Carbon Crossroads: California can tackle toxic air while beating back global warming pollution

So true

Carbon Crossroads: California can tackle toxic air while beating back global warming pollution: "

As California continues its leadership in countering global warming, we face a critical policy decision on whether to solve some of the state’s insidious air pollution problems at the same time. While opponents of Assembly Bill 32, California’s landmark global warming legislation, vigorously claim that smog and other air pollutants have nothing to do with global warming, they fail to recognize the fact that most of the largest greenhouse gas emitters in California are also the largest air polluters: Burning fossil fuels produces air toxics, smog and soot in addition to global warming pollution. The intersection of global warming and air pollution as well as strategies to deal with both are highlighted and well supported by a new report out this week, Minding the Climate Gap, by a well respected group of California researchers.

An earlier study from the same research team, The Climate Gap, illustrated how low-income communities and those of color are so much more vulnerable to the impacts of global warming as they have far more adverse health impacts and they suffer economically. This latest research further demonstrates the disparities, revealing that “people of color experience over 70% more particulate pollution from large greenhouse gas emitting facilities within two and a half miles than non-Hispanic whites.” Generally, of the twelve largest greenhouse gas emitters in California, eight are also the worst actors in terms of their pollution burdens on surrounding communities disproportionately impacting people of color. Who are those bad actors?

– BP Refinery, Carson

– Tesoro Refinery, Wilmington

– Paramount Refinery, Paramount

– ConocoPhillips Refinery, Wilmington

– ExxonMobil Refinery, Torrance

– Chevron Refinery, Richmond

– Valero Refinery, Wilmington

– California Portland Cement Company, Colton

Almost all of the bad actors are refineries in the Los Angeles Harbor area. In these maps you can get a better understanding of how disproportionately impacted this area is. Two of these bad actors, Valero and Tesoro, are Texas oil companies that are currently financing an effort to repeal AB 32 that would allow them to continue to emit greater amounts of pollution where enough of it already exists.

Now consider the tremendous air quality, health and economic benefits that these communities could receive if global warming policies were designed in a manner that guaranteed improvements from the largest greenhouse gas emitters. Several years ago, NRDC’s report Boosting the Benefits showed that even through conservative estimates, AB 32 policies could save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of other negative health impacts annually – saving billions of dollars in healthcare costs.

However, incorporating some of the public health safeguards recommended by the Minding the Climate Gap report could vastly expand these benefits particularly in the communities that need them the most. Policy makers ought to visit the communities of Wilmington, Carson, Paramount, Torrance, Richmond and Colton and then fully consider the following system safeguards:

– Pricing co-pollutants along with carbon

– Creating special health protection zones

– Imposing extra surcharges in impacted areas

– Creating community benefits funds

Further, this report focused on three prominent industrial sectors: Power generation, Refining and Cement, yet the policy safeguards that are recommended would have benefits far beyond those sectors, likely reaching impacted communities in the San Joaquin Valley and elsewhere. As the California Air Resources Board (CARB) forms protocols for market mechanisms to reduce global warming pollution, they are at a critical juncture to build in public health safeguards in the system that can produce considerable improvements to communities throughout California while meeting climate goals. The choice seems easy yet not without political interference courtesy of the ever powerful industries that dish out those health impacts. We hope CARB can slip out of that oily grip to choose the path that secures additional public health benefits and protects our future.

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