Air Pollution in Boyle Heights
How does the traffic in Boyle Heights affect us?
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Air Pollution
This map shows the traffic levels of Los Angeles. Where there is more purple, there is more traffic. Where there is more red, there is less traffic. We can see that the area of Boyle Heights has the busiest traffic compared to the rest of Los Angeles. This is because we have 4 major highways intersecting, where over 500,000 cars drive every day.
In this map, the areas with a darker blue have worse air quality. When this map of air quality is compared to the map of traffic above, it is clear that the reason Boyle Heights has such bad air quality is largely related to the amount of traffic. This is because the vehicles release harmful emissions like methane, diesel, and carbon dioxide. The excessive amount of vehicles emitting these substances have polluted the air and damaged the air quality.
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How Air Pollution Affects Our Health
- increases risk of heart disease
- increases risk of lung cancer
- can cause a respiratory condition to form
- can severe existing respiratory conditions
- damages organs
The exhaust that comes from vehicles can damage the respiratory system if inhaled in large amounts for a long time. This is dangerous to young children because it increases the risk of developing asthma or getting an asthma attack. Elderly people are also very vulnerable to the hazards of air pollution as their bodies might not be able to withstand the intensity.
Solutions
Although the amount of pollution seems overwhelming, there are things we can all do to help the situation. For example, we can advocate for more green space. There isn't a lot of green space in Boyle Heights and with the amount of cars that pass by every day, we need it. We can make space for this by letting the mayor, Eric Garcetti, know about this problem and hoping they will fix it.
Electric vehicles are another great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Even though they are a more expensive investment, purchasing one is worth it for several reasons. One reason is because they run on batteries and don't emit as much fossil fuels as gas vehicles (reduction of air pollution). This also means that you are saving money from recharging instead of spending on gas every other day. On top of that, the California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project states that you may also receive up to $7,000 in tax credit (amount of money given to decrease a tax bill) for purchasing a new electric car.