On March 31 monuments around the world will pull the plug and individuals will plunge themselves into darkness for the annual Earth Hour -- a global event designed to raise awareness of climate change and the environmental issues facing our world. On March 29 Relaxnews asked author Roger D. Griffin about air pollution, one of the most potentially harmful environmental problems for human health. Griffin has taught at UCLA for ten years, authored several books including Principles of Air Quality Management, and been involved in environmental research for 43 years.
Relaxnews: Firstly, a general overview of air quality in the United States: has it seen any improvements over the course of your career?
Roger D. Griffin: My perspective on air quality in the United States goes back over the past forty years, when it was terrible, particularly in regard to dramatic concentrations of ozone. Since then we have seen significant improvements in air quality, particularly due to fuel controls and the rise of clean energy sources.
The improvements in air quality in the United States over the past 50 years are highlighted through two videos of New York in 1966 and 2010:
1966 video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7m8LP_E-8w
2010 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGLNK5g6SXk
The New York City Government acknowledges in a 2011 paper that while decreased levels of burning fossil fuels have lead to an improvement in overall air quality, air pollution is still a serious concern to residents of the city. http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/eode/eode-air-quality-impact.pdf
RN: What steps, on a governmental policy making level, would you like to see taken to improve air quality in the United States?
RDG: First of all, I would like to see a balanced approach taken to investigating air quality issues. As air quality has began to improve we have noticed that there is a significant contribution from natural sources, such as in California for example, where the large amounts of vegetation -- plants, trees and shrubbery -- emit a large amount of natural gases. Therefore I would like to see a more balanced approach to compiling our inventory of emission sources, one that would take into account organic emissions.
See some of California's natural vegetation:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xeaivs_learn-about-native-plants-of-califo_tech
RN: On an individual level, do you think members of the public have a role in improving air quality, and if so, what can they do?
RDG: Every little bit helps in every respect. We need well developed public transportation systems and we need people to make use of them, particularly in urbanized areas such as Paris, Rome or London. However, in large areas with a diffuse population, particularly if people work in desk jobs, we need to begin to develop a culture of working from home, to eliminate the need for travel and reduce the emissions created by commuting.
An overview of the green practices at Google, one of the best-known companies pioneering initiatives in green employee practices: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YGqY5vmEcg
In terms of mass transport, examples of some of the latest extensions to the world's rail systems:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V_hoK8GuZA (London)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncPwXsErO78 (London, Jubilee Line upgraded for Olympics)
A solar powered tunnel installed on a Belgium train line to provide a clean source of energy while helping reduce emissions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMpPAhDs-Sk
Line 4 in Busan, South Korea, which recently began using driverless trains: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlWDi3eHtO4
New Delhi, one of the world's most polluted cities, recently opened a direct line between the airport and downtown, removing the need for passengers traveling to and from the airport to rely on cars or buses; more information about the project can be found at http://www.delhimetrorail.com/
