Air Project Page
AIR
Air quality laws and regulations are enforced specifically to protect the health of humans and species.
Implementing and enforcing air quality regulations require diligent tracking and many hard-working individuals. Because harmful air emissions in one location can negatively impact the entire state - or entire world - air regulation is incredibly important.
The following programs fall under the California Air Resources Board (CARB), a state-run agency protecting the
public from the adverse effects of air pollution and developing programs aimed to fight climate change.
CARB is responsible for setting air quality standards, identifying harmful pollutants, and leading
research to better understand the climate crisis.
| CARB Division | Responsibilities | Importance | Helpful for... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | Working to reduce the agricultural-related contributions to poor air quality | California is a leading agricultural producer, and 1 in 6 children in CA's Central Valley has asthma, a proven connection to agricultural production (1). Adverse air conditions impacts crops and human health. | Information regarding agricultural regulations for equipment and emissions, daily burn decisions, and reducing dairy and livestock climate emissions |
| Air Pollution | Addressing smog-forming emissions, air toxics, particulate matter, and climate changing gases | Air pollution is harmful to humans, species, infrastructure, and the greater environment. 90% of Californians will be exposed to unhealthy levels of pollutants at some point over the year, leading to hospitalizations and premature deaths (2). | Identifying communities most at-risk for pollutant exposure, specifics about pollutants and their toxicity levels, and the Clean Cars 4 All program |
| Air Quality Monitoring | CARB maintains one of the most extensive air monitoring systems in the world, making it possible to track clean air and identify actions needed to meet healthy air standards | The ability to track pollutants across the state and individual communities is crucial in mitigating human and environmental impacts of air pollutants | Differentiating between natural, indoor, outdoor, and incidental air monitoring, and how to identify poor air quality in your local community |
| Airborne Toxics | Shielding public health from airborne toxics is a critical air quality goal, especially from at-risk groups like children and the elderly. | Increasing regulations on levels of airborne toxics is crucial to the safety and health of all humans, but educating the public about the severity of the situation is another great way to drive a societal shift in how we view air pollutants. | Information regarding statewide ambient cancer risks, how emission reduction is overshadowed by economic and social growth, and the impacts of vehicle transportation on our state and planet |
| Aircraft and Airports | Airplane emissions and natural resource consumption are massive contributors to the greenhouse gas crisis. CARB's division works with local agencies and airport operators to address pollution in, around, and as a byproduct of air travel. | Aviation accounts for 2.5% of global CO2 emissions, but an estimate of merely 20% of the global population has the ability and access to fly (3). Aviation is a driver of massive emissions and warming properties, further suppressing those unable to partake. | Learning more about zero-emission airport ground equipment and shuttles, and getting into communication with the Federal Aviation Administration to demand stricter regulations on emissions |
| Biking and Walking | Charged with improving livelihoods of people and communities through cleaner transportation initiatives | Children's health is closely tied to access to biking and walking, and outdoor exercise also helps feel more connected to the natural world. | Accessing information regarding the health benefits of physical activity, tracking CA progress on implementing safer bike lines, and transportation policies that impact our social structure |
| Cars and Trucks | Responsible for setting emission standards and enforcing equipment maintenance requirements to help curb smog-forming emissions. | The single greatest source of smog-forming emissions in CA is the millions of cars and trucks on our roadways (4). Keeping cars maintained helps control smog, while incentivizing residents to invest in cleaner transportation reduces initial exposure | Smog check information in partnership with the Bureau of Automotive Repairs, the DriveClean buying guide for clean and efficient vehicles, and idle reduction technologies and tips to reduce your car emission impacts |
| Clean Cars | The Clean Car division is part of California's goal to have 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the roadways by 2025, made possible by providing assistance in finding rebates, discounts, and tax breaks for investing in clean cars | With 24 million passenger cars in California, the push for clean transportation is immense and urgent (5). Smog has begun crowding our cities and the most efficient way to curb toxic pollutants is addressing vehicle impacts. | Finding how to save time and money with the DriveClean campaign, and learn more about the latest technology in clean driving. |
| Climate Change | CARB is developing programs to push regulations, create market programs, address environmental justice issues in disadvantaged communities, and provide incentives to transform the economic sectors responsible for the highest levels of GHG emissions. | Every economic sector has an adverse environmental impact, and every single economic sector needs to be held responsible for their contributions. | The statewide Cap and Trade Program, investments and programs focused on disadvantaged and low-incoming communities experiencing climate grievances. |
| Construction and Earthmoving Equipment | Implementing and regulating the nation's first initiative aimed at cleaning up off-road construction equipment to ensure fleets replace older, dirtier machinery, while providing owners and operators assistance to navigate the regulations | The construction industry contributes greatly to air pollution. Older, dirtier machines cause the brut of environmental accidents and emission exposures, but the ultimate goal must be energy efficiency across all machines. | Off-road diesel equipment requirements, compliance training courses for owners and operators, and funding for cleaner-than-required engines and equipment through the Carl Moyer Program |
