...OZONE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Team A SCI/362 June 29, 2011 Kenneth Rayford “EFFORTS TO REDUCE OZONE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA” The Los Angeles Basin is a plain that lies between the Pacific Ocean and mountains to the north and east. During the summer, the sunny climate produces a layer of warm, dry air at upper elevations. Southern California counties are where almost 15 million people reside. South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is a governmental organization established in 1977 to deal with the historically poor air quality in the area surrounding Los Angeles. Air pollution injures organisms, reduces visibility, and attacks and corrodes materials such as metals, plastics, rubber, and fabrics. The respiratory tracts of animals, including humans, are particularly harmed by air pollutants, which worsen existing medical conditions such as chronic lung disease, pneumonia, and cardiovascular problems. Discussed in our paper will be several key points that will highlight very important details in regards to the efforts to reduce ozone in Southern California. Topics to be discussed are; described the historical development of the issue, the stakeholder’s involvement in the issue, and the long term effects of the problem, the responsibilities that arise from the ethical position and try to find a solution to this major problem. Air pollution in California began just after World War II. Southern California has been known to have the worst air pollution in our...
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...Air is the ocean we breathe. Air supplies us with oxygen which is essential for our bodies to live. Air is 99.9% nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor and inert gases. Human activities can release substances into the air, some of which can cause problems for humans, plants, and animals. There are several main types of pollution and well-known effects of pollution which are commonly discussed. These include smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and "holes" in the ozone layer. Each of these problems has serious implications for our health and well-being as well as for the whole environment. One type of air pollution is the release of particles into the air from burning fuel for energy. Diesel smoke is a good example of this particulate matter. The particles are very small pieces of matter measuring about 2.5 microns or about .0001 inches. This type of pollution is sometimes referred to as "black carbon" pollution. The exhaust from burning fuels in automobiles, homes, and industries is a major source of pollution in the air. Some authorities believe that even the burning of wood and charcoal in fireplaces and barbeques can release significant quantities of soot into the air. Another type of pollution is the release of noxious gases, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and chemical vapors. These can take part in further chemical reactions once they are in the atmosphere, forming smog and acid rain. Pollution also needs to be considered...
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...Atmospheric Pollution As I had started my research on atmospheric pollution, I had come to find that it all coincides with global warming. Due to the gases that are being released in the air from vehicles, it starts to destroy the atmosphere. However, it is not just the gases from the vehicles, there are also gases from power plants and aerosol cans, for example, hairspray. Smokers also contribute to the pollution in the atmosphere. All of this will be discussed further into the paper. The one thing that was asked was to give a detailed description of the problem. Coming up with a detailed description was not a problem but difficult and time consuming. I have come up with a number of problems that atmospheric pollution, or global warming, has on people, animals and the world. Map Results I have found a map that shows the locations where there is air pollution. On this map, there are images of blue, purple and red dots. These dots represent the U.S. Industrial facilities that use toxic chemicals. The city and states with a high count of toxic usage had the blue and red dots next to them. These city and states are as follows: Phoenix, Arizona, Salt Lake City, Utah, San Diego, California, Los Angeles, California, Riverside, California, Bakersfield, California, San Francisco, California, Stockton, California, Sacramento, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle Washington. There are 34 city and states including Canada that are highlighted...
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... Mr. Jorge Rifa’ City Council and Administration. 2535 Commerce Way Commerce, California 90040 Dear Mr. Rifa’ and Councilmember’s: I understand the concerns of the quality of air and environmental safety of your resident’s has been a priority on your list of concerns. I recognize and appreciate the efforts the City of Commerce has done by addressing the concerns of the added pollution caused by the trucking traffic and railroad yards. I understand there has been many letters written from the City of Commerce to the Los Angeles City Council regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that was prepared for the Southern California International Gateway (SCIG) project which addresses the potential growth of the railroad yards that is needed to accommodate the increased rail and container traffic. The increase in traffic will also increase the poor quality of air emitted in the City of Commerce. The lead agency is the public agency which has the principal responsibility for approving a proposed project such as the SCIG. The railroad yards and trucking transportation is the main industry of this city that increases the revenue, but the environment must be a safety priority to your residents. How can the city continue to increase their revenue without continually putting the residents at an increase in health risk due to the smog and carcinogen causing pollution from the trains and trucking industry? The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is...
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...levels of air pollution can cause a variety of adverse health outcomes. Air quality in developed countries has been generally improved over the last three decades. However, many recent epidemiological studies have consistently shown positive associations between low-level exposure to air pollution and health outcomes. Thus, adverse health effects of air pollution, even at relatively low levels, remain a public concern. This paper aims to provide an overview of recent research development and contemporary methodological challenges in this field and to identify future research directions for air pollution epidemiological studies. Introduction It is well known that exposure to high levels of air pollution can adversely affect human health. A number of air pollution catastrophes occurred in industrial countries between 1950s and 1970s, such as the London smog of 1952 [1]. Air quality in western countries has significantly improved since the 1970s. However, adverse health effects of exposure to relatively low level of air pollution remain a public concern, motivated largely by a number of recent epidemiological studies that have shown the positive associations between air pollution and health outcomes using sophisticated time-series and other designs [2]. This review highlights the key findings from major epidemiological study designs (including time-series, case-crossover, panel, cohort, and birth outcome studies) in estimating the associations of exposure to ambient air pollution with...
