Air Pollutions in Los Angeles - Research Paper Example

? Day Month Year Air Pollution in Los Angeles Introduction While there likely was a day when much of the world breathed clean and relatively pollutant free air, those days are ancient history. Today, much of the world lives in an area where the y are subject to countless harmful and toxic pollutants Even in the wake of government legislation and policies, the problem does not appear to be getting any better. In fact, with rapid globalization and the growth of many urban areas, air pollution is become one of the most serious environmental issues facing the cities of the world. Los Angeles has long been a primary target of air pollution policies. With its rapidly growing population, hot weather, and a combination of pollutant causing activities, the people of Los Angeles have been facing an environmental crisis for decades. Beginning back in the 1960s, the United States began drafting multiple versions of legislation designed to clean up the area. The intent of these policies was to strengthen existing legislation governing air pollution through the industrialized world, particularly in the United States and in Europe. Commonly referred to as the Clean Air Act, there were limits placed on certain groups of air pollutants, and cities were required to report particulate levels and to state what the were doing to enforce the policies set forth in the legislation. Naturally, Los Angeles is a primary target of the Clean Air Acts. This paper aims to discuss current policies being implemented in the Los Angeles area, look at the long term impacts of air pollution if current curbing measure to not work, and the effect that air pollution has on the minority communities around Los Angeles. Current Public Policies Current policies in place in America overall seem to be having a positive affect. Over the course of the past four decades, levels of carbon monoxide emissions have been reduce by nearly 100 million tons. Nitrogen oxide emission have fallen about 8 million tons, while emissions from sulfur dioxides have been reduced about in half. In general, the United States has seen particulate emissions fall by more than 80% and lead emission by more than 98% (Jerrett and Calle 731). While these figures represent a significant improvement, they do not tell the complete story. Pollution in Los Angeles still remains a serious problem. Certain areas are more polluted that young children and the elderly can handle, leading to countless health issues and even death. The government of Los Angeles County is still seeking ways to reduce pollution across communities for the benefit of all people. For decades, Los Angeles has had some of the, if not the most, polluted air in the country. Los Angeles has the most polluted ozone and the fourth most polluted year-round particulate levels (Su & Jerrett 662). Many attribute the problem to the dense population in the city and its notorious traffic congestion. As such, most legislative policies aimed at reducing air pollution have been aimed at reducing traffic related issues. This has not paid dividends, which is one of the contributing factors behind Los Angeles lagging behind other cities its size in reducing the level of toxic chemicals in the air (Linn & Szlachcic 429). The public, and indeed the government, see the problem of air pollution as being the most serious environmental issue facing the city (Kunzli & Jerrett 202). While the Environmental Protection Agency, an arm of the federal government, has proposed even stricter regulations on air pollution levels and companies that pollute, subsequent presidential administrations have been hesitant to ask out of risk of the adverse economic impact that might result. They also point out the reality that there has been a decrease in the amount of air pollutants in recent decades, yet this is not enough in the eyes of many. Many experts in the field contend that the improvements have only taken the problem from ‘dangerously high’ to ‘dangerous’ levels and that the resident of Los Angeles continue to pay the price. While efforts to clean up the air around Los Angeles began decades ago, recent years have seen a plethora of new legislation come into force. The year 2011 saw no fewer than seven pieces of legislation be passed to combat this very problem. This ranged from policies requiring the use of cleaner burning fuels to reducing the amount of emissions currently evident in the ports around the city. Cleaner fuel legislation also targets ship that sail in and out of Los Angeles. This legislation targets the gasoline industry and requires them to implement new low-carbon fuel standards, which is designed to reduce the intensity with which carbon is burned, which creates cleaner fuel and reduces the city’s reliance on ‘dirty’ forms of petroleum (Delamater & Finley 112). Previous legislation did not seem to target the pollution from the thousands of ship that call Los Angeles ports as their temporary home daily. Recent legislation requires electricity to become available to ships who dock in Los Angeles, allowing them to be able to turn off their engines while docked. There is also the provision to require the gradual retirement of older ships who are considered to be the ‘biggest’ polluters of the sea. As mentioned, the clean fuel legislation also targets