Bonnie Holmes-Gen of the American Lung Association looks at how climate change harms air quality, and the implications for health in California.

1. Air Quality, Climate and Health
November 12, 2014
Clean Air Saves Lives and Money

2. Who’s Living
With Dirty Air in
California?
• 77% percent of Californians living
with unhealthy ozone levels
• Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
remains smoggiest in the nation
• 7 of 10 smoggiest cities in US are
in California

3. State of the Air 2014
Most Ozone-Polluted U.S.
Cities
Unhealthy Ozone Days
1 Los Angeles-Long Beach
2 Visalia-Hanford
3 Bakersfield
4 Fresno
5 Sacramento
6 Houston, TX
7 Modesto-Merced
8,
tie
Dallas, TX
Washington, DC
10 Las Vegas

4. Unhealthy Conditions in the Valley

5. Air Pollution = Health Emergencies
1/5
Children in San Joaquin Valley with asthma
$1 billion/year
Cost of asthma hospitalizations
1.2 million/year
School days missed due to asthma

6. Air Pollution Health Risks
• Premature death
• Asthma attacks
• Heart attacks, strokes
• Worsening of pulmonary & cardiovascular
diseases
• Hospital and emergency room admissions
• Stunted lung growth

7. Air Pollution Costs to California
• 2010 RAND Corporation
– During 2005-2007, unhealthy air cost $193M
in hospital admissions and emergency room
visits during.
• 2008 CSU Fullerton research
– meeting federal clean air standards could
avoid billions throughout California:
• nearly $6 billion in the San Joaquin Valley and
• almost $22 billion in the Los Angeles region
• 2008 UC Berkeley Research
– annual ozone-related public health costs
could reach $10 billion
7

8. Source: American Lung Association in California
Land Use, Climate Change and Public Health Issue Brief, 2009
Respiratory Health Effects of Climate Change

9. 9
Climate Penalty and Ozone Response
Millstein D. E. and R.A. Harley, UC Davis (2009);
Steiner et al (2006)

10. 75 70 65 60
Current Standard High Range Mid-Range Low Range
Parts per
billion,
measured
over 8 hours.

11. California’s Clean Air Vision
CARB: Vision For Clean Air: A Framework
For Air Quality and Climate Planning

12. Clean Air Solutions
• Cap and Trade = price on carbon, cap on carbon
• Low Carbon Fuel Standard = healthier mix of fuels
• Advanced Clean Cars = lower tailpipe emissions
• Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate = electric, hydrogen
• Sustainable Freight = zero emission trucks/ports
• SB 375 = smart growth, healthy communities
• Renewable Portfolio Standard = clean, renewable energy

13. • Driving California Forward: Clean Fuels
• Road to Clean Air: Advanced Clean Cars
• Road to Clean Air II: Zero Emission
Vehicles
• Smart Growth: Growing Healthy in
Southern California
• Smart Growth: SJ Valley Public Health
Crossroads: Fresno/Kern/San Joaquin
Lung Association Health Research

14. Health Support For AB 32
California Medical Association Resolution (2012)
Resolved: that CMA supports the complete implementation without
delay of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which
protects the health of Californians from climate change; and be it further
Resolved: that CMA support California actions to continue to take
leadership in adopting and implementing innovative climate
change measures, which spur climate policy action by local, state, national
and international jurisdictions.

15. Two key clean fuels policies avoid:
• $23 billion in societal costs
• $8.3 billion in health costs
Driving California Forward

16. Cleaner Cars
Improve Public Health

17. AB 32 Benefits Now!
• Equal to taking 6.5 million cars off the roads since 2006
• Fuel cost savings of up to $400 per year by 2020
• $8.3 billion in avoided health costs by 2025
• Attracted more than $20 billion in clean energy investment
– the clean economy now employs over 310,000 workers
• 100,000 Zero Emission Vehicles on the roads
– 18 advanced technology models now available, more on the way
• $872M being invested back into CA this year

19. Continue California Leadership!
• AB 32 “full and complete” implementation
• Mid-term goal, planning for 2030 and 2050
• CARB sustainable freight program
• Zero-emission vehicle program
• Investment of cap and trade revenues to
accelerate climate benefits and protect
vulnerable communities

20. Government at all levels … should implement
aggressive policies to halt man-made
contributions to climate change and to
mitigate its impact on children's health.
Statements on Climate Change
Climate change is recognized as an unprecedented
phenomena threatening human and environmental health.
The California Medical Association supports the ongoing
complete implementation without delay of the California Global
Warming Solutions Act which protects the health of Californians
from climate change.

21. "Climate change poses one of the greatest air
quality challenges of
our era."
Jack Broadbent, Air Pollution Control Officer
Bay Area Air Quality Management District

22. Clean Air Saves Lives and Money Campaign

23. Contacts:
Bonnie Holmes-Gen
Senior Director, Air Quality and
Climate Change
bonnie.holmes-gen@lung.org
Jenny Bard
Advocacy Manager
jenny.bard@lung.org
William Barrett
Policy Analyst
william.barrett@lung.org