It's dirty in California

Los Angeles, www.forbes.com

I believe a congratulations is in order for Bakersfield who knocked Los Angeles out of the #1 spot for being the dirtiest city in the United States. With the addition of hybrid tugboats now being used in Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors, soon enough L.A. might further lower themselves on the list! Either way, it's a good thing that Proposition 23--the measure which would have suspended the environmental regulations set by AB 32 in California--didn't pass because the State of the Air 2010 reports that California already has seven out of ten of the dirtiest cities in the United States.

Following Bakersfield and L.A. is Fresno, Visalia-Porterville, Hanford-Corcoran, skipping to #8 is Modesto, and the state capital Sacramento at #9. Phoenix-Mesa, AZ is in 6th place, Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, AL at #7, and Pittsburgh-New Castle, PA in last place. The American Lung Association came to their conclusion by evaluating ozone and particle pollution caused by vehicle emissions, industrial & agricultural pollution, wildfires, and other environmental factors. They conclude that the 20 million people who live in these regions are more likely to suffer from asthma, bronchitis, and more severe diseases such as lung cancer. If only holding your breath was a solution!


http://www.thisdishisvegetarian.com/2010/11/1127seven-out-of-ten-dirtiest-cities.html
http://www.forbes.com/2010/11/15/americas-dirtiest-cities-business-energy-dirty-cities_slide.html
http://www.lungusa.org/about-us/publications/

What to do with all that garbage?

A typical landfill. Photo courtesy of The Evirosax Blog.

A power plant in Long Beach, CA is setting an example for LA County where they intend to build an additional three more power plants which will turn trash into energy. Nicknamed “biorefineries,” these plants would burn trash to produce heat or use microorganisms which eat through organic matter, emitting powerful methane.

Proponents of biorefineries explain that this would cut down our dependence on non-renewable landfills currently being filled by 33,000 tons of garbage per day in LA County alone. Additionally, it will increase our power production using a renewable source of energy. However, critics suggest that this may add to air pollution and are no different than 1970’s toxic incinerators. Emissions expert of UC Riverside Bill Welch disagrees, explaining that the technology is highly sophisticated and has been effective in reducing waste and producing energy overseas. Other benefits include compost and ash byproducts which could be used for fertilizer and paving roads.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/garbage-incinerators-waste-to-energy-california.html