Researcher(s):
John Kray Katie-Lauren Dunbar Ellen Howard
ENVS course(s): 220 Initiated: November 2014 Completed: December 2014 Go to project site
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Framing question: Has there been progress in increasing overall air quality since 1980?
Focus question: How has air quality changed in Oregon, and what are the air quality policies that were implemented after 1980?
We created two maps on QGIS displaying the air quality of the years 1980 and 2014 across the US. Using these maps we examined spatial patterns to look at the increase in air quality that new policies and regulations have brought about. We analyzed specific Oregon policies to see how they were successful in both keeping AQI scores low and also significantly decreasing air pollution in several counties since 1980.
We found that Oregon was particularly successful in increasing its air quality form 1980 to 2014. Much of this was do to a focus on vehicle emissions. Areas of the country which are not doing as well with air quality, such as Southern California, may benefit from analysis of Oregon's policies regarding air quality. Further, investigations on the policies and regulations used on the highly populated east coast would likely yield useful information as well. The East Coast of the US has seen drastic increases in air quality, despite the large and dense urban populations located there.