This 2024 "State of the Air" report warns efforts to reduce emissions are undermined by extreme heat, drought and wildfires caused by climate change.

According to the report, after Bakersfield, the worst cities for year-round particle pollution between 2020 and 2022 were:

  • Visalia, California
  • Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California
  • Eugene-Springfield, Oregon
  • San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach, California
  • Sacramento-Roseville, California
  • Medford-Grants Pass, Oregon
  • Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona
  • Fairbanks, Alaska

Los Angeles — infamous for its smog, which is mainly composed of ozone — ranked as the worst city for ozone pollution in the country, as it has on all but one “State of the Air” report. After Los Angeles, the most polluted cities for ozone were:

  • Visalia, California
  • Bakersfield, California
  • Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California
  • Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona
  • Denver-Aurora, Colorado
  • Sacramento-Roseville, California
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California
  • Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem, Utah
  • Houston-The Woodlands, Texas
  • partial_accumen@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    2 months ago

    And for those that get confused about ozone being good or bad its like this:

    Ozone (3 Oxygen atoms together in one molecule or , O3)

    • is really bad for humans to breath (and life to continue) so when its on the ground next to us = bad
    • Ozone forms naturally in the stratosphere as long as we don’t put a bunch of chemicals which breaks ozone or prevents its formation (like CFCs, which are now mostly banned around the world). Ozone is absolutely vital for human (and all in general) life on Earth high up in the stratosphere because it blocks a bunch of the sun’s UV rays from getting down to us here on the ground. = good