Air Pollution

May 7, 2024, Filed Under: Air Pollution

The Paso del Norte Air Basin: opportunity and reward in a chronically polluted region

The Paso del Norte Basin (the Basin), comprising El Paso, TX, Sunland Park, NM and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, suffers from some of the worst air quality across the United States and Mexico- ranked as the 14th worst urban air quality in the United States in a 2023 report by the American Lung Association. Development of the Basin began in the 19th century when it became recognized as one of the lowest passage points along the continental divide. Mining, smelting, agricultural and manufacturing industries gathered along either side of the border over the next two centuries and the surrounding urban area grew in kind to meet the need for a growing labor force. Today, the Basin remains a hub for industrial manufacturing.

With an urban area of over 2.7 million, the Basin is the second-largest transborder agglomeration along the U.S.-Mexico border and hosts the third largest inland port of entry between the U.S. and Mexico, behind Laredo, TX and San Ysidro, NM. In 2018 alone, the El Paso border crossing handled over 2,000,000 and 844,000 northbound crossings of cars and trucks, respectively. Cars and trucks are the largest contributors to air pollution within the Basin. Additional polluters such as scrap tire fires and wood-stove cooking are known to contribute to poor regional air quality, however the exact relative contributions remain unclear.

Manufacturing within El Paso county alone accounts for 8.3% of the economy of Texas, bringing in an estimated $2.7 billion dollars. Petroleum and coal, primary metal, and apparel are all considered as strong industries within the region and still growing. Ciudad Juarez itself has over 320 factories, accounting for more than 60% of factory jobs in the state of Chihuahua. Coupling these numbers with a growth rate of 5% and 1.38% for El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, respectively, air quality issues caused by industry manufacturing and traffic will be exacerbated by continued growth in the coming years.

Addressing the rising demand for clean air within the Paso del Norte Basin requires joint efforts by key stakeholders to offer proactive solutions. Closing the information gap on air quality point sources, facilitating binational collaboration towards reducing traffic-related emissions, and encouraging the involvement of private actors will all be necessary to change the trajectory of air quality within the basin.

State Solutions: collaborative approaches

Create a Clean Air Fund

The U.S. and Mexico should establish a “Clean Air Fund” to promote data collection and pollution mitigation initiatives. We recommend that the fund be administered through the North American Development Bank and used for the benefit of the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez region. By issuing grants and loans to private actors and community groups dedicated to cleaning up the region’s air, this initiative would yield numerous benefits. First, by helping defray the costs of air quality monitors, it would improve data availability and increase scientists’ understanding of the causes and consequences of the issue. Second, through funding innovative projects, it would contribute to improving air quality. Third, it would foster collaboration between private actors and communities, enhancing local capacity for environmental stewardship. This complements the top-down regulatory strategy that we also recommend. Finally, it would improve public health by reducing pollution-related illnesses, alleviating some burden on healthcare systems in both countries. Most importantly, we believe this initiative would bolster bilateral cooperation, strengthen diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Mexico. While initial costs of the fund may raise concerns among budget hawks, the long-term economic and environmental benefits far outweigh the financial cost. Through transparent governance and robust accountability measures overseen by the development bank, any potential downsides, such as misuse of funds or lack of efficacy, can be addressed. Overall, the establishment of a Clean Air Fund represents a proactive and beneficial step towards ensuring a healthier and more sustainable future for the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez region and beyond.

Reduce Vehicle Emissions

Idling times at the border crossing are too long and harm air quality. Currently, the setup requires commercial vehicles to wait in long lines to cross the border, often undergoing inspections by customs and border patrol agents. This waiting period prompts drivers to idle their vehicles and run air conditioning, releasing emissions for no added productivity. It is imperative that both states implement regulations to curb idling among commercial vehicles waiting at the border. However, for regulations to effectively address the issue, both countries must also explore innovative alternatives. For instance, this could involve finding alternative routes to redirect commercial traffic away from congested border points, thereby minimizing idling times and redirecting emissions out of the Basin. Additionally, investing in technological solutions through partnerships with private entities to expedite vehicle inspections would prove beneficial. Creative solutions such as electric shuttles that transport trucks across the border without idling offer other promising avenues for reducing air pollution. By embracing innovation and fostering cooperation, we can overhaul border management practices and pave the way for cleaner, healthier air.

