honestly, not really but if you think about it, its probably because the air quality has always been bad and I probably gotten used to it. Living here my whole, which is kind of scary to me to think about."
D: "Not going to lie, I can't really tell a difference, but what I can say that when I was in Nebraska for college. There is a major air quality difference. Yes, there are still gas fumes, but is not even a lot compared to California. Once I came back to the state after I graduated, it hit me so bad. It gave me a major headache"
R: "yes, nowadays I don't remember the air being this harder to breathe than I did before. "
2) What are some possible solutions, to stop, or slow down air pollution?
A: "Is Eco going Eco I'm going, Eco. Okay potentially creating an area where people who smoke can go into a dome where there's like vacuum sealed and they can like properly dispose of these smoke no probably have the smoke be absorbed to like some cotton of some sort. Then when they leave the dome they close the door and it stays in there yeah but I like the Eco Mode no more gas no more gasoline cars. No more littering too because you drop some nasty looking on the ground that stuff can rise up christianification all up in the air balloon. Then, yeah just making sure we have a healthy clean environment we clean up after ourselves and we should all switch to Eco Vehicles eco-friendly Vehicles no more hybrids no more gas just electric all the way"
D: "To be honest it's not a cheap one it's not a cheap idea but I think it's the truth but you know electric cars instead of gas but that ain't cheap so do you think I was going to say DC do you think company should make you know electric cars more accessible to people who are barely you know are low income or just should we have all vehicles like you know public transportation stuff like that also be like electric you know but sorry like electric trains or s*** like that yeah more hyper Vehicles"
R: "There are some possible solutions to this. One is to consider is for people to be less smoking, or at least use an air filter to release the smoke to. Try to spend more time on less gas vehicles, especially personal vehicles. The use of more solar panels or even wind power. I know it can be expensive but if we want to live on this planet longer, and live longer, we should be prioritizing it."
3) what are some environmental effects, you have noticed?
A: "From what I notice is, it more dusty. I don’t know how to explain it, it feels like there is dirt in the air. It feel like the weather is pretty bad because how the hell, we had a week of just pure rain in spring?"
D: "I'm not sure if I'm the only one that noticed. But the weather lately has been pretty bad. I know California especially Los Angeles weather has always been bipolar. Even though
R:" I do notice, that there have been more natural disasters. Such as wildfires, and more smog in the area, just like when it happens in New York, where it looks like an apocalypse."
4) Is it affecting you?
A: "Yes it has been affecting me. It has been a lot harder to breathe in some areas. Where it gives me a headache and it makes me cough a lot. I have noticed there are times when I lose shortness of breath."
D: "As of right now no, but I know it will eventually. Which is something I'm very worried about because I'm doing the best I can to take care of myself. I already have other physical problems, and it is something I don't want to worry about in the future."
R: "Well, yes the air feels heavy and it is hard to breathe. Especially I have asthma, I'm scared it's gonna make it worse. I don't have health insurance so buying my own inhaler and stuff to keep me alive is expensive"
Based on these candidates we can agree that air pollution should be something we need to be worried about. For the safety of ours but also the environment. Such as our pets, our garden, trees, and mother nature itself.
Solutions to Air Pollution
1. Use of public transportation
-The use of fuel is less
- It helps with the cost of it.
2. Recycle, and Reuse
-Material reuse and recycling contribute to a reduction in atmospheric carbon emissions
3. Solar Energy
-Power plants and solar energy systems don't produce greenhouse gases or contaminate the air.
-The environment can benefit when solar energy replaces or reduces the use of other energy sources
4. Planting more Trees
-Yes it may take some years for a tree to grow its full potential, but it will provide the clean we need for our body to keep functioning
-Plants absorb carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned.
5. Use energy-efficient devices
-switch to fans instead of Air conditioner,
-see what doesn't consume a lot of energy
Work Cited
Briscoe, Tony. “Los Angeles Gets “F” Grade for Air Quality Once Again in National Report.” Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2023, www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-04-19/l-a-gets-failing-grade-for-air-quality-once-again
Cheung, Jordan. “Air Pollution in Los Angeles.” Earth.org - Past | Present | Future, 30 Mar. 2022, earth.org/air-pollution-in-los-angeles/
“Air Quality and Health.” Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/air-quality-and-health#:~:text=Over%20time%2C%20breathing%20fine%20particles.
