How white and affluent drivers are polluting the air breathed by L.A.’s people of color

Los Angeles Times ^ | March 9th, 2023 | Sammy Roth

[shadowlands1960]

(This story originally published in Boiling Point, a weekly newsletter about climate change and the environment.)

Like many Angelenos, I spend a lot of time behind the wheel of my car. I drive from my Westside apartment to Dodger Stadium near downtown and farther east to hike in the San Gabriel Mountains. I take the 405 Freeway north to the San Fernando Valley to see friends, or occasionally south to the L.A. Times office — or to the airport, where I grow my carbon footprint even further.

So I couldn’t help but consider my own complicity while reading a new study from USC researchers, finding that Angelenos who drive more tend to be exposed to less air pollution — and Angelenos who drive less tend to be exposed to more pollution.

It may sound like a paradox, but it’s not. It’s a function of the racism that shaped this city and its suburbs, and continues to influence our daily lives — and a stark reminder of the need for climate solutions that benefit everyone.

My colleague Terry Castleman wrote about the study, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Urban Studies. The core finding is that for every 1% increase in miles driven to and from work by people who live in a particular part of L.A. County, there’s an estimated 0.62% decrease in the lung-damaging “fine particulate matter” to which those Angelenos are exposed.

[shadowlands1960]

Racism...

[bravo whiskey]

I don’t care.

[Rummyfan]

Apparently this is neither satire nor a joke. Unfortunately.

[goodnesswins]

Yeah...RACISM...RACISM..RACISM...RACISM...RACISM...Yeah...RACISM...RACISM..RACISM...RACISM...RACISM...Yeah...RACISM...RACISM..RACISM...RACISM...RACISM...Yeah...RACISM...RACISM..RACISM...RACISM...RACISM...Yeah...RACISM...RACISM..RACISM...RACISM...RACISM...Yeah...RACISM...RACISM..RACISM...RACISM...RACISM...

[Veto!]

Pure idiocy. I lived in Santa Monica 50 years ago and was very happy to see the occasional day without smog.

[No name given]

Ever since obomination was elected, things have gone downhill.

[nicollo]

Would be fun to submit something like this to an MSM outlet, kinda like the Sokal hoax.

https://physics.nyu.edu/faculty/sokal/transgress_v2/transgress_v2_singlefile.html

[Chgogal]

Okay you whiny moron, get on an a bicycle if you are so concerned.

[Steely Tom]

Century Boulevard (we love it)!
Victory Boulevard (we love it)!
Santa Monica Boulevard (we love it)!

[sheik yerbouty]

Boomlakalaka!

[gathersnomoss]

Hey, hey, hey, hey.....

[gathersnomoss]

Hey, hey, hey, hey.....

[deweyfrank]

It appears they want all the white people to move out of California and have all the blacks move into California. What an interesting idea. Maybe all would live happily forever thereafter. I’m sure it would remain a beautiful and lawful State. /s

[Kazan]

So, it’s not the fault of Lebron, Mookie Betts or any of the other black athletes driving around in gas guzzling vehicles?

[mikrofon]

I thought Black Lung Disease referred to something else…

[Amendment10]

"How white and affluent drivers are polluting the air breathed by L.A.’s people of color"

---

FR: Never Accept the Premise of Your Opponent’s Argument

I wonder if USC possibly overlooked the following concerning California automobile pollution.

More than a million undocumented immigrants gained driver’s licenses in California (1.27.23)

[Does so]

My family rented there for a couple of months 70 years ago. It was a rare day that my Dad’s eyes would NOT send tears down his face. (Due to smog).

[Jim Noble]

“Racism” = anti-white

[sit-rep]

Just fire up another blunt and STFU...

[Pollard]

So the minority, whites, are the only ones driving?