Hey EPA: Let’s make air cleaner

This fall, Environment California led a coalition of public health professionals, residents, environmental advocates and elected officials at a public hearing in Los Angeles to urge the Bush administration to strengthen standards for deadly ozone smog pollution.

At the hearing, Environment California delivered more than 7,500 public comments from California residents urging the federal EPA to strengthen clean air standards. We also turned up the heat by organizing a media campaign on this important decision.

Millions of Californians continue to live in places where smog pollution threatens even the healthiest lungs, leading to chest pain, increased risk of asthma attacks, and even premature death. The EPA will make a final decision on the ozone standard in May 2008. In the meantime, Environment California isn’t just holding our breath—we’re continuing to show strong support for pollution cuts.

New law protects ocean from plastic pollution

Our oceans have become dumping grounds. Recent studies have confirmed that ocean pollution collects into huge trash fields, one twice the size of Texas. In these areas, there is six times more plastic than plankton—killing millions of seabirds and turtles each year.

In February 2007, Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Ocean Protection Council passed a resolution calling on the state to drastically reduce the trash in the Pacific.

Immediately, Environment California responded by sponsoring several bills to tackle the problem of ocean pollution. One of our top bills, AB 258 by Assemblymember Krekorian, was signed into law by the governor. This bill will reduce one of the biggest offenders, preproduction plastic pellets (called nurdles), that end up in the ocean.

Beach in Northern California.