Smog in Los Angeles
Smog in Los Angeles
Smog has been a major problem in megacities all over the world since the creation of the automobile. There are many factors that contribute to smog over Los Angeles, California, but I will focus on the automobile emissions. The word smog is a combination of the words smoke and fog. According to dictionary.com the definition is “smoke or other atmospheric pollutants combined with fog in an unhealthy or irritating mixture.” (dictionary.com). Through out this paper I will be focusing on the crisis of smog in Los Angeles, California. Californians drive a combined 825 millions miles and produce 5.4 million tons of smog pollutants, these statistics aren’t the combined numbers for one year they aren’t even for one month, these statistics are for an average day in California (Driveclean.ca.gov). Cars are responsible for over 50% of the smog causing pollutants and over 60% of the states greenhouse pollution (Driveclean.ca.gov). Air pollution from natural gas, oil, and fossil fuels is responsible for over 60,000 deaths each year in America (Pollution). The automobile will go down as one of the greatest inventions of all time, but that’s in the view of people who will die before the major consequences of driving an automobile actually take effect. The reason automobiles are so deadly is the soot released from combustion. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started measuring air pollution since 1987 (Pollution). In 1960 Congress first passed the Clean Air Act which was proposed to reduce pollutants from automobiles (In Our Backyard). After not seeing the results anticipated from the Clean Air Act of 1960, the act was amended in 1977 (In Our Backyard). These amendments allowed for the first mandated control of emissions from automobiles. The last and most current set of amendments to the act occurred in 1990. These amendments called for more strict control on pollutants and addressed global air pollution (In Our Backyard).
Smog has been a major problem in megacities all over the world since the creation of the automobile. There are many factors that contribute to smog over Los Angeles, California, but I will focus on the automobile emissions. The word smog is a combination of the words smoke and fog. According to dictionary.com the definition is “smoke or other atmospheric pollutants combined with fog in an unhealthy or irritating mixture.” (dictionary.com). Through out this paper I will be focusing on the crisis of smog in Los Angeles, California. Californians drive a combined 825 millions miles and produce 5.4 million tons of smog pollutants, these statistics aren’t the combined numbers for one year they aren’t even for one month, these statistics are for an average day in California (Driveclean.ca.gov). Cars are responsible for over 50% of the smog causing pollutants and over 60% of the states greenhouse pollution (Driveclean.ca.gov). Air pollution from natural gas, oil, and fossil fuels is responsible for over 60,000 deaths each year in America (Pollution). The automobile will go down as one of the greatest inventions of all time, but that’s in the view of people who will die before the major consequences of driving an automobile actually take effect. The reason automobiles are so deadly is the soot released from combustion. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started measuring air pollution since 1987 (Pollution). In 1960 Congress first passed the Clean Air Act which was proposed to reduce pollutants from automobiles (In Our Backyard). After not seeing the results anticipated from the Clean Air Act of 1960, the act was amended in 1977 (In Our Backyard). These amendments allowed for the first mandated control of emissions from automobiles. The last and most current set of amendments to the act occurred in 1990. These amendments called for more strict control on pollutants and addressed global air pollution (In Our Backyard).
Cited: California Environmental Protection Agency. 22 Dec. 2005. 19 Nov. 2008 . Drive Clean. California Envrionmental Protection Agency. 19 Nov. 2008 . "Los Angeles: Traffic and smog. " Environment 36.2 (1994): 12. Research Library. ProQuest. GRCC Library, Grand Rapids, MI. 20 Nov. 2008 http://0-www.proquest.com.lib.grcc.edu/ Neiburger, Morris. "Smog Today & Smog Tomorrow." . 6 Dec. 1965. 19 Nov. 2008 . "OUR NATION 'S NEW SMOG CAPITAL! " Odyssey 1 Apr. 2006: 5. Research Library. ProQuest. GRCC Library, Grand Rapids, MI. 20 Nov. 2008 "Rising smog levels sink air quality. " Plants, Sites and Parks 1 Jul 2003: 9. Research Library. ProQuest. GRCC Library, Grand Rapids, MI. 20 Nov. 2008 http://0-www.proquest.com.lib.grcc.edu/ Roleff, Tamara L., ed. Pollution. San Diego, Ca: Greenhaven Press, Inc, 2000. "smog." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 19 Nov. 2008. . Smog Check Program. The State of California. 19 Nov. 2008 . Wagner, Travis. In Our Backyard. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1994.