US Pollution

A recent survey has ranked Bakersfield, California as the most polluted city in all of America. Originally ranked third a just last year, Bakersfield now has surpassed both Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. Surprisingly, when interviewed, local citizens of Bakersfield say that the smog in the city actually contributes to their way of life. Located and surrounded by farming lands in Central Valley, the large amount of smog has numerous amounts of contributing factors. Since it is surrounded by vast amounts of farmland, most of the machinery used to manage the farms, such as tractors and planes, emit large quantities of smog. The mist from the fertilizers and pesticides, which greatly protect our crops, also contribute greatly to the increasing pollution. Not only does the farming lifestyle contribute to the smog but so does the natural environment and geographic location of the town. Because it is located within a valley, it’s surrounded on three of its four sides by large mountains. This essentially boxes in the town and forces all the bad air to the ground – and keeps it there. Also, due to the mountains, there is little to no wind to carry the polluted air away.

Although there have been plans to help reduce and prevent pollution, there are limitations that the town does not have control over. It’s also known that cleaning up the air and adding regulations and the sort costs a large amount of fees. Even though corporations like Apple and Google are adapting green policies, cities around America will continue to pollute itself.