The history of air quality management in California: A retrospective on California Clean Air Day

TL;DR — In celebration of California Clean Air Day, we are reflecting on the history of California’s air quality management. The Golden State has a long history with air pollution control, beginning with the first smog episodes in Los Angeles, to the first regulations meant to control and reduce air pollution, to the development of air quality management districts across the state, all culminating in the air quality regulatory framework we have today. While we’ve come a long way since the state’s first actions to combat air quality, there is a lot more work to be done as we continue to take coordinated action to reduce air pollution and work together towards a future of clean air for all.

Reflecting on California air quality management history this California Clean Air Day

California has long been a place of innovative air quality policy in the United States, as a state whose unique geography, weather, and large population highly impact air quality and the subsequent regulations put into place to protect it. This California Clean Air Day, we’re taking a look back on the history of air quality management in the state of California, reflecting on where we’ve been and the action that is still needed to bring clean air for all.

A look back on California’s air quality management through the years

From the first indications of poor air quality in California, to initial regulations and coordinated action taken to try to reduce air pollution, to the current state of air quality monitoring today, the progression of California’s air quality management framework reflects the ongoing development of scientific, regulatory, and public understanding of air pollution as an issue.

Creating a bright future for California air quality

While it’s clear that California has made significant progress on air quality management since air pollution first started affecting the state, there remains plenty of work to be done. 

As we continue to recognize the ways that accelerating climate change impacts air quality — such as how environmental disasters that occur more frequently and intensely due to climate change affect air quality, as we discuss in our blog here — it becomes increasingly important to take steps to monitor and regulate air quality given its immense impacts on public and environmental heatlh.

Interested in measuring air quality as we take the step towards cleaner air and a healthier climate? Get in touch with our team to learn more about our Sensing-as-a-Service solution for governments, businesses, and community organizations, using our Clarity Node-S monitors and modules that do not depend on infrastructure like WiFi or power that can easily go down during environmental disasters.