What is the process of smog control in Los Angeles?

A few years ago, smog was very strange to China people. In the past two years, smog is not only well known to us, but also suffered by people in most parts of China. In fact, smog is not unique to China. It existed in Los Angeles decades ago. American journalist Chip? Jacob and William? Kelly was born and raised in Los Angeles. From small to large, the foggy sky appeared in their memory, and the air was filled with pungent smell. In the following decades, they witnessed the whole process of people struggling, struggling and even winning in the smog in this city. In 2008, through years of data collection and interviews, they co-authored the book "The Secret of Haze in Los Angeles". Cao Junji, director of the Institute of Earth Environment of Chinese Academy of Sciences and an ecologist, published the Chinese version of this book through accurate translation.

Cooperation between various departments to control smog is the foundation.

The Secret of Haze in Los Angeles records the historical details of the formation, development and prevention of photochemical smog pollution in Los Angeles, the "smog capital" of the United States for more than 60 years. Although this is an ecological popular science book, it is very literary and readable. Through the language like a documentary novel, it vividly describes people's lives under the photochemical smog in Los Angeles. According to this book, Los Angeles was first hit by smog in the early morning of July 8th. 1943. When people wake up from their sleep, the scene before them makes them think that they have been attacked by Japanese chemical weapons: the air is filled with light blue fog, people walking on the road smell pungent smell, and many people park their cars on the side of the road to wipe their eyes. The government quickly came out to refute the rumor that it was not Japanese poison gas, but some unknown toxic substance was produced in the atmosphere.

Los Angeles' cognition and management of smog has also gone through a groping process. From 65438 to 0949, the professor of California Institute of Technology discovered the essence of photochemical smog in Los Angeles for the first time through repeated scientific experiments: automobile exhaust reacts with industrial waste gas under the action of sunlight to generate ozone. This breakthrough discovery has always been one of the scientific research bases for formulating air pollution standards in the United States and even the world. In order to control the smog, Los Angeles spent a lot of time and made up its mind. Controlling smog, like controlling environmental pollution, requires special departments for deployment and command. To this end, Los Angeles set up a "Smoke and Exhaust" Committee, which published a series of laws and regulations to control backyard garbage burning, waste recycling and diesel truck exhaust emissions. Not to be outdone, the Los Angeles City Hall set up a new department: the Air Pollution Control Bureau. The bureau also set up a court to monitor the harm of small smog, and began to hold a hearing in February 1955, imposing a minimum fine of $50 or five days' imprisonment on car owners who illegally emit excessive exhaust gas. Los Angeles knows the damage of smog to the environment and the harm to the human body. In the face of such natural enemies, if strong measures are not introduced, the control of smog will become a war of words, and finally the citizens of the city will pay for it.

In China, a city suffering from smog, government departments and news media always shout slogans, but no specific departments put them into practice. Of course, the management of smog is different from urban construction planning. The smog is invisible to the naked eye, intangible with both hands, and even comes and goes without a trace, which objectively increases the difficulty of governance. The execution of local government functional departments in China is not strong, but there is often a phenomenon of mutual shirking and fragmentation when departments cooperate. Such emotions will only weaken the determination and strength to control smog. It is unknown whether domestic cities will set up special smog control institutions like Los Angeles, but it is urgent to strengthen cooperation between departments.

Coordinating the relationship between economic development and smog control is the key.

For smog control, the clear attitude of local politicians is the key factor. In the book "Revelation from the Smog in Los Angeles", the author spoke highly of California Governor Jerry Brown when talking about strengthening the smog control in Los Angeles. In 1975, Quinn, chairman of Jerry Brown and California Air Resources Committee, asked automobile manufacturers to install catalytic converters and redesign automobile engines to reduce pollutant emissions at the source. This has also led to some innovations, such as "clean combustion carburetor", which can reduce the hydrocarbon emissions of gasoline after mixed combustion in the atmosphere under the hood. Jerry Brown and Quinn actively seek new energy technologies to solve the oil crisis, such as solar energy is a good choice. Jerry Brown not only calls for technological innovation to reduce pollution, but also encourages the public to change their outlook on life. For example, he suggested that California residents try carpooling or taking a bus to work. To this end, he also opened the first "carpool lane" in expressway, Santa Monica, so that carpools and buses can travel faster than private cars. This economical and environmentally friendly way of traveling has been widely welcomed by the citizens of Los Angeles. Of course, it takes two hands to make a ring. In addition to the determination and efforts of government departments, the strength of ordinary citizens can not be ignored. In the chapter "People in Action" of this book, the contribution of citizens to smog control is introduced.

