A writer for the Los Angeles Times is getting substantial backlash for claiming white drivers are ‘polluting the air’ breathed by black and Latino residents. He told me it largely comes down to the shameful history of Los Angeles County’s low-income communities of color being torn apart to make way for freeways — a history that has been extensively documented by The Times. — THE Book Goddess (@misstozak) March 9, 2023Roth also seems completely unaware of the very positive trends in air pollution, which has been steadily declining since the institution of the original (and, at the time, reasonable) air pollution control regulations. Interestingly, Los Angeles did achieve recognition for having “some of the cleanest air of any major city in the world” in 2020 due to the covid lockdowns. Los Angeles struggles with air quality because it resides in a basin, which traps and concentrates contaminants.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 11, 2023 21:59 UTC