100 Air Quality in the L.A. Basin (1980 to 2019)
80
Ozone
Nitrogen Dioxide
60
Carbon Monoxide
40
Sulfur Dioxide
20
Lead
0
Source: EPA
1986 1983
1992 1989
1995
2019 2016 2013 2010 2007 2004 2001 1998
that the AQMD had to change their scales of measurement. Over the 30-year period ending in 2006, the percentage of days per year in the L.A. area that violated federal air quality standards fell from more than 50% to less than 10%. In addition, the number of federal “health advisory” days per year in California had fallen from 166 to 11 over the same period. The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has been used to label the U.S. as anti-environment... But the chart above gives us a fresh perspective. We’re doing a great job protecting our environment. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), in 1966, there were 25.89 motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 people. As of 2018, that number plummeted to 11.17. Highways are better, cars are more advanced, and drivers are safer.
We’re doing a great job protecting our environment.
In the 1950s, the joke was that if you’re too drunk to walk, then drive. Alternatively, if you’re so drunk you see two roads, then close one eye . Drunk driving today is known for being the killer it is, and law enforcement has made a huge difference. Violent crime has also dropped dramatically over the past 30 years. According to FBI statistics, in 1991 there were 758 violent crimes per 100,000 people. As of 2019, this statistic was cut in half – only 379 violent crimes per 100,000 population. And believe me when I write that crime statistics are more accurate today than they have ever been.
American Consequences
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