Community Organization as a Driving Force

To promote the policies in this post, the communities of El Paso, Sunland Park, and Ciudad Juarez should organize to advocate for policies to improve air quality – either the policies above, or policies that they personally support. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. The U.S. Federal Government is currently considering a renovation project for the Bridge of the Americas (the one toll free bridge between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez).

The traffic from this bridge causes a massive amount of pollution in the region. Cars can idle for up to ten hours at a time waiting to cross the border, releasing huge amounts of vehicle emissions into the cities and neighborhoods around them. This can cause breathing problems for sensitive groups, especially children. Some residents say that the amount of vehicles should be limited, or that commercial vehicles shouldn’t be allowed to use the bridge at all.

“It’s time for us to really look at what’s happening and really call out these entities to do something about it”
Hilda Villegas, La Mujer Obrera

While the GSA (General Services Administration) is currently finished taking comments for this round of design drafting, you can stay up to date on the status of the progress here. You can also contact your local representative to give your thoughts on the project, or on air pollution in the basin as a whole.

El Paso: Texas 16th Congressional District: Veronica Escobar
Sunland Park: New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District: Gabe Vasquez

Low-Cost Air Sensors as a community and industry-based solution

Continuous Air Monitoring Stations (CAMS) currently used by the U.S. EPA are the best in the business in terms of reliability of data, however the price is prohibitive for most communities, with stations costing as much as $250,000 a piece. While CAMS offer long-term reliability of data, their cost and size of the set-up limits the number of stations that can be installed across a city. One of the major issues limiting improvements to air quality in the Paso del Norte air basin is the lack of consistent and reliable air quality data. CAMS are limited in their ability to identify point-source location of air pollution, and to identify those communities suffering the worst.

Low-Cost Air Sensors offer an accessible alternative for communities to empower themselves through widespread self-monitoring. Previous research in the air basin installed a system of Purple Air sensors to create a reliable network of smaller scale monitors across both El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. The initial rounds of research were informative, however one of the major limitations of the Purple Air sensors is their reliance on active connections to a power source and to an ethernet internet service. To improve air quality monitoring across the basin and to improve our ability to identify point-sources, a more reliable and self-sufficient model is necessary. At $1000 per unit, the Clarity air sensors such as the one pictured above, provide 24/7 air quality monitoring using self-sufficient systems that run using solar power and satellite internet connection. Lastly, data is uploaded real-time to an online dashboard that can be made publicly available- allowing members of the community to identify in real-time the quality of the air they are breathing. Set up of the Clarity sensors just requires a surface with ample sunlight to be mounted and occasional cleanings of their solar panels.

The Joint Advisory Committee

As the primary intergovernmental organization working on Basin air quality, we highly recommend the Joint Advisory Committee increase investment in the installation of Clarity sensors across the Paso del Norte Air Basin to provide active and real-time air quality monitoring data. Communities across the Basin have the ability to contribute to the collection of data on air quality to lead to problem-specific approaches to solving air quality issues. Similarly, communities have a right to consistent and reliable information regarding the quality of air they breathe in their own community. Low-cost air sensors such as the Clarity sensors empower communities to become powerful stakeholders in the improvement of their own air quality.

We suggest the following two methods:

The creation of the “Blue Seal”: An award to recognize industry partners sponsoring a low-cost sensor
Utilizing the Binational Air Quality Fund to sponsor low-cost sensor installation in low-income communities.

May 20, 2021, Filed Under: Air Pollution, Climate

Maximizing Carbon Emissions Reductions

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is COP15_1.jpg — A plenary session at the COP15. (Photo: UN Climate Change)

Climate change has threatened human, plant and animal populations around the world. Because it is a global issue, global leadership and global solutions are needed. The international community established a global warming target of 1.5°C in the Paris Agreement. The objective of recent international agreements has been in response to that target. However, further steps must be taken to achieve and surpass the 1.5°C. Rather than simply reduce present levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the international community must push for net-zero commitments from all countries around the world and a redesigning of the global economy.

How do we accomplish this?