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...Environmental Pollution Shakale Phipps SCI/256 June 9, 2014 Ricardo Altschul Environmental Pollution In such a chaotic world, there are many contributors to the environment’s pollution. The number one transportation source; the automobile is the leading cause in the air pollution. Fortunately, advanced fuel technologies can drastically change the reduction in air pollution. Today’s road runners create over one third of the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides within the atmosphere and twenty percent of the global warming pollution. Air pollution like such can cause major problems for the environment as well as for human health. With the creation of hybrid and electrical cars, the reduction of air pollution can be cut in half within the next twenty years by the decline of use in U.S. oil. People these days do not realize the significant role the automobile plays in our lives. With a car you can travel to work, school, business meetings, or even across country for that matter. In many urban, Southern California cities, air pollution has been a major issue since historical times. Yes, there were grievances about smoke in ancient Rome. The use of coal throughout the centuries caused neighboring cities to become very smoky places. Combined with the smoke, mass applications of sulfur dioxide were produced. With the mixture of sulfur dioxide and smoke, it created the “foggy” streets of ancient, London’s backdrop. Think of Sherlock Holmes. Similar situations occurred in...
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...A Case Study on the California High Speed Rail System (CAHSR) - Is It Feasible? By Hardeep Ramesh, MS ISE Engineering Economics (ISE 460) University of Southern California December 3, 2010 Abstract: California High Speed Rail (CHSR) system is a mega project planned by the California High Speed Rail Authority (CA HSRA), connecting the major metropolitan areas of California. The project finalized in mid 2000, is estimated to be one of the most expensive of its kind. It is in the lines of the high speed rail systems existing in France, Japan and China. The cost of the total project, which will cover around 800 miles, is estimated to be around $45 billion as of 2008. At this time of economic instability and no proper funding expected the big question is that - is the project economically feasible? This case study evaluates the financial benefits of the project. It will show the various sources from which the project will be benefited. Since it is a public investment if the total benefits are more than the total costs it is said to be economically feasible. This case study uses the benefit-cost analysis as an evaluation to establish this. It uses only the benefits and costs which are quantifiable and those which are not duplicative. Introduction: California’s burgeoning population and increasingly congested highways and airports demanded new transportation solutions. Highway construction The California High Speed Railway...
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...6, 2013 Advances in natural energy have provided ways to create the energy that we need with little to no pollution. The United States of America however, is very slow with getting on board with the rest of the countries across the world who has embraced the methods of using natural energy. China and Russia have begun to fuel most of their energy using solar power and water, yet the United States continues to stick to the older ways of coal, oil and nuclear plants to power our part of the world. There have been studies and research done on how the toxic pollution from these dirty forms of energy is causing major damage to the environment. There are even more problems with the people who have to live near these energy plants or breathe in the harmful air which can cause heart problems, cancer and sometimes even death. America has always been the master cranium when it came to making innovative ideas that the world would soon follow. Now, it may be time for America to learn a few facts from other countries on how to incorporate a better way to power up this nation. What are we waiting on, this is America. Natural Power is an independent renewable energy that uses the power from the sun, wind, water or anything in nature to produce power and energy. The research to begin using this natural form of energy was originally created over concerns of how years of pollution was leading to an environmental decline. In the 1800’s, Charles Fritz and Lester Pelton were the first scientists...
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...countries of the world. Often, these countries have extremely poor environmental situations. In many Third World nations, pollution is unrestricted. Countless other environmental problems are also not addressed by the government. Usually, creating and enforcing environmental regulations would be economically disastrous for a poor country. As a result, it is forced to choose between buying food and having a clean environment. Often, rich Western countries take advantage of the dilemma of Third World countries. They dump garbage and hazardous waste in developing countries. First World companies might also build plants, which emit considerable pollution, in Third World nations to avoid the regulations these companies would face at home. Some transnational corporations that produce chemicals deemed overly dangerous in the First World find a market in the Third World. There, governments cannot restrict usage of these chemicals because it would be too costly to citizens trying to make a living. Countries in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia are the greatest victims of this environmental inequality. In addition to problems created by development and industrialization, poorer nations also suffer environmental difficulties caused by poverty and war, among other causes. Many environmental problems arise in the Third World. Air pollution, water pollution , deforestation, desertification, soil erosion, and poisoning of the environment are among the largest of these. Third World...
