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The Bay Area has some of the worst air quality in the nation but numbers have gradually improved over the last few years, the American Lung Association said in a report released Wednesday.
The Bay Area ranked sixth in the list of most-polluted metropolitan areas for short-term particle pollution and 10th in most-polluted cities for year-round particle pollution, according to the lung association’s State of the Air 2018 report.
Bakersfield was ranked worst for short-term particle pollution while Fairbanks, Alaska, was worst for the long-term pollution, the report said.
Despite the poor rankings, the lung association said strong state and local clean air programs in California are driving progress.
The Bay Area — the report added San Joaquin County to the region in the results — experienced a 70% drop in unhealthy ozone days since 2000 and an 80% drop in unhealthy particle pollution days since 2004.
Contra Costa County was among four Bay Area counties to receive an “F” rating from the association.
The lung association’s senior director of air quality and climate change Bonnie Holmes-Gen said unhealthy levels of pollution can cause premature death, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer if conditions do not improve.
“We must continue the life-saving work of cutting air pollution and slowing climate change,” Holmes-Gen said in a statement.
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Air pollution affects all of us. Our more vulnerable populations: the elderly, babies and children, pregnant women, the chronically ill, even student athletes may suffer the most, but none of us can escape breathing pollution that causes cancer, asthma, heart and lung disease, and premature death. The solution is already at hand–we need to stop burning fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy. Luckily, the cost of renewables is dropping exponentially. We are fortunate that MCE is coming to Contra Costa County, with more renewable options for our electricity. Consider choosing the “Deep Green” alternative, with 100% of your electricity coming from clean, carbon free, renewable energy. Urge your state assemblyperson to vote “yes on SB 100”, promoting the faster adoption of renewable energy in California.
Excellent news for us who exercise outside 5-6 days per week.
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Very ironic that ABAG & other state & local planners, forcefully promote high density housing close to freeways when the major source of particulate pollution is generated by freeway traffic. Particulates include automotive & diesel emissions, brake dust, tire rubber dust, etc., all are in the micron size range & go deep into the lungs. An idiotic policy by the huge unelected bureaucracies that “know much better” than you or I on how to plan our lives & in reality make CA into an unhealthy high density mistake.