this shipping industry to use cleaner fuel if they wish to sail in and out of Los Angeles. Research indicates that this policy is already paying big dividends as it has proven effective at reducing the amound of sulfur dioxide that is released into the air by the ships (Mosher & Brunelle 579). Other legislation introduced in recent years have also had some effect at reducing air pollution in the city, but at often great costs to certain groups of people. Bug sprays and other household cleaners were targeted in 2010. This mandated the elimination of certain pollutants from the products. Policies were also enacted in 2010 that required the city to focus on the promotion of using public transportation as alternative way of getting from point A to point B. This policy, for the most part, has been seen as a failure by many in Los Angeles due to the fractured system that has yet go be repaired (Su and Jerrett 668). The problem that many see with current policies in Los Angeles is that they are asking for long-term fix to a problem is already serious now. Many policies simply create goals that the city must meet be reducing certain harmful agents from the air, many caused by industry, others by traffic, and still others by households. The issue becomes what to do if these goals are not met. There are not strict enough penalties in place when implementing these types of policies. The procedures that have worked in the past are the elimination of certain pollutants from products, and the requirement to change what is being used (such as in the case of cleaner fuel). When these policies have been enacted, some positive impact has been realized (Ponce & Hoggatt 143). Long Term Impacts of Air Pollution in Los Angeles Studies show that traffic and industry related pollution increase the likelihood of cancer and other fatal illnesses. Combine this with other forms of pollution present in the skies over Los Angeles, and a perfect storm exists that citizens of the city can do little about. In addition, long term exposure to high levels of pollutants can cause complications during pregnancy, and air pollution has certain increased the mortality rates in Los Angeles, particularly in the most highly densely populated areas containing high numbers of minorities. Traffic congestion is not the only contributor to the problem. Los Angeles is home to numerous industries that have created an infrastructure whereby factories and other aspects of the business create toxic chemicals, many of which are released into the air on a continual basis. Ironically, these very industries that have contributed a great deal to the problem of air pollution are the very industries that have created the booming economy that Los Angeles is known for. It is a double-edged sword of fatal proportions. Recent studies have demonstrated that long term exposure to even a moderate amount of air pollution can increase the possibility of having a stroke by as much as 34 percent (Kinney & Ozkaynak 111). The most serious effects of air pollution are commonly believed to impact the young and the very old. Let us, therefore, examine so of the potential long term effects that can occur if the problem of air pollution is not solved in the near term. Let us being by understand the sheer number of people we are talking about. The area that is Los Angles is home to nearly 3 million children under the age of 18. In addition. nearly 30% of adults are of peak child-bearing aging, between the ages of 18-34. As such, nearly 150,000 birth occur every year in Los Angeles alone, which in nearly 25% of the entire total for all of California. Due to this, the effect of air pollution is quite drastic on the population of all of Los Angeles. Pregnant women and young children seem to be most affected by the toxins existent in the environment around Los Angeles (Wilhelm & Ritz 1215). There are many reasons why young children are particularly impacted by bad air. As noted by Wilhem & Ritz (2005), “Children’s lungs, immune system, and brain are immature at birth and continue to rapidly develop until approximately age 6, and the cell layer lining the inside of the respiratory tract is particularly permeable during this age period” (1219). Children also spend much more time outdoors, breathing the very harmful air that we are discussing in this paper. Over time, the prolonged exposure can have dramatic health effects, particularly to the respiratory system of young people and the elderly. Adults in Los Angeles, for example, typically spend more than 90% of their time indoors, as opposed to children who can spend up to 75% of their summer waking hours outside in the environment. Because of these long term impacts, current policies aimed at reducing the level of harmful toxins over the skies of Los Angeles should be examined and strengthened. Effect on Minority Communities in Los Angeles Los Angeles itself is a culturally diverse area, with pockets of communities city-wide consist of residents from all walks of life. Areas of Los Angeles possess some of the nation’s wealthiest neighborhoods, while others are some of the countries poorest. Matters of pollution, however, are no respecter of socio economic status. Due to various factors outside of their control, however, minority communities are often forced to live in areas have much higher pollution levels