| Consumer Products | Focused mainly on common chemicals and household products, this division seeks to uphold strict consumer product regulations. They strive to keep citizens safe from the products willingly brought into homes, especially the still unknown risks to children. | Not including the plastic packaging, expansive shipping requirements, and landfill/waterways waste, household consumer products also often include hazardous chemicals and ingredients. Education and awareness of the issue will drive consumer-related economic shifts. | Current regulations surrounding volatile organic compounds (VOCs), access to environmentally-friendlier cleaning and household supplies, and why there are greenhouse gases in your products |
| Energy | California leads the nation in clean energy requirements, attempting to shift away from coal-fired plants. This division is responsible for the exploration and handling of all energy activities, including reducing emissions from nonrenewable sources. | The goal for comprehensively clean energy must be achieved, and soon. GHG emissions from burning harmful energy sources is driving the planet to crisis. We all must quickly accept that clean energy is the most important way to curtail the environmental spiral were entering into. | Learn more about public safety power shutoff events (especially during high fire seasons), requirements for investor-owned utilities, and how California factors in to the US EPA Clean Power Plan |
| Enforcement | Recently launching the Enforcement Data Visualization System, this interactive mapping tool visualizes enforcement activities across the state, including inspections and settlements. | Enforcement strategies attempt to dissuade larger companies from environmental degradation, usually coming in the form of economic charges, which these larger companies can often afford. Companies harming the environment and the following adverse social impacts, then simply paying off their responsibility, is a disastrous cycle. | Information regarding a range of enforcement programs, including asbestos, racing vehicles, emergency backup generators, and cargo tank recoveries |
| Environmental Justice | Working mainly with grant-funding opportunities, environmental justice initiatives within CARB aim to engage community members and provide Californians with the best possible information about their health and environment. | Social and economic struggles are inexplicably related to environmental hazards, often having a heightened impact on low-income and minority communities. Environmental justice must be tied with all community initiatives, environmental or not. | See how your community is affected with the Community Air Protection Program and CalEnviroScreen, and connect with the environmental justice community through programs, events, and blogs. |
| Freight and Goods Movement | This division is attempting to mitigate the air quality impact of moving freight throughout the state and into international waters. Providing clean power for cargo ships and freight trucks is priority #1. | California is the nation's largest gateway for international trade and domestic commerce, meaning we must be leaders in enforcing stricter environmental regulations for the millions of tons of cargo moved everyday through our waters (6). | Incentives for clean off-road and cargo handling equipment, the goods movement and the sustainable freight movement, and how railroads can make a mitigating contribution. |
| Health | Provides information on how polluted air and declining health are interrelated. This division attempts to inform Californians on the severity of air-related illnesses. | Exposure to polluted air has been correlated with asthma, heart disease, and lung infections. Carcinogens have also been linked to air pollutants from vehicle emissions (7). | Identifying who is at risk and why, how you can take steps to protect your health from air pollutants, and what CARB is actively doing to protect the health of its constituents |
| Incentives | Promotes socioeconomic incentives to increase development of clean technology and cleaner air | Financial incentives are a cornerstone of California's efforts to meet cleaner emission goals. Cap-and-trade programs and rebate projects streamline the decision-making process, allowing consumers to be rewarded for environmentally-conscious decisions. | Incentive programs for personal, business, education, and the community are all available, including zero-emission school bus fleets and climate investment opportunities. |
| Indoor Air Quality and Exposure | Involved with establishing and enforcing green building standards and indoor air quality guidelines, in addition to regulating indoor air cleaners to mitigate chemical exposure. | Building materials, appliances, household products, and poor ventilation all contribute to harmful indoor exposure. Air purification devices are efficient in reducing existing pollutants, but pollution must be addressed at its origin. | Finding certified air cleaning devices, how to minimize exposure to indoor pollutants in your house and business, and who is most at-risk. |
| Industry and Manufacturing | Consists of thirty-five air pollution control districts responsible for regulating factories, industrial facilities, and stationary sources of air pollution. Districts oversee pollution efforts and monitor enforcement closely. | Industrial facilities and manufacturing plants are large contributors to air pollution and its consequences. The state’s industrial cap-and-trade program is a worthy start, in addition to CARB regulating industrial chemicals and blasting materials. | Learn about how stationary sources of emissions are permitted and regulated, zero-emission large scale equipment, and how different types of industry oils/gases are processed |