Different countries and entities have unique strategies to approach carbon emission reductions. Common strategies include:

Carbon Pricing

“Carbon pricing is an instrument that captures the external costs of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—the costs of emissions that the public pays for, such as damage to crops, health care costs from heat waves and droughts, and loss of property from flooding and sea level rise—and ties them to their sources through a price, usually in the form of a price on the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted.”
–The World Bank, Carbon Pricing Dashboard

Carbon Offsets

“A carbon offset broadly refers to a reduction in GHG emissions – or an increase in carbon storage (e.g., through land restoration or the planting of trees) – that is used to compensate for emissions that occur elsewhere.”

–Carbon Offset Guide

Carbon Taxes

“Under a carbon tax, the government sets a price that emitters must pay for each ton of greenhouse gas emissions they emit. Businesses and consumers will take steps, such as switching fuels or adopting new technologies, to reduce their emissions to avoid paying the tax.”
–Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

Cap and trade

“Cap and trade reduces emissions, such as those from power plants, by setting a limit on pollution and creating a market where emitters can purchase emissions capacity.”
-Environmental Defense Fund

By aggregating such policy strategies, reductions can be maximized. There are three steps towards achieving the economic shift needed to sustainably beat climate change.

Step 1: Legal/Regulatory Strategy
To compel states to research, strategize and deploy a net-zero emissions strategy and to write it into law.

Since writing their net-zero commitments into law, the United Kingdom has secured 29% reductions in carbon emissions. Although they are behind their target, because they created laws to reach said targets, they have made more progress than other signatories of the Paris Agreement. The UK designed a net-zero strategy and then set it into law. Imagine the progress to be made if more countries could be encouraged to do the same!

Step 2: Financial/Technological Strategy
To leverage the funding committed at COP15 and finance a transition to a green global economy.

In 2009 at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference (COP15), developed countries committed to finance a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). By signing onto the CDM, developed countries agreed to budget for a transition to a green economy. They even agreed to designate funds to aid developing countries as they renovated their domestic markets.

Financing the transition to a green economy is necessary because until clean energy and technology is widely available, products and services derived from those sources may be more expensive than non-sustainably-sourced products. Additionally, government subsidy will be needed to stabilize companies as they adjust their trajectory to net-zero.

These finances represent the beginning of a shift to more sustainable products and materials. Moving away from economic practices that destroy the planet towards sustainable development strategies is a crucial part of slowing global warming and climate change.

Step 3: Climate Action Strategies
To bring awareness to the public about their contribution to and the status of the carbon emissions reduction effort.

In the United Kingdom, as the government moved towards a greener policies, companies also began to make projections about the financial viability of greener products. It became apparent that investment in these products would cost companies more in the short term. However, market research showed that because of awareness campaigns, the public was willing to accept these costs to purchase products that were better for the environment. This kind of commitment from the public is needed for governments around the world to make the needed investments into a greener future.

The Bottom Line

The world has an urgent decision to make: can global finances, policies and innovations be directed towards slowing climate change? Can this happen despite international challenges such as COVID-19? With the collaboration of nations, international organizations, corporations and the public, there are significant gains to be made towards reducing global warming and climate change.

May 10, 2021, Filed Under: Air Pollution, Climate

Driving Down Emissions

To tackle climate change, we have to revolutionize how Americans travel

When most people imagine greenhouse gas emissions they picture the smoky fumes and flares from oil wells and coal-fired power plants. While these industrial sites are a large part of the problem, transportation is actually the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. What’s more, most of these transportation emissions are not from airplanes or big rigs–they come from the passenger cars most Americans drive every day.

The Biden administration has made it clear that climate change is one of its top priority and it wants the US to be a climate leader. But before the US can lead others, it needs to adopt stronger domestic climate policies. Improving the way Americans travel is an important first step.

Part of the reason for high transportation emissions in the US is because Americans drive more than people in any other country. Americans drive about 3.2 trillion miles every year, in part because US communities are built to provide space, rather than compact efficiency. Likewise, American vehicle manufacturers have historically prioritized size, rather than fuel economy (remember Hummers?). In 2018, light-duty vehicles emitted 1,105.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to 279 coal-fired power plants. All of that carbon is trapping heat in the planet’s atmosphere and changing our environment.