than other areas. This is due, in a large part, to the reality that many factories and other sources of industrial pollutants exist in these densely populated areas. As such, minority residents are forced to be subjected to harmful levels of pollutants on a daily basis, while wealthier counterparts breathe relatively clean air due to their distance from the heaviest areas of air pollution in the city (Delamater & Finley 119). One way to explain the seriousness of this issue facing minority communities in Los Angeles is to look at the problem of pregnancy related issues caused by air pollution. Studies are still being conducted to determine the exact reasons why pre-term births occur in such high numbers from certain minority groups, but it is evident that certain parts of the population are more prone to these effects, such as African-Americans and those with lower levels of educations attainment (Ponce & Hoggatt 140). Since minority groups most commonly are those associated with low levels of education, and are more likely to live in poverty stricken conditions, this situation becomes even more telling. Ponce and Hoggatt (2005) asset that “there is mounting evident that, in addition to individual-level factors, the residential area of neighborhood where one resides may confer additional risks that affect birth outcomes” (141). While previous studies focused on the reasoning behind this to be related to certain socio-economic factors, current studies in the Los Angeles area have discovered a causal relationship with air pollution levels in certain minority neighborhoods. Wilhelm & Ritz (2005) notes that “people with socioeconomic disadvantages may also be exposed to more toxins at work or in their neighborhoods, have poorer diets and health behaviors, and lack adequate access to health care” (1215). It has also been reported that air pollution resulting from traffic related causes affect women in low-income and disadvantaged neighborhoods in higher numbers than other segments of the population in Los Angeles. This is has been particularly shown to be the case during the winter months, when weather conditions seem to create a peak in emitted pollutant levels cause by vehicles. All of the factors mentioned here lead to a startling fact. Air pollution related illnesses and problems have resulted in African American and Hispanics having the highest risk of preterm births in all of Los Angeles (Ponce & Hoggatt 142). The most polluted neighborhood in Los Angeles are obviously those that are home to the poorest women and children, many of whom are predominately minorities. This is the very segment of the population has the least resources available to counteract the impact of high levels of air pollution. Something needs to be done to protect these marginalized groups, clean up the air, and move towards a healthier Los Angeles to be enjoyed by all, not only the wealthy dominant class. Conclusion While Los Angeles has come a long way in terms of air pollution in recent years, much work remains to be done. The balance between economic progress and the health of individuals in the community must continue to be refined. It is important that enacted and enforced policies be equally applied to everyone in the city. Each person must be responsible for cleaning up the air, not just select individuals. In addition, much must be done to clean up the air in minority areas and densely populated neighborhoods. Currently, legislation does not adequately cover industries in these areas. Instead, individual products and households are targeted, while factories are allowed to continue relatively unabated. Research shows that areas most commonly inhabited by groups of minorities are more heavily polluted. Mortality rates are higher, as are incidences of pregnancy related difficulties. Wealthier areas of Los Angeles do not suffer from this same affliction, as they are not commonly located near pollution oriented business. Current administrations have been hesitant to strengthen legislation aimed at cutting down on pollutants that are trapped in the air over Los Angeles out of fear that it will adversely impact the economy of the area. This type of thinking should be reversed and measure be put in place that continue to reduce levels of harmful toxins that are emitted on a daily basis. While the economic cost may be high, the benefits to the health and welfare of the citizens of Los Angeles should certainly be considered worth the cost. Works Cited Delamater, Paul. and Finley, Andrew. “An Analysis of Asthma Hospitalizations, Air Pollution, and Weather Conditions in Los Angeles Country, California.” The Science of the Total Environment. 425.1 (2012): 110-121. Jerrett, Michael and Calle, Eugenia. (2005). “Spatial Analysis of Air Pollution and Mortality in Los Angeles.” Epidemiology. 16.6 (2005): 727-736. Kinney, P. and Ozkaynak, H. “Associations of Daily Mortality and Air Pollution in Los Angeles County.” Environmental Research. 54.2 (2011): 99-120. Kunzli, Nino and Jerrett, Michael. “Ambient Air Pollution and Athersoclerosis in Los Angeles. Environmental Health Perspectives. 113.2 (2005); 201-206. Linn, W. and Szlachcic, Y. “Air Pollution and Daily Hospital Admissions in Metropolitan Los Angeles.” Environmental Health Perspectives. 108.5 (2000): 427-434. 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