Abstract
This chapter focuses on the progress that has been made in the management of air pollution in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) in recent decades. To highlight the serious problems, levels of improvement, and future requirements for sustainable air quality in the MCMA, the chapter compares air quality management in the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles (LA) and Mexico City. This approach offers special insights into the complexities of establishing effective regulatory regimes. First, LA and the MCMA are two of the largest, most populated, and most polluted urban centers in the world. The population in the MCMA increased from three million in 1950 to 18 million in 2000; LA County grew from 3.3 million to nearly 10 million in the same period. The South Coast Air Quality Management District, the smog control agency for all or portions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties, included 15 million people in 2000 (CARB, 2001).1 Second, LA and the MCMA share some striking similarities in their air pollution problems. These include comparable geographic and meteorological phenomena, the same pollutants, and similar atmospheric chemistry. Table 2.1 presents a comparison of some selected statistics between the two urban areas. There is a large difference in the GDP per capita, the population density, and the fraction of vehicles equipped with emission control devices.
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Notes
Los Angeles Almanac: http://www.losangelesalmanac.com/topics/Population/index.htm#Historical Demographics. (Accessed July 2001).
Houston, Texas supplanted Los Angeles as the smog capital of US in October 1999. Source: US News & World Report: Houston, you have a problem and it’s smog (10/25/99).
Website of California Air resources Board: http://www.arb.ca.gov/homepage.htm. (Accessed July 2001).
Information obtained from South Coast Air Quality Management District website: http://www.aqmd.gov/. (Accessed July 2001).
Website of California Air resources Board: http://www.arb.ca.gov/homepage.htm. (Accessed July 2001).
CARB mobile source programs are posted on the following website: http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/msprog.htm. (Accessed July 2001).
Website for Low Emission Vehicle program: http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/levprog/levprog.htm. (Accessed July 2001).
Website for CARB vehicle fuel enforcement programs: http://www.arb.ca.gov/cd/fuels.htm. (Accessed July 2001).
In 2000, California has tried unsuccessfully to remove Federal mandates for oxygenated levels in gasoline.
When SCAQMD adopted a regulation in 1990 requiring manufacturers of barbecue products to slash the smog-forming ingredients in briquettes and starter fluid, skeptics said this would be the end of backyard barbecuing, a favorite way of life in Southern California. Instead, manufacturers found a way to reformulate their products to meet the new standard in less than 15 months (AQCD, 1997).
CONADE worked effectively until 1988 and published the first State of the Environment Report of Mexico (CONADE, 1992).
Julia Carabias was appointed to head this new Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Fisheries and held this position for the entire six years under President Zedillo.
See website for CAM at <http://sma.df.gob.mx/cam/cam.htm>. (Accessed July 2001).
The first president of the Metropolitan Environmental Commission was Manuel Camacho, the Mayor of the DF in 1996; he appointed Fernando Mené ndez Garza as the first Technical Secretary.
In 2001, the new Secretary of SEMARNAT, Victor Lichtinger, has requested the Finance Ministry to reactivate the surcharge.
Grupo de Politica de Combustibles (GPC): Multi-sectoral group consists of federal government ministries (energy, environment, finance, economy / commerce, and health), local governments (State of Mexico and Federal District), public companies (PEMEX, CFE and ClyFC) and industrial/comercial associations with the objective of constructing an integrated energy policy. It met between 1992-1996 resulting in the establishment of a natural gas market, investment in more efficient power generation facilities and the reconfiguration of the refining sector (less fuel oil output, higher product quality). Also two fuel related environmental norms (085,086) were created.
Presented by R. Favela at the Round Table for Fuel Specifications and Vehicle Emission Norms, November 1999.
T. Weiner, “Terrific News in Mexico City: Air is sometimes breathable.” The New York Times, January 5, 2001.
A. Mandel-Campbell, “A breath of fresh(er) air.” US News and World Report, June 25, 2001.
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Molina, L.T., Molina, M.J., Favela, R., Bremauntz, A.F., Slott, R., Zavala, M.A. (2002). Cleaning the Air: A Comparative Study. In: Molina, L.T., Molina, M.J. (eds) Air Quality in the Mexico Megacity. Alliance for Global Sustainability Bookseries, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0454-1_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0454-1_2
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