Although plastics only make up a small portion of the waste stream in terms of mass, they often make their way to beaches and streams, polluting the wildlife and ecosystem. Heal the Bay , an environmental nonprofit dedicated to making coastal water in the Los Angeles county safe and clean, has largely contributed to a significant improvement in water quality of Los Angeles:.
Works is a nonprofit volunteer action center that implements community service projects and assists in CSR Projects for companies. A few examples of recent partners include:. Despite the many actions taken towards reducing pollution in LA County, the fact remains that Los Angeles continues to be plagued by pollution.
The solution to these problems lies with a Circular Economy. A circular economy is where the value of the product is retained and waste is minimized. Besides stricter regulations on waste segregation and plastic use, circular economy solutions and initiatives necessary for reducing the waste in Los Angeles includes:.
Through collective efforts and awareness from the community and the authorities, a more sustainable future can be achieved. Initiated in Delhi, India, the Earth5R team succeeded in implementing an effective circular economy model through the plastic reuse program in the Community Center of Shalimar Bagh District. Through the program, the Earth5R reused plastic containers and bottles for growing saplings.
The goal of the program was to reuse plastic for a plantation at Delhi. The Earth5R team gave a brief demonstration on planting a seedling and showcased the necessary precautions and steps to encourage the healthy growth of the plant.
Active participation from the residents led to an enriching experience with environmental, social, and economic benefits:. Economic: Revenue generated for the people through selling saplings for plantation. Earth5R volunteers at Delhi train citizens to upcycle plastic and reuse it as planters Earth5R. There also is growing evidence that children with allergies have an enhanced allergic response when they are also exposed to diesel exhaust.
Particulate air pollution from diesel vehicles may be related to the increase in asthma and allergic rhinitis runny nose. There has been a marked increase in the number of heavy duty diesel trucks on Los Angeles County highways since , with projections for a continuing increase in volume.
Note that new standards in the s, limiting particulate matter or soot from diesel automobiles and light duty trucks, resulted in a sharp decline in sales of vehicles in those categories. Automobile manufacturers are also considering converting some of the increasingly popular sport utility vehicles from gasoline to diesel engines, because they consume less fuel and emit fewer greenhouse gases linked to global warming.
Such a switch, however, is expected to be significantly harder in California due to recent stricter emission controls. SUV sales in California at an all-time high. With some sports utility vehicles emitting times as much air pollution as a regular car, the growing number of SUVs on our freeways threatens costly and hard-won gains in air quality.
In an attempt to prevent an erosion of air quality, earlier this year California regulators announced tighter pollution standards for SUVs and light pickup trucks - the first state to do so. Traffic Density - Although air pollution from vehicles on Southern California freeways is recognized as a health hazard, few studies have considered what happens to the health of children who live or attend school near roads with heavy traffic. Recent studies in the Netherlands show decreased lung function and increased respiratory illness in children living near major roadways, particularly related to diesel particles.
Dutch researchers find that asthma is more often reported in children living within meters of a freeway. Environmental Justice - The mixed-use nature of many lower-income Southern California neighborhoods, with homes adjacent to industrial operations, is leading to demands for "environmental justice" by residents and community groups concerned about the threat of exposure to air toxics.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District is studying the levels of air toxics in neighborhoods near industrial facilities to evaluate disproportionate impacts on poor and minority neighborhoods. Southern California's population — and the number of vehicles on its roads — continues to grow, and it is an ongoing battle to ensure that Southern California 's air quality improves rather than deteriorates.
Stricter controls on all petroleum-fueled vehicles will be needed, especially on the increasing numbers of sport utility vehicles, which produce higher emissions than regular cars. Traffic density and the proximity of homes and schools to busy freeways and roads constitutes an important public health concern.
Issues of environmental justice and disproportionate impact on low-income and minority neighborhoods are increasingly raised. Indoors, a broad-based campaign is needed to focus on reducing all sources of indoor pollution e.
The number of children particularly susceptible to air pollution children with asthma or other respiratory problems is growing. It is essential to identify the role of diet e. Without innovative and aggressive control strategies, dramatic improvements in the internal combustion engine, much stricter control of diesel emissions, or a change to zero-emission or near-zero emission vehicles, the gains in improving Southern California 's air quality will be threatened, with the predictable consequence of impairment of children's health.
Contact Us Pollution in Los Angeles County. Air Pollution Trends Six major air pollutants, referred to as "criteria pollutants" - ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and lead - are routinely monitored for compliance with air pollution standards.
Children's Special Vulnerability Children are believed to be especially vulnerable due to higher relative doses of air pollution and increased susceptibility as their lungs develop and their bodies grow. Acute Effects of Air Pollution In the past, rare severe air pollution episodes have been associated with increases in both child and adult mortality rates.
Long term Chronic Effects of Air Pollution in Children In an attempt to clarify the relationship between air pollution and chronic respiratory health effects in children, researchers at the USC Keck School of Medicine are measuring pollutant levels in 12 Southern California communities, and tracking the respiratory health of more than 3, students.
Cloud API. Then click on this icon to install the widget as an application directly accessible from your iPhone homescreen. Or just scan this QR-code:. In case you have problem to access the Store, you can directly download the ". Download " Los Angeles Air.
Download " Los Angeles. In case the Android app store can not be accessed, you can also directly download the signed apk file. Want your own air quality monitoring station? Once connected, air pollution levels are reported instantaneously and in real-time on our maps. Get your own GAIA quality monitoring station now! Looking for more air quality related products? Home Air Purifiers. About the Air Quality and Pollution Measurement:.
Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. The general public is not likely to be affected. The entire population is more likely to be affected. Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid all outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit outdoor exertion.
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