OC/DC: Two Sides of Prosperity, and a New Foe for SCAQMD
Posted by: Jeff Solsby | 01/16/2008 10:06 AM
I'm sometimes bothered by random facts of reality. One that has sat patiently in my craw for some time is the impact of growing markets and regulation on the surf industry. It's well documented that several major board, clothing and material suppliers and manufacturers have moved operations from OC locations to Asian facilities. One of the reasons is excessive regulation from the South Coast Air Quality Management District on the chemical by product emissions of companies like Clark Foam, Rainbow Sandals and others. Those once made-in-San Clemente shoes are now made in China, no doubt because of cost but also because they're made with adhesives that emit fumes anathema to regulators.
Today's Washington Post has two columns neatly juxtaposed. Former White House write Michael Gerson writes about the opportunities and challenges of global prosperity. And, interestingly enough, we learn that one study shows as much as 25% of the particulate emissions over the Los Angeles basin come, you guessed it, from China. The circle is now complete, grasshopper.
Gerson's column does battle with long-time LA Weekly reporter Harold Meyerson's piece in the Post calling for a return to FDR-inspired policies to address what he sees as key fundamental challenges in the economy and in real wage growth. Despite being one of the Post's more liberal columnists, his writing is usually enjoyable and if nothing else his intellectual honesty and forthrightness about what he believes is the proper way forward, is refreshing in the world of media gobbledygook.
Today's Washington Post has two columns neatly juxtaposed. Former White House write Michael Gerson writes about the opportunities and challenges of global prosperity. And, interestingly enough, we learn that one study shows as much as 25% of the particulate emissions over the Los Angeles basin come, you guessed it, from China. The circle is now complete, grasshopper.
Gerson's column does battle with long-time LA Weekly reporter Harold Meyerson's piece in the Post calling for a return to FDR-inspired policies to address what he sees as key fundamental challenges in the economy and in real wage growth. Despite being one of the Post's more liberal columnists, his writing is usually enjoyable and if nothing else his intellectual honesty and forthrightness about what he believes is the proper way forward, is refreshing in the world of media gobbledygook.
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OC/DC
Mr. Ayer registered as a Republican to be electable in an interim election with no incumbents. He did...
Jubal,
You have, understandably, confused the science on Air pollution.
Particulates are small bits solid stuff wafting in the air -- dust and stuff like it.
The type of emissions that get plastics factoreis chased out the basis are "Volatile Organic Compounds" : VOCs. VOCs are chemicals such as solvents that are crucial to the formation of Ozone. (here, "organic" means "presence of a carbon-hydrogen bond," not "hippie food.")
The two really aren't comparable. Particulates, when large, affect visiblity, but don't necessarily caused medical problems. VOCs, on the other hands, are at the heart of smog chemistry. Also, the measurements themselves are not comparable. The plastics factories spew out the VOXs day in, day out, while the 25% number for particulates only holds for certain peak days -- and the number itself has been disputed.
A few years ago there was spot on Barranca ave in Irvine where one could appreciate the difference: Jacuzzi had a factory there and the place reeked of the smell of "plastic": these were the VOCs that, everday, was making smog. Nearby was a construction project where the big earth movers were stirring up dust and emitting sooty diesel exhaust: particulates.
Hope that helps.
My apologies for above atrociously composed posed.
That third paragraph should start:
"The type of emissions that get plastics factories in trouble with the SCAQMD are 'Volatile Organic Compounds'"
...and now I will go to my white board and write "I will not used colons gratuitously" one hundred times.
Tyler, except for your spelling (and confusion that Jubal posted above) you are right. The now notorious Chinese dust storms are throwing up all kinds of crud into the atmo - stuff that drifts eastward with the weather. Maybe that's what accounts for that 25% stat that JS referred to above.