Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming Threaten Health
As cars, trucks and buses drive through our communities, they
produce greenhouse gases that are making us sick today and contributing
to global warming, which could someday become a disaster for the
health of all living things. Sixty percent of greenhouse gas emissions
in California are from motor vehicles.
Naturally occurring greenhouse gases help the earth remain warm
and sustain life by trapping the sun's heat in the atmosphere
like a blanket. But the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
is rising due to human activity, which could result in drastic
climate changes in the future.
The burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel produces
greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, hydrofluorocarbons,
methane, and particulate matter air pollution. Increased temperature
from global warming is expected to elevate ozone levels.
Ozone air pollution irritates the lung lining and causes inflammation,
decreased lung function and asthma attacks. Even more alarming,
a comprehensive study of children in Southern California shows
that ozone air pollution may actually cause asthma in otherwise
healthy children.
Particulate matter, especially the smaller particles, is among
the most harmful of all air pollutants. When inhaled, these particles
can lodge deep in the lungs.
Exposure to particulate air pollution can trigger asthma attacks
and cause wheezing, coughing, and respiratory irritation in individuals
with sensitive airways. Recent research has also linked exposure
to relatively low concentrations of particulate matter with premature
death among the elderly and those with pre-existing respiratory
or heart disease.
Diesel Exhaust Makes Residents Sick
Diesel exhaust is a major source of particulate matter air pollution.
To better understand how these pollutants are affecting us today,
look at the residents of West Oakland, who are exposed to 90 times
more diesel particulates per square mile, according to a recent
study by Pacific Institute. West Oakland children are seven times
more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than other California
children.
West Oakland is a diverse community of 22,000 on the San Francisco
Bay, where the Port of Oakland serves as a major gateway to the
United States. Container trucks carrying goods to and from this
major hub, along with the cranes, trains and ships, create huge
amounts of diesel exhaust.
"Black soot covers my window sills, my blinds, and my heating
vents. It is a constant cleaning dance to even control it,"
says Margaret Gordon, a West Oakland air monitoring study participant.
"No wonder that my four grandchildren, my son and myself
have asthma."
Pacific Institute worked with community-based organizations and
neighborhood groups to mobilize the community and conduct the
study, which was released last November. Residents counted trucks,
surveyed truckers about idling times and agreed to keep air-monitoring
equipment in their homes.
"We need to do something about these emissions, because
when it collects inside your house, it collects inside your lungs,"
Gordon says.
Lung Association Works to Reduce Emissions Statewide
The American Lung Association of California has been working
hard to reduce air pollution by advocating for cleaner transportation
alternatives, including cleaner fuels. The association has supported
a variety of measures to reduce diesel emissions, including incentives
for transitioning to cleaner technologies and idling restrictions
for diesel school buses.
The association is working with other groups to urge the California
Air Resources Board (CARB) to adopt the strongest possible measures
to reduce greenhouse gases as required by Assembly Bill 1493 (Pavley,
D-Agoura Hills). The landmark legislation was passed in 2002 and
requires CARB to develop and adopt regulations that reduce greenhouse
gases emitted by passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks. The
air board is expected to release draft greenhouse gas regulations
in May.
Strong measures are needed to reduce greenhouse gases such as
particulate matter that are making us sick today and protect the
health of future generations by slowing global warming.
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