SoCal Sets New Pollution Record
Oct 5, 2018
Smog obscures Downtown L.A. as seen from Griffith Park. Griffith Park Observatory is the building on the far left.
The poor air quality of Southern California continues to deteriorate as environmentalists and regulators fail to attack the greater sources of pollution
Southern California (SoCal) just went 87 days without meeting federal smog standards.
Regulators blame the increase in smog from June 19 to Sept. 14 on hotter temperatures. However, they should target more harmful factors deteriorating SoCal’s air quality.
Oil refineries, truck depots, congestion, and especially, gas-powered leaf blowers, heavily contribute to smog levels in SoCal. Gas-powered leaf blowers pollute more than any means of transportation. By 2020, Gas-powered leaf blowers will pollute more than automobiles in California despite their lower count.
Los Angeles holds the record as “most polluted city” in the US, and a transition to quieter, and cleaner, electric leaf blowers would be an effective step in helping SoCal and LA stay clean.
