Southern California Sees Its Longest Streak of Bad Air In Decades (sfchronicle.com)

According to state monitoring data, Southern California violated federal smog standards for 87 consecutive days -- the longest stretch of bad air in at least 20 years. "The streak is the latest sign that Souther California's battle against smog is faltering after decades of dramatic improvement," reports San Francisco Chronicle. From the report: The ozone pollution spell began June 19 and continued through July and August, with every day exceeding the federal health standard of 70 parts per billion somewhere across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It didn't relent until Sept. 14, when air pollution dipped to "moderate" levels within federal limits for ozone, the lung-damaging gas in smog that triggers asthma and other respiratory illnesses. It's not unusual for Southern California summers to go weeks without a break in the smog, especially in inland communities that have long suffered the nation's worst ozone levels. But environmentalists and health experts say the persistence of dirty air this year is a troubling sign that demands action. Regulators blame the dip in air quality in recent years on hotter weather and stronger, more persistent inversion layers that trap smog near the ground.

Comments

This Republican trashmind doesn't understand MUCH

[Anonymous Coward]

So, again, you're too stupid to be able to comprehend the effect that ~150-200 PPM reduction of 02 does not affect flames at sea level (or any environment really) noticeably. It's measurable in a lab, but insignificantly tiny compared to the effect that raising the temperature or lowering the humidity have on flames and by extension forest fires. The amount of c02, methane and other insulants is very tiny compared to the overall atmospheric composition but because of their IR-reflecting properties even a slight increase to the entire atmospheric composition traps a significant and EXPONENTIALLY INCREASING additional heat, which both dries and warms areas traditionally cooler in the recent epoch and with substantial fuels. Hotter fires also drive faster winds, and all of these drying, heating and blowing effects have a massive effect on actual wildfire intensity and occurrence, as any "red flag" fire warning sign explains even to illiterates like yourself, if you manage to read it. DRY/HOT = FIRE DANGER. Increasing 02 by 150-200 PARTS PER MILLION does not nearly have the same effect. QED, you're a fucking moron. Class dismissed.