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High ozone levels and a quickly growing population are making it tough to implement regulations to reduce pollution, says a Cal State LA professor.
The quality of the air in California may be improving, but it's still dire.
That's according to the American Lung Association's recent "State of the Air 2017" report, which labeled the state and region a leader in air pollution, with the highest ozone levels.
The annual study ranks the cleanest and most polluted areas in the country by grading counties in the U.S. based on harmful recorded levels of ozone (smog) and particle pollution. The 2017 report used data collected from 2013 to 2015.
The top three regions in the country with the worst smog levels were Los Angeles-Long Beach; Bakersfield; and Fresno-Madera; Salinas, though, was recognized as one of the cleanest cities in the state and the country.
"The Los Angeles basin is exposed to the highest ozone levels in the country," explains Steve LaDochy, Ph.D., professor of geosciences and environment at California State University, Los Angeles, an expert in air pollution and climate. "It is getting better here, but it's still the worst."
The toughest CAFE standard in the country does not seem to have solved California's air pollution problem.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Thursday June 22 2017, @11:36PM (8 children)
You might be thinking of L.A.'s commuter traffic as the reason for its pollution, but Long Beach was mentioned for a specific reason -- the Port of Long Beach is busy as fuck and all those diesel trucks waiting in line to drop off and pick up their cargo cause nasty pollution.
As for the question, "Why idle rather than shut the engine off?" Well, for one, if you're moving inch-by-inch, it makes no sense to keep restarting your fuckhuge and complicated rig each and every time. It works pretty well with gasoline economy cars but not at the torque and other forces required to start a monstrous turbocharged diesel rig.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Thursday June 22 2017, @11:43PM (2 children)
They're not counting the Chinese smog [sgvtribune.com]
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday June 23 2017, @12:34AM (1 child)
Believe it or not, California has a surprising number of counties [photobucket.com] which don't require smog inspections.
You can game this system (as I did) by having your vehicle registered in a smog inspection-free county and then living elsewhere for awhile. Hey, there are people here who moved from other states and still drive with those plates on (after like 10 years of living here) to claim to be out of state residents and avoid California's ripoff driving-related fees.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by davester666 on Friday June 23 2017, @05:46AM
Yeah, there are constantly people on some diesel forum's I post on that want info on how to delete/disable the various pollution control devices (EGR, DEF, CAT's), and how to reprogram the various computers to trick places that test the computers for modifications to indicate that the various components are working fine, when they aren't.
And most of them do it just to do it. They want a diesel, because they heard it's cool, and that the first thing they should do when they get it is "delete" all the pollution stuff.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday June 22 2017, @11:52PM (1 child)
Why not use hybrid trucks that can use electricity for short distances and autopilot for traffic queue situations. If there's any situation these technologies are really handy. This is it.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday June 23 2017, @12:03AM
Because that costs money, if the truck doesn't have GPS it means that the owner is too poor to afford GPS, much less roadworthy tires that have been regrooved-retreaded like 5 times each.
The trucks which do have GPS are micromanaged like fuck. Either way, there's a reason why truckers keep 2 sets of books -- One to show the cops/present as evidence, and the actual log.
The worst part about this big push for autonomous bullshit like trucking is that it kills a piece of Americana, just like the death of manufacturing killed Rosie the Riveter and the American Dream.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 23 2017, @12:13AM
Not really inch-by-inch, but truck lenght at a time. Still takes some time to get through the queue.
Gotta find that buffalo burger, i've forgotten to do that.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday June 23 2017, @12:21AM (1 child)
Don't forget that the ships themselves burn the worst, heaviest, most toxic fuel of any transportation mode. That effect is also seen in Port Hueneme, further north, where there are less diesel trucks: massive car import port.
Long Beach: Nasty ships, plus idle trucks, plus the bloody highways filled with no-regulation diesel pickups and defeat-regulation cars idling for hours, with the ocean's inflow blocked by >2km tall mountains ... The fact you can see your nose is a testament to the tough CA emission regulations.
They're not about to drop the electric car incentives, and short-range electric heavy-duty trucks will sell like hotcakes.
The central valley pollution is mostly agricultural: dust and toxic stuff.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 23 2017, @09:15AM
Yup. It's called The Los Angeles Basin for a reason.
It's surrounded by mountains and all the crap that those legacy ICEs spew just hangs around.
...and with "the Santa Ana winds blowing hot from the north" [and east], that may (seasonally) blow all the crap out to sea, and you may then get to see The Hollywood Sign or Mt. Baldy, but 20 and 30mph gusts are just one more thing for us to bitch about.
...and there are way too many vehicles being operated.
Road congestion and commute times are just ridiculous.
Los Angeles County has made significant investment in electric light rail public transit.
That works quite well in those corridors where it exists.
Extremely fast--especially noticeable at rush hour when you zip by all the folks sitting in cars.
...but, for buses, L.A. County gov't seems still intent on buying internal combustion engine things.
Considering the lifetimes of those, buying electric buses would be a much smarter choice now.
The L.A. Bus Riders Union is pushing for electrics (and more buses and more frequent trips).
Zero-cost fares for public transit is another idea:
Every person not in a 1-passenger-per-car commute makes it better for those who are.
...and, IMO, the folks who make that "convenient" personal vehicle choice should be willing to pay to subsidize the folks making things easier for them, via some kind of additional tax.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]