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Los Angeles air

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If an Oscar-winning film by a former vice-president, a spate of uncharacteristically severe natural disasters worldwide, and the prospect of our state’s long-term health weren’t enough to spur a real response to California’s terrible air quality, maybe taking a big hit to our bottom line will do the trick.

 

California has the worst air in the country – especially so in the Los Angeles basin – and a new report shows that the resultant health issues are costing the state billions of dollars. Lost wages, sick days, premature deaths, and chronic illnesses can be directly linked to the poor air quality and all have a direct effect on the economy. When people miss work, productivity falls and prices rise. When people get sick, they go to the hospital. If enough people get sick – say, from some external environmental factor upon which everyone relies for basic human sustenance – and go to the hospital, insurance companies are forced to raise their premiums. The domino effect is very real and hits the entire state: economists figure that the cost of air pollution in Southern California is $1,250 per person per year.

 

So is anything being done?

 

Well, the same economists are hoping that calling attention to the only thing we really care about (money) will spur change. In this case, change means adopting the same federal air standards the rest of the country follows to save that $1,250 per person. Easier said than done, I suppose – we’ve all seen the 405 on a Friday afternoon.

 

We really don’t have any other options, though. It’s not just life or death anymore. Even more dire: our ability to buy stuff is at stake!