| Lawn, Garden, and Landscape Equipment | Regulations are driving less polluting gardening equipment and engines, with an overarching goal of all zero-emission electrical equipment statewide. | Gallon for gallon consumption, equipment like lawn mowers and leaf blowers pollute at a higher rate compared to large equipment and vehicles (8). These unsuspecting uses of natural resources add up, and clean landscaping tools will have a notable positive impact. | County-by-county incentive programs for responsible selling and purchasing of gardening equipment. |
| Oceangoing Vessels and Harbor Craft | Works to limit pollution generated from massive cargo ships to tug boats and everything in between. | California's coastlines are its most treasured resource, and these oceangoing vessels lining our coasts are only damaging the coasts. By enacting regulations to limit vessel emissions, CARB has improved quality of life in port-adjacent communities and further inland. | The difference between ocean going vessels and commercial marine vessels, and their respective environmental requirements. |
| On-Road Heavy-Duty Vehicles | Large truck fleets lining California's freeways are responsible for a hefty amount of air pollutant contributions, so CARB works with vehicle manufactures and community stakeholders to mitigate their climate impacts. | Heavy-duty vehicle machinery are prevalent and useful across the state, but more must be done about their near constant polluting emissions. School buses, refrigerator cars, seaport drayage trucks, and shuttle buses could all be the forefront of change towards a new wave of clean fleets. | There are many incentives to turn heavy-duty machinery into a neutral energy contributor, including clean certification programs, funding opportunities, and information on technology resources. |
| Power Equipment | CARB regulates the environmental impact of portable power equipment. Similarly to landscaping equipment and heavy-duty fleets, these power machines are responsible for a substantial amount of smog-forming emissions. | Many Californians are aware of the seemingly constant construction our cities and roadways are under, so why not make the nuisance environmentally conscious? If construction is the beginning of all new beginnings, there should be a stronger demand for clean power equipment. | Equipment registration information, public power shutoff events (particularly important during fire season), and emission impacts from generator usage. |
| Recreational Vehicles and Watercraft | Since there are limited environmental regulations on recreational vehicles, compared to cars and trucks, CARB has dedicated a division to developing controls on these machines, both how they are used and stored. | California's accessibility to outdoor recreational activities is part of it's appeal, but there must be stricter regulations on how citizens enjoy these outdoor spaces. ATVs, dune buggies, jet skis and speed boats all emit more raw fuel than it's car counterpart (9). | Keep informed here for updates regarding emission requirements for off-highway vehicles and additional facts for riders. |
| Research | The California Air Resources Board sponsors a research program which investigates air pollution and its causes, effects, and solutions. This research division has impacted regulations on cars and trucks, power plants, and many other CARB divisions. | For each dollar CARB invests in this research program, five additional dollars is resulted through the contributions. Research is the foundation for scientific innovation and environmental knowledge. | Read about the proposed research projects for this year and the previous, including over 50 years of sponsored research contracts for public viewing. |
| Smoke | A resource for Californians to obtain smoke-related safety information, including from wildlife and crop burnings. | As a result of climate change, California will experience a longer duration of fire season and increased severity of wildfires (10). Knowing how to be safe from the smoke and air pollutants during times of high fire danger will help limit health-related smoke effects. | Information on wildfires, residential wood smoke, and agricultural and prescribed burning. |
| Sustainable Communities | Provides planning resources for communities to begin transforming into sustainable, clean spaces for all. | We must begin transforming the way our cities and towns operate, towards a more human-focused structure that emphasizes clean transportation and operations. As a result, our citizens will also live healthier and more livable lives. | Strategies for sustainable communities, achievable targets and progress planning, and tracking progress across the state. |
| Trains and Railyards | Through regulations, incentives, and both binding and voluntary actions, California has dramatically reduced rail-related emissions. | Rail-related emissions have recently declined, but diesel particles are still too high (11). This problem is exacerbated by the location of rail yards, often bordering low-income and minority communities, further perpetuating environmental justice issues. | The Rail Emission Reduction Program, the legislative push for clean locomotives across the state, and interesting health risk assessments specifically in rail yards |
| Transit | Transitioning the state's transit system to zero-emission buses and next-generation transit technology is a top priority for California's environmental goals. Millions use public transit every day, providing an ideal opportunity to implement society-facing sustainability projects. | Transit will be a leader in transitioning away from a gas/oil-dependent transportation system. | Opportunities for local actions against climate change related to mass transit, current options in clean transit, and impending plans for a cleaner transportation future. |
Ready to Make a Difference?
Providing simple, straightforward ways to improve air quality seems like a no-brainer. But even those aware of the environmental crisis still don't contribute to mitigating air pollution. It's important to understand how, why, and where to make a difference in your community.
Here's
50 Simple Solutions
to help reduce air pollution on the road, in your home, and at work.