The issue of climate change has gradually turned into a nightmare that is haunting the existence of the world. Even though many countries are making efforts to mitigate its effect, there is still much work to be done. Los Angeles County is not out of the quagmire, our region is also in the fight.
In this article, we’ll take you through the efforts L.A. County has made towards mitigating the effects of climate change and how much progress has been made.
Climate change is a threat to every country, state, city, county, town, and L.A. County isn't left out. Join us on this fact-finding mission as we take a peek into the efforts Los Angeles County is making towards repelling the negative impact of climate change.
What is Climate Change?
We understand that not everyone comprehends what climate change is about, and yet it affects all of us. We will take a second to explain to you, so nobody gets left behind as we dive deeper into the topic.
When humans burn fuel (natural gas and oil), it emits carbon dioxide and other harmful gases released into the atmosphere — these harmful gases are known as greenhouse gases.
When these gases become too much, they form a layer of gas that allows the heat from the sun to get into our atmosphere but prevents it from escaping back into spaces after it is reflected. The implication of this is that heat is being trapped, leading to a general rise in temperature that could be disastrous. With ice caps melting into the oceans, this raises the water levels and causes flooding. Other implications are heat waves, air pollution, wildfires, and elevated temperature as we have seen in recent times. Hope that makes sense?
How Does Climate Change Affect Los Angeles County?
Like we mentioned earlier, human activities bring about climate change and a leading cause of climate change all over the world is the burning of fossil fuel.
L.A. is experiencing an increase in air pollution (mostly due to the large numbers of cars we have on our roads); wildfires, deforestation, heat waves, droughts, increase in sea levels, and other signs that show that climate change is gradually affecting our region.
But there is good news!
What is L.A. Doing to Mitigate Climate Change?
As you already know, Los Angeles County is full of ingenious minds, including scientists and engineers, and the region is putting all its resources to good use in fighting climate change. The solution to mitigating climate change is clean energy. L.A. County can no longer afford to have businesses, cars, and industries coughing out carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. Efforts are being made to embrace clean sources of energy and also preserve our beautiful natural resources for future generations.
How?
Los Angeles County has taken bold steps in reducing its carbon footprints by reducing energy consumption in our homes, businesses, and vehicles — cutting pollution and opting for green or clean energy.
Policies like the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) are being rolled out to pilot the process, and that’s a step in the right direction. Limits were set on greenhouse gas emissions as L.A. gradually transitions into the sustainable and green energy economy.
According to a publication by LA Times in March 2020, these efforts are yielding results as greenhouse gas emissions are projected to drop below 40% by 2030, and this is coming after the EDF policy came to fruition alongside the global warming solutions acts in 2006. Today, it’s safe to say L.A. County is growing and carbon emissions are going down — thanks to its impressive policies and investments in green energy and the technology industry, especially in automobiles, and these are helping to curb carbon emissions.
Taking those steps and sustaining such unparalleled initiatives in the fight against climate change makes L.A. County a leader in its own right, and other parts of the world can follow in our footsteps. Remember to keep track of Brand LA as we keep you posted on L.A. County’s green efforts to mitigate climate change.
Zeemanuel for Brand LA