Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
I Can See Clearly, Now
Summer in LA usually brings in the smog season, those hot, hellish months when the mountains disappear behind a curtain of sky that's as beige as a shag carpet in an Encino tract home, circa 1976.
Eyes tear. Lungs burn. Paint peels.
Not this year, however. If you've been breathing a little easier and seeing the Hollywood sign a little more often, you're not alone. The AP via Yahoo! is reporting that LA has recorded it's cleanest air quality ever.
Support for LAist comes from
We must really be getting a handle on our emissions problem. Traffic congestion must be easing. Power plants must be belching fewer particulates into the air. The Governator must have snuffed out his smelly-ass Cohibas.
Right?
Wrong. You can chalk all this fresh air up to Mother Nature. Cooler temps and other favorable meteorological conditions are largely responsible for this year's unusually clean, easily respirated air.
Which got us thinking. All of our CO2 emissions have led to global warming which, counterintuitively, has led to cooler weather in the LA area, which has, in turn, led to our having cleaner air.
Which is great! We can keep driving our Hummers. We can leave every light in the house on all day long. Add 6 lanes to every freeway. Convert the MTA's CNG bus fleet to diesel. Let wildfires burn out of control.
We've gotta keep those emissions up, to keep the global warming trend going, and our cooling trend intact. Sure, places like Florida may have to endure a steady stream of Category 5 hurricanes, and the Midwest may have to suffer under persistent Dust Bowl-like drought conditions, but who cares?
They're Red States. They don't believe in global warming.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist