Top 10 U.S. Cities for Ozone Pollution

Yes, it's called an "Ozone Alert" and ozone is present, sometimes in quantities that can harm humans, but ozone is a NATURALLY OCCURRING substance that Mother Nature sends in when there is pollution of any kind.

Om terms of cities, here's how ozone works. Ozone is O3. A common pollutant is carbon monoxide which is CO. Ozone is unstable . . . it wants to become O2, and, perhaps more importantly, it has a half life of UNDER AN HOUR. The ozone and carbon monoxide come together and the results are O2 (oxygen - what humans need to live) and CO2, or carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide - what plants need to live. The problem has become that places like Los Angles have cut down all the trees and paved that corner of paradise so there are no plants to use up the carbon dioxide which is now the main 'pollutant.' There's only so much ozone can do - but IT IS NOT THE POLLUTANT. Yes, there are 'Ozone Alerts' but it's only because ozone can be accurately measured (remember, it's a NATURAL RESPONSE to pollution) while the many and varied pollutants are less easily measured.

IF THERE WAS NO POLLUTION, MAN WOULDN'T EVEN NOTICE THE OZONE.

Do you know that if you were to remove all the ozone (either by attempting to physically remove it, or, even more comical, legislate it away, as California was talking about some years back), humans, as oxygen-breathers, would all die very quickly? We need ozone to take care of the pollution.

Do not blame ozone for the pollution mankind has brought upon this earth.

Ozone is a VERY EFFECTIVE cleaner inside homes and buildings, as well as outside - in small amounts. It kills odors in the home (litter boxes, smoking odors, and much, much more.

Ozone is a VERY GOOD, and VERY NECESSARY THING. Be grateful it's here. If you don't want to be bothered by excessive ozone, reduce the pollution levels. Blaming ozone for the pollution is a lot like blaming the firemen for showing up at the fire - totally ridiculous!

Julia of FL 1:58AM June 21, 2010

San Luis obispo and Paso Robles on the ozone list uh no. really someone needs to recheck that list. There are less than 30,000 people in Paso Robles how is pollution a problem... well yeah there might be a problem look at our neighbors Fresno aera their problem is brought over here...ugh

California knows how to party!!

Guy who rides a bike verywhere must be nice...

NA of CA 1:01PM April 30, 2010

The reason so many California cities are on this list is because we do have to use cars to get anywhere in our state. Everything is so spread out and public transportation is not where we want it to be. What this article also fails to explain is that research shows that 1/3 of California's fine particulate pollution comes from China. As "green" as we may try to be, we need to do something about China's pollution in order to help alleviate our own.

A of CA 11:54AM April 30, 2010

from "robsurge" of VT:

"I thought the west was green shame shame"

LMAO. Have you ever been "west"?

1. California is not "west" - it's California and is unique unto itself. Don't lump the rest of the West in with California.

2. Out "west", the large geography requires extensive reliance on cars. The type of work we do often requires trucks. It's a lot easier to be "green" if you live in a state (Vermont) that is 10 times smaller than the state I live in (Idaho).

3. Some comparisons and some math: Idaho has 1.4 million people living in 82,747 square miles - or about 17 people per square mile. Vermont has 67 people per square mile (623,000 living in 9,250 square miles).

4. In Idaho, the average resident has a carbon footprint of 11.57 metric tons per year. In Vermont, it's 10.43 per resident. (http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/ggrpt/excel/tbl_statetotal.xls - take the total number of metric tons emitted and divide by population).

5. Given that Idahoans have to drive much longer distances (17 people per square mile) than do residents of Vermont, I wonder... who is more "green"?

Marine Corps Vet of ID 10:50AM April 29, 2010