A VISUAL REPORT ON SMOG Cities and Humans under Smog
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he presence of smog in cities affect not only the health of its inhabitants but alters the visual quality of the city as well. Six photos are reproduced below to show this visual effect of smog . As a blurring agent, smog dampens the city skyline, a feature that often plays a significant role in reinforcing city identity and promoting tourism. On the individual level, smog creates interpersonal alienation. This takes place in two ways: firstly, people reduce time spent outdoor to avoid excessive exposure to smog. Secondly, the need for face masks create barriers between human interaction. These images, taken collectively, show further that smog homogenizes the first impression of supposedly distinct cities.
Top Left Top Center Top Right
Los Angeles Beijing Paris
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A VISUAL REPORT ON SMOG Timeline of Governmental Intervention on Air Pollution
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ir pollution as a topic for public policy has gained increasing attention in recent yaers in light of the growing concern of global warming. To understand the relationship between public policy and air pollution itself, the history of relevant governmental interventions must first be understood. The timeline below shows major domestic policies undertaken to address air pollution and tracks it along changes in maximum ozone concentration. Before 1979, there was actually no standard for what the 8-hour ozone concentration maximum could be despite the passage and enactment of the Clean Air Act. It was only after the first amendment of the CAA that ozone was included in the measurement. The ozone concentration maximum is lowered in 1997, and then 2008 because of improvements in ozone concentration.
U.S. Policy The Clean Air Act (CAA) was passed. CAA was enacted. Major amendment of CAA
Another major amendment of CAA
8-hour ozone concentration maximum 1979 Standard: 0.12 ppm
1997 Standard: 0.08 ppm 2008 Standard: 0.075 ppm U.N. Actions
2015
2008
2005
1997
1995
1989 1990 1992
1987
1977 1979
1970
1963
Montreal Protocol was signed. Montreal Protocol took effect. The UN Earth Summit took place. First annual COP meeting took place. Kyoto Protocol was signed. Kyoto Protocol took effect.
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A VISUAL REPORT ON SMOG Breakdown of Smog Composition
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mog is not a chemical compound on its own; it is in fact a mixture of various gases and particles, namely, nitrogen dioxide, sulfuric dioxide, ozone and particulate matters. Most of the oxides come from sources such as car and ship emission or power generation. Ozone is a derivative pollutant that is created in the atmosphere. Unlike the ozone layer in the stratosphere, ground level ozone can cause major respiratory risks when it reaches beyond a certain concentration. As for particulate matter, there are two types that are commonly meaured: PM 10 and PM 2.5. PM 2.5 is a finer pollutant, and because of its size, can be very penetrative once inside the respiratory system. For this reason, PM 2.5 is one of the major risk factors in air pollution.
Particular Matter
7% Ozone
29%
Sulfuric Dioxide
6%
Nitrogen Oxides
58%
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A VISUAL REPORT ON SMOG Smog Formation in the Atmosphere
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his diagram illustrates the formation of smog once the pollutants leave their sources such as vehicles and power plants. Nitrogen dioxide, upon entering the atmosphere, react with sunlight and the oxygen in air to produce ozone. The ozone typically rises up, and gets diffused, but during particularly hot days, when the sun sets in the evening and cools the air, an inversion layer may develop. An inversion layer happens when the air pressure is lower near ground level, causing the ozone to stay at ground level. The inversion layer thus traps the ozone within the city and prevents it from diffusing, causing the formation of smog.
Inversion Layer (Warmer air)
~1000 m
Sunlight Hot air rises.
Air is trapped under the inversion layer due to change in temperature. Circulation + O3 Formation
Ozone (O3) As the air cools and condenses, it accumulated near ground level forming the smog layer. Nitrogen Oxides
~300 m Los Angeles skyline
Transportation, power generation, industry, heating, etc.
Ground-level Ozone Layer
0m
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A VISUAL REPORT ON SMOG Case Study: Los Angeles
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his map shows the distribution of smog in Los Angeles against major highways and topological features of the region. Ground-level ozone concentration is used as the proxy for measuring smog intensity. The thicker the yellow shading, the more concentrated is the ground level ozone. By overlaying this on top of a map of major highways, and the contours of the land, some spatial patterns can inferred. Firstly, smog intensity is not directly mapped onto highway density. Secondly, the geography appears to play a part of smog formation. The bolded black line delimites St. Gabriel Mountains, which appears to be a cause for smog accumulution further inland.
Legend Red Lines Black Lines Yellow Shading
Highways Contours Smog
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A VISUAL REPORT ON SMOG Smog as Spatial Mechanism
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set of three maps are shown side-by-side below to suggest a spatial mechanism of the creation of smog. The left shows all oil fields within the state of California,the middle one major intercity highways, and the right ozone intensity. These maps imagine smog not as a terminal phenomenon, but as present from production (as oil fields) to consumption (as vehicule fuel) to, finally, atmospheric dispersion (as ground-level ozone). Portrayed in this way, smog is shown as continuously and boundlessly expanding. To curtail smog, therefore, requires not only intervention at any stage, but across all stages.
Left Center Right
Oil Fields
Oil fields Highways Ozone Concentration
Highway System
Ozone Concentration
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A VISUAL REPORT ON SMOG Collage L.A.
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his collage tries to explain the causes of severe smog in Los Angeles in a more intuitive way. There are a number of a preconditions that necessary before smog accumulates in a city. Setting aside weather condition, on the ground level, Los Angeles is heavily reliant on private vehicle for transportation, which often causes major traffic. As the cars head towards the downtown area, the wind coming from the Pacific Ocean blows the exhaust further inland. The pollutants, however, hint Mountain Saint Gabriel very quickly and remain trapped there. Smog then accumulates near the city, and, when it reaches a certain concentration, becomes a health hazard.
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A VISUAL REPORT ON SMOG Premature Deaths Due to Prolonged Exposure to Smog
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ontemporary infographics focus on simplicity and clean presentation. While this design choice enhances readability and clarity, it is not always the most effective at getting a message across. A simple bar chart showing how the number of premature deaths caused by smog may show the change in numbers very effectively, but it falls short of delivering the severity of the situation. It reduces every event to a number, and the affective dimension, in this case, the horror of smog, is lost in translation. To address this, a collag approach is taken. By using newspaper photographs of people’s reaction to smog first and the figure second, the visualization below highlights the physiological and psychological impact of smog in addition to communcating the numbers.
10,000 deaths caused by transportation
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