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...achieve through open communication, cooperation, and commitment to teamwork. Transportation planning activities include visioning, forecasting population/employment, identifying major growth corridors, projecting future land use, assessing needs, developing capital and operating strategies to move people and goods, and developing a financial plan. The required planning processes are designed to foster involvement by all interested parties, such as the business community, community groups, walking and bicycling representatives, environmental organizations, the Native American community, neighboring MPO/RTPA and the general public through an open and proactive public participation process. As a Transportation Planner working for the California Department of Transportation, I...
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...Green Car Rental Feasibility Study: Hydrogen Vehicles Student Name COMM/215 Month DD, YYYY Faculty Name Green Car Rental Feasibility Study: Hydrogen Vehicles Introduction Obtaining a fleet of alternate fuel vehicles 5 years ago, proved to be a very good decision for the company. There is a growing trend across America to use alternative fuel sources. Americans are more eco-friendly, and looking for transportation options that can save them money as well as become more environmentally conscious. Based on this demand, many car manufacturers are now developing and producing more energy efficient vehicles. Firmly established as a leader in our industry, Green Car Rental entered the alternate fuel vehicle market, in response to the desires expressed by its customers. Based on our award winning success with alternative fuel vehicles, and the growing consumer demand for even more efficient, reduced emission vehicles, Green Car Rental Company intends to demonstrate the feasibility, and lead the rental car industry again by adding hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to our fleet. Product Information Hydrogen is a simple and plentiful, odorless, and colorless gas (H2) derived from gas fields. It is an abundant resource for fuel once processed. Manufacturers from BMW to Toyota have been developing numerous strategies to utilize hydrogen to power vehicles. Aside from CNG (compressed natural gas), LNG, and a host of other alternative fuel resources, hydrogen although expensive to...
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...Alternatives to oil, coal, and natural gas only provide a small proportion of the electricity needed to power U.S. factories, businesses and homes. However, as worries increases over the high costs and environmental effects of reliance on limited natural resources, more Americans are looking to alternative energy for the future. The burning of these fuels causes severe air pollution and thus contributes to the “greenhouse effect.” This enormous amount of consumption will be the ultimate cause of the scarcity of oil in the future and of environmental pollution. If people do not develop any substitutes to burning fossil fuels in the next few decades, people will experience a new and large-scale energy crisis. In the U.S., there is a high demand for gasoline. However, if people start to use alternatives fuel vehicles, it can lower the demand of oil, which will in turn minimize the oil-dependence and potential environmental problems. Jim Motavalli, the editor of E: The Environmental Magazine, once said in his book Forward Drive, that “At long last, technological wizardry is being applied to the automobile, with the result being a new generation of cleaner cars. The gasoline engine represents yesterday’s solution to our transportation problems” (Motavalli, XIII) Today, hybrid cars are the best solution for America’s addiction to fossil fuels because they use clean energy to power vehicles, have compatible performance compared to conventional gasoline and diesel cars, and provide economic...
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...and Frank C. Curriero1,5 1Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA; Health Policy Committee of the American Thoracic Society, Washington, DC, USA; 4RH White Consultants LLC, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA; 5Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 2Office 3Environmental B ackground : Exposure to ozone has been associated with adverse health effects, including premature mortality and cardiopulmonary and respiratory morbidity. In 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered the primary (health-based) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone to 75 ppb, expressed as the fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hr average over a 24-hr period. Based on recent monitoring data, U.S. ozone levels still exceed this standard in numerous locations, resulting in avoidable adverse health consequences. Objectives: We sought to quantify the potential human health benefits from achieving the current primary NAAQS standard of 75 ppb and two alternative standard levels, 70 and 60 ppb, which represent the range recommended by the U.S. EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). Methods: We applied health impact assessment methodology to estimate numbers of deaths and other adverse health...
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...quite else. Chinese people are indeed largely welcoming and open, and opportunities abound for the astute. Yet China is not easy. Strange food, different ways of doing things, different social contracts and expectations, uneven levels of development and modernity, and the widespread inability to communicate in English all combine to make China a hard country to move to. But for those who brave the adversities, and immerse themselves into China, the rewards are undeniable—at the very least you learn something about different ways of seeing and something about a culture that has been innovative throughout much of its history. POLLUTION Pollution is one aspect of the broader topic of environmental issues in China. Various forms of pollution have increased as China has industrialized, which has caused widespread environmental and...
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...University of Phoenix Material United States and China Comparison Using credible Internet sources, including the CIA World Factbook, complete the following chart on the United States and China. You may expand the chart as necessary. Then answer the mini-essays at the end in 150- to 200- words each. | |United States |China | |Population |roughly 312.8 million people |1.3 billion people | |Population Density |2010 is 87.4 people per square mile |143.48 in 2010 | |Median Age |total: 36.9 years |Median age: total: 35.5 years | | |male: 35.6 years |male: 34.9 years | | |Female: 38.2 years (2011 est.) |female: 36.2 years (2011 est.) | | | | | |Gross Domestic Product (GDP) |$14.7 Trillion (2010) |$5.74 Trillion | |Actual GDP |$14.58 Trillion | ...
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