At present, there are two-way contradictions in smog control in major cities in China: on the one hand, in order to stimulate GDP growth, the economic development department strongly encourages the development of the automobile industry. Faced with falling automobile prices and various car purchase concessions, citizens can't resist the temptation to join the ranks of car owners, so that all major cities are full of cars. The soaring number of cars and the emission of a large amount of exhaust gas have become the fuse of air deterioration. On the other hand, in order to control the downward trend of air quality, the environmental protection department actively encourages citizens to travel by public transport and advocates citizens to defend the environment with small actions. Faced with the dual pressures of economic development and environmental protection, many cities have appeared black humor that pokes the shield of environmental protection with the spear of economic development. Although the course of smog control in Los Angeles is only a case of a city, it reflects the living conditions of all mankind. The smog control in Los Angeles provides a lot of reference for the current smog control in China.

China is currently in a period of accelerated industrialization and urbanization. In the whole social transformation stage, coordinating economic development and environmental governance is an examination question for local politicians. Of course, one thing is certain: the model of promoting economic development at the expense of the environment will inevitably accept the liquidation of the times. At present, experts have not given a convincing answer as to what caused the smog that swept across more than half of China, but there is no doubt that the cause of smog is directly related to the concept and way of production and life of human beings.

Enlightenment of smog control in Los Angeles

After reading the Revelation of Smog in Los Angeles, the author thinks that efforts should be made in three aspects to control the smog in China. First of all, we should attach importance to scientific research. In the early 1940s, the citizens of Los Angeles were at a loss in the face of the smog that swept through them. After about 10 years of exploration, it was found that the photochemical reaction products between motor vehicles and industrial exhaust gas were the cause of pollution, and the subsequent control was carried out around this scientific conclusion. Without the support of high-level scientific research achievements, it is like a blind man touching an elephant. Not only is the pollution control effect poor, but even the basic direction of pollution control is wrong, and even the situation of more control and more pollution appears. At present, in China's scientific research, the research on smog formation has been included in a major topic, and a large amount of scientific research funds and talent support will be invested. It remains to be seen what the conclusion of future research will be.

Secondly, we must be psychologically prepared to fight a protracted war to control smog. As the book points out, when smog first appeared in Los Angeles, no one expected that pollution control would continue today. Some government officials have vowed in public that smog can be controlled in just a few years. This formulation is arbitrary and seems a bit blind and confident. Although the air quality in Los Angeles has greatly improved, the pollution in this city is still the highest among major cities in the United States, which shows the difficulty of pollution control. The mentality of "quick success and instant benefit" and quick decision is not good for smog control. As long as we are prepared for a protracted war, smog control can achieve tangible results.

Finally, it is necessary to adopt a linkage model, multi-sectoral, multi-modal, multi-means and multi-sectoral cooperation to control pollution. The improvement of air quality in Los Angeles depends not only on environmental protection units, but also on the input of the whole society, such as R&D institutions, environmental protection organizations, industrial departments, etc., all of which have contributed to the control of air pollution. In addition, the improvement of air quality is not only related to the control of pollution sources, but also related to the adjustment of energy structure, the transformation of industrial structure and the transformation of people's lifestyle. At present, as every citizen, it is the key to establish environmental awareness and advocate the concept of green and low carbon. If everyone consciously saves electricity, gas, oil, water and paper, and embraces every day with a simple life, the fine weather with clear skies and white clouds in Wan Li will surely come.