<\/div>\nLast Monday evening the South Coast Air Quality Management District<\/font><\/a> held an “Air Quality Institute” session at Long Beach City College. <\/span>Invited to the intimate roundtable discussion were a variety of stakeholders in the ongoing port\/environment debate. <\/span>The proceedings were moderated, and monitored intently, by Seventh District Councilmember Tonia Reyes Uranga<\/font><\/a>, who is also a member of the air district Governing Board, and new 55th<\/sup>-District Assemblymember Warren Furutani<\/font><\/a>. <\/span>The Assemblymember commented on the need for a short-range plan to achieve immediate air quality improvements for people living near the region’s transportation corridors.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n South Coast AQMD Senior Policy Advisor Peter Greenwald provided a brief orientation to the daunting air quality challenges that face our region. <\/span>One of his slides showed that even if we were to “zero out” all the emissions coming from international goods movement, we still would not be able to meet health-based standards for diesel particulate matter in 2020. <\/span>Another showed that to meet similar standards for nitrogen oxides (also called NOx) in 2023, about half of the needed reductions will come from what’s called the “black box” – a way of saying that we don’t yet know what technologies or strategies will work. <\/span>His “take-away messages”: <\/span>the health impacts are substantial; technological solutions are available; all levels of government must act.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n The ensuing discussion highlighted some of the divisions of opinion and lack of trust that continue to make consensus and progress elusive. <\/span>Community members emphasized that the ports are owned by and answerable to the public, and asked that lease agreements between ports and their tenants be made public. <\/span>Such leases are one of the key tools the ports have to enforce environmental standards (among others) on port operations. <\/span>Some attendees continued to express doubt about industry motivations and transparency.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n One hopeful point raised was the role of technology. <\/span>No one disagreed that technology incentives would be helpful. <\/span>Industry attendees cautioned, though, that regulations requiring emission reductions shouldn’t simply shift an emissions problem from one place to another (for example, generating electricity for port operations from coal).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n I made a rather half-baked point that night that I would like to say better here (hoping the electeds are still listening!). <\/span>I observed that interest in electric cars is growing as gasoline prices have risen to $4 to $5 a gallon – a sign that people – and companies – will almost always tend to do what’s cheapest. <\/span>What I didn’t manage to say is, first, this human behavior is something to keep in mind when designing incentives, and, last, what we need to do is make being clean and green the cheapest option<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n