Lets talk Los Angeles Smog Part 2
The large concentration of urban sprawl and all the cars 2 per home on average bustling about beneath the San Gabriel Mountains caused a huge problem dating back to the 30's, back then there were almost a million cars on the road, LA County planners floated plans for a new type of motorway away. And by 1940, Los Angeles County had its first new freeway connecting the city of Los Angeles to Pasadena. In 1948, the great four-level interchange seen in many films known as "The Stack" was completed and soon a tangled web of raised paved freeways began to weave itself through the metropolis over the next few decades creating what's widely known as LA's iconic freeway system.
By mid-1943 with wartime production at its height the people of Los Angeles began to complain of respiratory ailments soar throats sore eyes. Los Angeles County officials launched numerous investigations to track down the source of these ailments, the citizens of Los Angeles stage demonstrations demanding that the city officials control omissions the source believes the time to be the cause of these elements. In response to those several California-based air control agencies were established it was discovered that the Mediterranean climate and Southern California sunshine both things that attracted many people to Southern California were prime culprits with the large amount of new automobiles placed on the brand-new freeways every year exacerbating the problem.
California's Road to Reducing Vehicle Emissions
[caption id="attachment_329" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, garage doors"][/caption]
As early as July 2002: The Road Began With Landmark Legislation, From Which The Air Resources Board (ARB) Developed Regulations authored by Assembly member Fran Pavley, this was the first such legislation in the world that would require all automakers that wish to sell cars in the state to limit heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions CO2 gas to reduce global warming pollution from all new cars and trucks sold in the state, it was signed by then Governor Gray Davis.
The election of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger a Republican on October 7, 2003, in a special recall election to replace then-Governor Gray Davis. Under Governor Schwarzenegger in late 2006 $95 million in the state budget was allocated to create the Governor's Research and Innovation Initiative. This initiative provides funding for major projects that will grow California's economic strength in key innovation sectors, including cleantech, biotech and nanotech. The proposal also reaffirms California's position as a world leader in advanced research and innovation that creates jobs while preserving the environment.
In Part 3 we will explore how CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger took the lead and the roadblocks he met in his drive to reduce carbon emissions.