Air Pollution in California Essay

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, as of 2018, is the highest it has been in 3 million years ( ). Greenhouse gases (GHG) contribute to higher temperatures and more heat waves (). The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, also known as Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), fights global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from all sources throughout the state ( ). Assembly Bill 32 is California’s Global Warming Solutions Act. AB 32 is a long-term comprehensive plan to fight California’s pollution crisis while improving the environment and maintaining a robust economy. The greenhouse effect is when sun radiation enters the earth’s atmosphere and becomes trapped underneath the earth’s atmosphere due to toxic greenhouse gases emitted from oil and agriculture industries, along with road traffic. AB 32 contains the major greenhouse gasses emitted into the earth’s atmosphere: Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and Nitrogen trifluoride* (NF3). Because of the drastic climate change, essentially greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are emitted into the air at a rapid rate, there is an urgent need for the government to take action and ultimately end this air pollution crisis. As a result of toxic greenhouse gases emitting into the air for over a long period, the ozone layer used to protect the air quality is gone. This removal of the ozone layer has a hazardous effect on our environment and health. Some of the hazardous effects of global warming are more frequent and severe weather, higher death rates, dirtier air, higher wildlife extinction rates, and more acidic oceans. The harmful effects on the human body are breathing toxic air that may contribute to asthma, lung cancer, and allergic illnesses.

In the year of 1991, California’s environmental authority, also known as the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), was known as a single Cabinet-level agency. CalEPA’s mission is to restore, protect, and enhance the environment, and to establish environmental quality and public health for every citizen. They fulfill their responsibility by creating and implementing environmental legislation that controls air, water, and soil quality, pesticide utilization, and waste recycling and reduction. They use cutting-edge research to create environmental legislation. CalEPA’s Office of Secretary oversees one office, two boards, and three departments responsible for improving California’s environment. The governmental hierarchy begins with the governor overseeing the CalEPA office of secretary, then the secretary oversees the Air Resources Board (ARB), the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), the Department of Pesticide and Regulation (DPR), the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), and State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB).

California Air Resources Board (CARB) is responsible for maintaining healthy air quality, protecting the public from exposure to toxic air contaminants, and providing approaches for complying with air pollution rules and regulations ( ). CARB must protect the public from air pollution harmful effects and create programs to combat climate change. Clean cars and fuel help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. California is renowned for environmental policy and climate change innovation; the world regards California for environmental authority legislation.

The California Air Resources Board contains 16 members. 12 are assigned by the Governor and confirmed by the state Senate. Out of the 12 members, five work for local air districts, four shape air quality regulations, two are public members, and the Chair is the only full-time member. The Governor appoints any board member to serve as the Chair. Four other members represent environmental justice communities., and two members are for Legislative oversight, each member is appointed by the Senate and Assembly. Cleaning up air pollution is coordinated from a three-segment approach: the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Air Resources Board, and thirty-five local air pollution control districts. The EPA is responsible for national air quality and emission standards and supervises state enforcement. The California Air Resources Board concentrates on air quality challenges by placing emission standards on air-polluting vehicles, fuels, and products throughout the state of California. Emissions from businesses and stationary facilities are regulated through thirty-five local air pollution control districts. The following are the California Resources Board’s goals to maintain air quality throughout California: 1. Setting the standard for air quality levels to protect human health, 2. Determine the most toxic pollutants, 3. Evaluate pollutant reduction using an air monitoring network, 4. Confirm automakers’ emissions compliance, 5. Assess the cause and effect of air pollution problems, 6. Determine the cost and benefits of air pollution, and 7. Continue to lead environmental efforts nationally by creating measures to combat climate change.

CARB is the lead agency to implement AB 32; however, the following agencies are reducing GHG emissions too: Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency, Government Operations Agency, California Natural Resources Agency, California Department of Public Health, Office of Emergency Services, California Transportation Agency, California Energy Commission, California Public Utilities Commission, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Transportation, Department of Water Resources, Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, and State Water Resources Control Board.

Assembly Bill 32 is funded by greenhouse gas sources. CARB implemented a mandatory fee program called the AB Cost of Implementation Fee Regulation. The fee is collected annually from oil industries, electricity power plants, cement plants, and other industrial sources. There are over 250 greenhouse gas sources, and the funds are used to implement state and local programs that combat greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) supports AB 32 by providing long-term reduction for greenhouse gases. Funding for GGRF comes from auction earnings as part of the CARB’s Cap and Trade program.

