Air Pollution in Los Angeles-1983 vs. Now-and how regulation isn't always bad

Los Angeles is one of the most polluted cities in the country. The shear amount of people who live there, coupled with a poor, spread out infrastructure, results in lots of people driving long distances frequently (the traffic is some of the worst in the nation). Combined with other industry (farming, manufacturing), and geography that basically traps the pollution due to surrounding mountains, LA has long been nicknamed "smog city".

The California Air Resources Board states that

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Reducing air pollution
The ARB and APCDs pass regulations to reduce or control air pollution. California's air pollution problem is so serious that almost every kind of equipment, product, or business is subject to air pollution regulation.

Regulations that help to reduce air pollution include those requiring the use of gasoline that burns cleaner and evaporates less, consumer products that contain fewer smog-forming chemicals, and requirements for very low-emission and zero-emission vehicles such as electric cars. Other regulations that help to control air pollution include those requiring smog controls like catalytic converters on cars and electrostatic precipitators and baghouses on factory smokestacks.

A regulation sets limits on the release of certain air pollutants into the air from a particular source. These levels are called emission standards. For example, California's emission standards for passenger cars limit the amounts of reactive organic gases, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide that a car can emit per mile. The ARB and APCDs set emission standards limiting the amount of air pollution from stationary sources such as factories; mobile sources such as cars and trucks; fuels such as gasoline and diesel; and consumer products such as hairsprays and automotive cleaning products.

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https://www.arb.ca.gov/knowzone/students/airpollu/airpolpage/cleanup.htm

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I have heard recently from people who lived in Los Angeles in the 70's and 80's that the air quality has in fact gotten much, much better since then. They claim that they don't experience eyes burning, or shortened breath, and can see a lot further than in the 80's and earlier. I decided to check out the air quality over the years and see if it actually has gotten better due to regulations, and I charted CO, NO2, and ozone in 1983 vs. today using a tool on the EPA's website. According to the plots, it actually has improved a lot:





Levels of ozone have gotten better, though there are still days that are unhealthy or unhealthy for "sensitive groups". However, in 1983 there were a lot of very unhealthy days, so it is a big improvement.






As you can see, there is a vast improvement in CO and NO2 levels.

Link to air quality plotting tool

I haven't plotted anything for the central valley or other polluted areas of California (hell, the whole state is pretty polluted) but the charts for Los Angeles seem to be a big step in the right direction for residents who live there and had to suffer breathing in shite every day like people in Beijing do now.

Just thought you guys might find this interesting-I know everyone hates the EPA here, but regulation can be a good thing too. Pictures of Beijing show what can happen when industry runs with little or no environmental regulation:





note: this topic is not supposed to be about global warming (but I'm sure someone will bring it up anyway.)