What Can We Do About Air Quality in the Bay Area?
The problems facing the Bay Area and California regarding air pollution can seem overwhelming. The factors that cause bad air quality, such as temperature inversions, are often completely out of our control. However, it is important to remember that any solution will take time to implement. With fourteen spare the air alerts already called this year, 2015 looks as though it will be a tough year regarding air quality. However, this should not be a cause for despair, but a motivation for Bay Area residents to keep working for better air quality. While the first step is to comply with laws such as Spare the Air Days, there are many non-mandatory things that citizens can do to reduce their pollution footprint. Any reduction in driving can reduce the total amount of pollutants released into the air, while voluntarily choosing to reduce use of solid-fuel burning devices on non-Spare the Air Days can contribute to clearing our skies permanently. The issue with air quality in California is mostly caused by our previous disregard for air pollution, but steps taken right now can ensure that future Californians can breathe without fearing the health effects of widespread pollution.