With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
News Flash? LA’s Pollution Is So Bad It’s Ranked Worst For Major US Cities
A view of the poor air quality stretching to downtown after a wildfire on September 13, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.
(
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
)
There’s new data confirming what many Southern Californians may already know: Los Angeles has the worst air quality of any major city in the United States.
The company, IQAir, came to that conclusion in its latest World Air Quality Report even though the L.A. area saw a 6% decrease in pollution in 2021, compared to the prior year.
IQAir, which monitors global air quality and manufactures air filtration systems, analyzed data from more than 6,400 cities across the globe in its yearly report.
Glory Dolphin Hammes, the company’s CEO, said some of that pollution can be blamed on smoke from wildfires, but the vast majority of it ultimately comes from tailpipe emissions.
Sponsored message
“We actually need to, in some ways, just blame ourselves and the choices that we're making in terms of transportation,” Hammes said.
She adds that lifting some pandemic restrictions led to worse air quality, as more people returned to work and the economy gradually reopened.
“That really took back all of the gains that we may have had in improved air quality from [the] lockdowns, and just took it in the other direction,” she said.
L.A. isn't the only offender. Across the U.S. and Canada, six out the 15 most polluted regional cities are located in the Golden State, including California City, Three Rivers and Pollock Pines.
The World Health Organization last year cut its threshold for what's considered an “acceptable” level of pollution in half — and as a result, no major city in the world currently meets that standard.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