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CARB has created a timeline to achieve Assembly Bill 32 goals. On January 1, 2008, CARB RB approved the Mandatory Reporting Regulation for GHGs to require reporting, verification, monitoring, and enforcement. In 2009, a plan was implemented to combat greenhouse gases, and each measure was evaluated. In 2010, CARB adopted greenhouse gas emissions regulations. On January 1, 2012, greenhouse gas rules were adopted by CARB and legally enforced. On November 14, 2012, CARB established the first greenhouse emissions allowance, as part of the Cap and Trade program. On September 17, 2013, CARB established the first carbon credits as part of the Cap and Trade program. Lastly, December 31, 2020, is the deadline for achieving the greenhouse emission goal.

Assembly Bill 32 is effective. The total cost of air pollution is 65 billion dollars. AB 32 requires California to reduce its GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, a 15% reduction (California, 2019). AB 32 will help reduce risks associated with climate change, while improving energy efficiency, expanding the use of renewable energy resources, cleaner transportation, and reducing waste (Climate et. al., 2017). AB 32 includes major greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). (Denchak, 2019). AB 32 requires ARB to develop a Scoping Plan, which must be updated every 5 years, it includes measures to drastically cut GHG emissions (California, 2019).

In a study called “Association between Air Pollution and Lung Function Growth in Southern California Children,” by Franklin et. al., the lung function growth of Southern California children was analyzed over 4 years. The study subjects included twelve communities located in Los Angeles, California. For every community, there were 150 children in 4th grade, 75 children in 7th grade, and 75 children in 10th grade, all were public school students. Medical and residential history, housing characteristics, and outdoor time information were gathered from a questionnaire. Pulmonary function tests were performed at schools, twice per day. For every community, there was an air pollution monitoring network terminals. The terminals monitored hourly samples of ozone and nitrogen dioxide. Linear regression methods were used to identify the statistical correlation between lung function growth and average pollutant levels. In the fourth-year assessment, the lung growth deficiencies were correlated with particulate matter exposure. Results suggest that exposure to air pollution may lead to a reduction in maximal attained lung function, which occurs early in adult life, and ultimately to an increased risk of chronic respiratory illness in adulthood (Franklin et. al., 2017). From this study, one can analyze how particulate matter affects lung growth.

In a 2019 journal article called, “Healthy Air, Healthy Brains: Advancing Air Pollution Policy to Protect Children’s Health,” by Devon Payne et. al., a group called Project Targeting Environmental Neurodevelopmental Risk (TENDR) identifies air pollutants and develops recommendations to protect children’s neurological development from air pollution adverse effects. The recommendations are based solely on maintaining and strengthening health protections. The first recommendation is that the EPA should be more aware of the neurological effects when setting standards for emissions and evaluating the entire cost of adverse health effects from these toxic pollutants. The second recommendation is enforcing federal fuel standards. The third recommendation is to advance clean energy policies that reduce fossil fuels. The fourth recommendation is to target large sources of air pollutants to reduce emission production, and this will lead to an overall exposure reduction in neighboring communities. The fifth recommendation is to restrict new sources of air pollutants in residential areas. Public health policies that reduce combustion-related air pollution will improve not only cardiovascular and respiratory function but also neurodevelopment and this can lead to fewer children with neurodevelopmental disorders, less special education spending required, and more people participating fully in society across their life spans (Payne et. al., 2019).

In a study called “Particulate matter air pollution and liver cancer survival,” by Deng et. al., lung cancer has been linked to air pollution. Data was retrieved from the California Cancer Registry and the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System. The information from the data contained patient demographics, follow-up, tumor characteristics, and course of treatment. Cancer records were established based on residential addresses. Hourly and monthly measures of particulate matter were assessed from residential locations closest to air quality terminals. Kaplan-Meier curves were employed to compute the median survival rate. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to compute the PM2.5 exposure and survival association. The results showed that adverse effects of PM2.5 exposure after diagnosis on liver cancer survival, not only were such effects more profoundly for those diagnosed with early stage, but they also increased strongly with concentration, suggesting that reductions in high PM2.5 exposure could increase survival for a nonrespiratory system cancer (Deng et. al., 2017).

Assembly Bill 32 is being effective at combating California’s air pollution crisis that is contributing to the overall global warming crisis. CARB, along with many other agencies, is reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a variety of ways. CARB has implemented a timeline to reach the GHG emission goal by 2020.