Lung Health News, Spring / Summer 2004
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.
