The current USA Federal Clean Air
Act requires EPA to set for six common air pollutants known as
"criteria" air pollution. These pollutants are found all over the
U.S. and primarily come from fossil combustion from automobiles.
They can harm your health and the environment, and cause property
The six criteria air pollutants
include particle pollution, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide,
sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and lead. EPA has set
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQA) as baseline to enact
laws and regulations to address through the state and local
agencies given to meet the required standard. California has
enacted even more stringent ambient air quality standards for
criteria pollution with associated laws and regulations.
criteria pollutant that is causing harm and damage to human health,
the environment and property Carbon Dioxide and the Equivalent
Co2(e) from a warming planet (global warming). Co2 (e)
includes Carbon Dioxide (79% global warming contribution), Methane
(CH4) (11%), Nitrous Oxide (N2O) (7%) and Fluorinated Gases (3%).
Co2 (e) should be included as the seventh criteria pollutant with
subsequent laws and regulations to allow society to transition to
other technology in steps in a strategic economic plan.
Fossil fuel combustion, refrigerants and landfill gases are the
primary sources of these global warming gases.
sources are Transportation 33%, Electricity (31%), Industry (16%),
Residential and Commercial (12%) and Non Fossil Fuel Combustion
(8%). There is also an available breakdown for the other
gases that contribute to global warming.
The Center for Biological Diversity
and 350.org have formally petitioned the EPA to declare carbon
dioxide (CO2) a “criteria” pollutant under the Clean
Air Act, and to set a national pollution cap for CO2 at no greater
than 350 parts per million (ppm).
This comment is
to the state of California. Will the responsible parties in
California government enact legislation and policy to assign Co2(e)
as a “Criteria” Air Pollutant with goal to reduce Co2
concentration to the no greater than 350 parts per million (ppm)
using updated California Ambient Air Quality Standards in feasible
steps? And to use Life Cycle Sustainability Analysis
(includes considering the negative costs of a warming planet e.g.
fire, flood, sea rise and more), consideration of the environment
safe to live in, robust economy and quality of life to put together
a strategic plan and subsequent legislation to meet this needed
goal to Save Our
Planet (SOP). If California does not lead then who? When?
The good news is
that through efficiency technology the cost savings can be used to
fund renewable energy sources and renewable energy storage to build
an economy better than ever. However, policy and standards
are needed at this time to reach the goal before it is too
late. Will California Act? Acting now is paramount because
the greenhouse gas concentrations are going up annually and the
planet and the people cannot afford to go beyond a 1.5 degree
Celsius increase stemming from man-made Co2(e) air emissions
becoming a pollutant because of the concentrations being above the
healthy limit of 350 ppm. The only other option is to face
devastating consequences at costs too high to calculate.