Our Changing Climate

Not only is reducing transportation emissions better for the environment, but it’s also better for people too. Aside from carbon dioxide, tailpipe emissions also release toxic pollutants like particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. These pollutants can cause several health issues, including asthma, respiratory infections, and certain cancers. When these pollutants interact with sunlight, they also create ground-level ozone. When ozone forms in the atmosphere it helps protect us from UV radiation. At the ground level, it can trigger severe respiratory distress and reduce lung function. Long-term exposure to ground-level ozone can even cause permanent scarring. People are constantly exposed to these airborne pollutants. However, exposure is especially high in concentrated urban areas and when people stand near idling vehicles, such as students waiting to get on their school bus.

There are three main ways to transform the transportation sector in the US and reduce greenhouse gas emissions: make electric vehicles (EVs) more accessible for the average American, expand (and electrify) public transportation networks, and make walking and bike riding more feasible.

Make EVs more accessible to consumers

US EPA

Every year, more and more people are buying EVs. In fact, there will likely be 18 million EVs on the road by 2025! But many people on the market looking to buy a new car balk when they see the EV price tag. What they don’t know is that the federal government and most states offer tax incentives or rebates for EV buyers. Once these discounts are applied, the price of an EV is usually comparable to a traditional vehicle. The Biden Administration’s recently announced American Jobs Plan also includes spending for EV development, which will help bring down prices over the next few years. Compared to traditional vehicles, EVs also save money in the long run. The average EV owner will save over $4,500 in fuel costs within the first few years, not to mention lower maintenance costs over the lifetime of the vehicle. With Jaguar and GM announcing their plans to go all-electric within the next 5 to 15 years, respectively, it is a matter of time before EVs are the norm.

Expand electric public transportation

Expanding public transportation is a great way to reduce emissions, air pollution, and traffic congestion. But electric public transportation is even better. Some communities are beginning to explore electric public transit by adopting electric school buses. If school buses can go electric, there’s no reason public buses can’t be electric too. Recent proposals have called for an alliance between utility companies and school districts (or local governments) to finance electric buses. Essentially, the school district would receive the bus and the utility company would receive extra energy storage.

“We’re still coasting on infrastructure choices that were made in the 1950s. Now’s our chance to make infrastructure choices for the future that are going to serve us well in the 2030s and onto the middle of the century…”
Pete Buttigieg, US Secretary of Transportation

When communities think creatively they can develop solutions that benefit everyone, like the school-utility alliance. Instead of putting more money into highway expansions and parking lots, communities need to consider what the future of transportation looks like and how they can get there. Electric public transportation is the future, and communities need creative problem solving and public support to make it a reality.

Make communities more user-friendly

While EVs and public transportation are excellent ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, nothing can top walking and bike riding. Unfortunately, most communities are developed for cars. In suburban communities, having a car is essential to get around, and little attention is given to safe walking or bike paths. Newer cities, such as cities in Florida, were also developed for cars, and it is often unsafe to get around any other way. As a result, almost 6,000 pedestrians and bicyclists are killed annually across the United States, and thousands more are injured.

If new community developments are compact and designed to encourage walking and biking, the whole community will be better off. People are healthier and happier when they exercise and are outdoors. With fewer cars on the road, air pollution and noise pollution are reduced, and there will be less traffic for those that need to drive. And of course, there are fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Existing communities can adapt to be more pedestrian and bicyclist friendly by implementing Complete Street policies. Complete Streets modify roadways with elements, like medians or bike lanes, to make the street safer for everyone. Ultimately, communities should be built for people–not cars.

What can you do?

Call on your state representatives to support the Driving America Forward Act. The Driving America Forward Act would double the number of federal tax credits available for EV purchases and extend the tax credits through 2028.
Call on your local representatives to adopt Complete Street policies. Complete Streets policies make the roadways safer for everyone and will encourage more people to walk or ride their bikes.
Vote in local elections to support transportation ballot measures. Statewide and local elections often include ballot measures on funding and expanding public transportation. In 2016, transportation projects worth over $200 billion were voted on across the country. When voters turn out for these initiatives, it shows elected officials that people care about transportation.
Consider making your next vehicle an EV. With tax incentives and rebates, the price of an EV is on par with a traditional diesel vehicle. Follow these links to see what federal and state-based incentives are currently available.
Walk, bike, or take public transportation when these options are available.

Kathlina Brady