Air Pollution in California

Air Pollution in California

By: Tiffany Cox

What is air pollution?• Air pollution is caused by particles going out into the air• It is very common in heavily populated areas• These particles come from cars and trucks• The smog stays in the sky and makes the air hazy

Where is it happening?• Air pollution happens all over the world but California

has six of the seven worst cities in the United States• Scientists have determined that Asia’s air pollution

travels across the Pacific Ocean to here• Anywhere that has a lot of factories and large vehicles

will have large amounts of air pollution

The United States• Just looking at the United States, you can see that

California has the worst• From best to worst: light blue, green, yellow, and then

red

Air Pollution by county• Here you can see just how

bad it is in the different counties• Los Angeles, Bakersfield,

Sacramento, Modesto, Visalia and Fresno are all bad

How long has this been going on?• Air pollution has been

happening for a long time• While we still have the

worst cities in the United States, it used to be a lot worse• We had stage 3 smog

alerts years and years ago• The air pollution has

gotten so bad that it has damaged the Earth’s ozone layer

How does air pollution affect people?

• The air pollution released from industrial factories and trucks can burn your eyes• It causes asthma and birth defects• People who live within half a mile

of the freeway have an 89% higher chance of developing asthma• Nearly 4 central valley citizens die

each year from air pollution• There is also a risk of heart attack

and lung cancer

How do we fix air pollution?• We can only fix air pollution by

changing what we use everyday• Big diesel trucks can be replaced with

ones that run on electricity to save us from their exhaust• We need to start using renewable

energy sources• We can use electric cars or use hybrids

that put out less smog• If we use less fossil fuels we’ll be able to

cut down even more on the air pollution

Sources•Barbosa, Tony. "Scientists: California's Air Pollution Caused by Ozone from Asia." Havasu News. Havasu News, 08 Feb. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://www.havasunews.com/nation/scientists-california-s-air-pollution-caused-by-ozone-from-asia/article_7a9ede58-af60-11e4-bb77-3fafe565099e.html>. •Galbraith, Kate. "California's Powerful and Influential Air Pollution Watchdog." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-explainer-air-20150723-story.html>. •Gallucci, Maria. "California Drought 2015: Dry Air, Landscape Worsen State's Air Pollution." International Business Times. IBT, 29 Apr. 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015. <http://www.ibtimes.com/california-drought-2015-dry-air-landscape-worsen-states-air- pollution-1902001>. •Marsa, Linda. "January/February 2016." Discover Magazine. Discover, 07 June 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://discovermagazine.com/2013/julyaug/19-californias-air-pollution-causes-asthma- allergies-and-premature-births>. •Pettit, David. "Opinion: Can California Get off 'worst' List for Air Pollution? - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 2 May 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/02/opinion/pettit-california-pollution/>.