California has been in the headlines for a very long time as the one of the areas with dirty air. Air pollution in California is an environmental concern not just to the residents but also the entire country and the world. Reports indicate that almost more than 95% of the Californians are exposed to and living areas that do not meet the federal requirements for air quality standards. Car emissions are the major contributor to the air pollution in the state. Huffington post reports that the extent of air pollution kills more people in a year than those who are killed in car crashes (Cone, 2008). Air pollution is an environmental threat because the smog in the state contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer, which consequently leads to a rise in the global temperatures, leading to a series of other environmental problems. Many Californians suffer from a range of respiratory illness such as asthma and chronic bronchitis, which has caused a large number of casualties; a study noted that there were 3812 deaths from particulate pollution in 2006, which has increased since that time.
Air pollution in California is a problem because there are several factors to the area that makes the controlling a problem. The population in California is so high at about 33 million, so the activities of each individual contribute to the pollution. California’s topography is not the best; the terrain traps pollution making the area a perfect place for smog, which coupled up with the warm sunny climate that contributes to the formation of air pollutants and the ozone. The major sources of air pollution in California are mainly diesel and gasoline powered cars, power plants, factories, and fireplaces. The topography of California traps these pollutants and most of the cities have been built in valleys or plains with mountains around them. The major concern of the local and state authorities is the type of cars people drive; there have been concerns that most of the cars have high emissions, which contribute to the pollution. California’s driving population is high, most of the people prefer driving their own cars, and given they topography of the state, it makes the problem worse (Arb.ca.gov, 2016).
There are many efforts to regulate the pollution in California. The state’s authorities have started a “drive clean” campaign that aims at encouraging the citizens to buy cleaner cars that have the lowest levels of emissions. The state is recorded to be one of the states with the most stringent emission rates and most powerful pollution watchdog. The federal government has issued more stringent measures on the state, and there was an extension for them to meet the federal standards. To curb the problem, the state authorities should encourage the residents to use cleaner means of transport, especially in the cities. There should be efforts to introduce city tramps to cut on the emissions from personal cars, and should offer incentives to people who drive cleaner cars. The state should encourage them to use zero emission technologies with incentives such as tax relief, and push for green technologies. Factories and industries have to be issued with new stringent measures on the levels of carbon emissions, and if they fail to comply, they should be shut down (Arb.ca.gov, 2016). The public should be involved in the process of cleaning up environmental pollution, the state and respective authorities should create public awareness and civic education campaigns to enlighten the citizens.
Figure 1: Air Pollution in California (Livescience.com, 2016)
References
Arb.ca.gov,. (2016). Education: All About Smog - Air Pollution Problems. Retrieved 23 February 2016, from http://www.arb.ca.gov/knowzone/students/airpollu/airpolpage/whyis.htm
Cone, T. (2008). California Air Pollution Kills More People Than Car Crashes, Study Shows. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 February 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/13/california-air-pollution-_n_143521.html
Livescience.com,. (2016). Retrieved 23 February 2016, from http://www.livescience.com/images/i/000/030/116/iFF/air-pollution-110224-02.jpg?1345228782 s
