Clean Air In the News

As global warming drives temperatures higher, air pollution problems could get worse in the smoggy San Joaquin Valley, an advocacy group warns in a report scheduled for release today.

The report, titled "Hot and Smoggy," builds on established science that suggests global warming will increase the creation of ozone, the corrosive gas in smog. Heat helps ozone form.

The report from the nonprofit Environment California confirms that ozone violations spike during episodes of high temperature. Fresno and Bakersfield are among the eight places featured in the report.

"The warmer the weather is, the more likely people are breathing bad air," said Jason Barbose, the report's author, who is based in the Sacramento office of Environment California.

The report comes as state and regional air officials work on ways to hasten the ozone cleanup in the Valley, one of the worst places in the country for such pollution. Ozone triggers asthma and other lung problems.

The ozone cleanup target date in the Valley is 2024, which officials hope to beat by several years by reducing pollution from diesel trucks, other vehicles and industries.

Global warming gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, generally do not play a direct role in forming the Valley's pollution. But the rising heat could make ozone worse.

Global warming is the gradual rising of worldwide temperatures as the buildup of such gases as carbon dioxide trap the sun's heat in the atmosphere. Polar ice caps will decrease and ocean levels will rise, scientists say.

Controlling gases linked to climate change is not the immediate priority for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Pollution controls are focused on the local ozone and particle pollution that threaten the health of residents.

Some controls reduce both local air pollution and global warming gases. Better vehicle fuel efficiency, for instance, would address both local and global problems, said Seyed Sadredin, air district executive director.

"Whenever we can get a win-win situation like that, we push for it," he said.

But both local air quality and global climate concerns should be addressed, said Carolina Simunovic, environmental health director for Fresno Metro Ministry.

"We've already gotten the message about natural disasters tied to the warming climate -- big forest fires, big hurricanes," she said. "There has been a natural disaster going on here in the Valley for decades with poor air quality. It will get worse with global warming."