The smog reports that hit the scene in the eighties and nineties were frightening, and those of us who looked on from what felt like our relative safety no longer are free from such potential threats.

Los Angeles air pollution became world wide news, and it may very well become worldwide news once again. The Los Angeles air pollution problem was caused initially by a growing population and very little air pollution regulation. The problem became so bad that we all received a glimpse into our potential tomorrow.

There were days when children and the elderly or ill were not permitted outside because the pollution was so bad it could cause breathing problems. With one of the highest rates of lung problems in the world, Los Angeles air pollution problems are still being felt by the residences. Industrial air pollution has played a huge role in this problem.

The immediate clean up efforts were met with no resistance because the world was scared. No one wanted to find the same smog cloud lingering over their part of the world. However, as the years passed, people have become more complacent to the memory of the most serious air pollution problem in the world.

The Los Angeles air pollution issues are not just in the past. While great strides were made to correct the problem, the entire city would have to be dismantled in order to really deal with the seriousness of air pollution.The world is no longer scared as the smog reports have become fewer and fewer while the air quality has not necessarily improved.

It is not unusual to find people who can easily remember the Los Angeles air pollution scare, but if you ask them about air quality today they are woefully misinformed. Los Angeles has one of the highest lung disease rates but it also has one of the highest rates of premature death in the United States due to air pollution.

So what about the next ten years? Fortunately, California has gotten some good governors that have maintained their promises to help clean up the air. Stricter regulations for industry have been implemented and there has been an all out public education assault that is increasing awareness and increasing community involvement. For most of California, the potential for air quality improvement is in the future.

Los Angeles is still struggling to catch up to the air quality of the rest of the state. Despite these improvements, the state still ranks pretty low on the list of clean air environments.

As Los Angeles air pollution continues to remain on the top of the priority list for government officials, the hope for a strong future remains clear.

However, recent economic struggles for the state have suddenly placed the progress up until now in jeopardy. As California fell to the state least able to pay its bills, many questioned what would happen to the clean air acts that have helped California creep out of the hole that the smog of Los Angeles had put them in.

The biggest problem with air pollution, such as the Los Angeles air pollution problem, is that air is hard to clean. We can clean up trash from the highway or we can clean up the filth on the waterways but we can’t gather a group of volunteers to scrub the air. Air cleanliness relies on the cooperation of everyone, including industrial factories and shipping lanes. The job ahead is still enormous, but every job becomes easier when those in charge know what needs to be done.