Los Angeles and Orange counties in the past year

I
Health [/category/health/] Social Impact [/category/social-impact/]
Take a deep breath — you may
not like what’s up in the air
Alumna says alarming statistics about pollutants may not be registering
with the public
[/author/laura-paisley/] BY Laura Paisley [/author/laura-paisley/]
JULY 15, 2014
n Los Angeles and Orange counties in the past year, the oil industry has used more
than 45 million pounds of toxic air pollutants as part of its 477 hydraulic fracturing
(fracking), acidizing and oil extraction operations.
More than half of the associated oil wells were located within 1,500 feet of a home, school
or hospital. One well was 12 feet from a house.
This does not sit well with Angela Johnson Meszaros ’91, JD ’94.
Through her work as general counsel at Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles
(PSR–LA), Johnson Meszaros ensures that public health professionals are engaged in
environmental public health policy and support of community-based efforts to protect
public health.
“The main part of my job is working on programs, and my area of focus is air quality,” the
San Francisco Bay Area native said. “But the big chunk of my work these days is focused
on oil and gas extraction, and in particular we’ve been researching the health impacts of oil
Around Los Angeles people always
say, ‘Oh, the air is so much better now
than it used to be,’ which may well be
true, but it’s still really bad.
Angela Johnson Meszaros
A significant amount of air toxics are used as part of the
extraction of oil and gas. (Photo/Massimo Catarinella)
and gas extraction in Los Angeles.”
The above findings came from a recent
report on air toxics generated by several
local organizations as part of a campaign
to analyze the chemicals being used and
push for air monitoring at the oil wells.
Partner organizations included PSR–LA;
the Center for Biological Diversity;
Communities for a Better Environment;
and the Center on Race, Poverty and the
Environment.
PSR–LA is a physician and health advocate organization dedicated to protecting public
health from environmental toxins, informing policymakers about toxic threats, promoting
safer practices and strengthening grassroots environmental advocacy efforts.
The alarming statistics in the report often don’t register with the general public, Johnson
Meszaros said. In reality, a very significant amount of air toxics are utilized as part of the
extraction process.
“This points to a bigger question,” she said, referring to the well that is located 12 feet from
a house. “What does it look like to do this kind of activity in a dense urban fabric like Los
Angeles County?”
It’s a secret
The report also touched on the industry’s use of trade secrets protection. Oil companies
argue that disclosing the names of the chemicals they’re using as part of the oil extraction
process aids their competitors. Consequently, these companies invoked the trade secret
law more than 5,000 times in the past year. About 1,000 of the chemicals they designated
as trade secrets were also marked as air toxics.
Toxic air pollutants are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects,
such as reproductive or birth defects, or adverse environmental effects.
“Our report is meant to raise policy questions because we’re going to have to make some
policy decisions about whether or not this is prudent,” the USC alumna said. “Here we are,
actually bringing harm to people’s communities, and if we’re successful what we get is a
Angela Johnson Meszaros works in
environmental justice. (Photo/Ana
Mascarena)
bunch of oil. And then we burn that oil, which has its own host of health effects.”
Johnson Meszaros also focuses on policy related to the broader air quality issues for Los
Angeles.
In addition to high rates of smog-related asthma and bronchitis, high levels of particulate
matter in the air resulting from burning fossil fuels have been linked in studies with lung
cancer, heart disease, brain disease, low birth rate and even autism.
“Around Los Angeles people always say, ‘Oh, the air is so much better now than it used to
be,’ which may well be true, but it’s still really bad. More people die from breathing the air
in the South Coast Air Basin than in any other air basin in the country.”
Philosophical thoughts
Before entering the world of environmental justice,
Johnson Meszaros started out as a philosophy major
at USC Dornsife, earning her bachelor’s degree.
In the philosophy department, she noted that
Associate Professor Janet Levin in particular
encouraged her to consider what she wanted to do
with her life and career. Levin also invited her to join
her graduate seminar as an undergraduate student.
“I was the first person in my family to go to college,
so Janet had an important impact on me in terms of
considering the range of opportunities that were now
available to me, things I had never really thought
about.”
She continued her education at the USC Gould
School of Law. In a civil rights course, Mark
Rosenbaum, now chief counsel of the American Civil
Liberties Union of Southern California, discussed the
issue of childhood lead poisoning. The class learned
about the social and economic dynamics of who is poisoned and how it happens — most
often low-income children of color who are living in substandard housing.
“Here was a space where for the first time people were talking about class and color, what
that means and how that impacts people,” she said. “It wasn’t the traditional conversation
about access to schooling, jobs and things like that, but this whole other world. That’s
when I realized that I really wanted to work on these issues.”
To Johnson Meszaros, environmental justice is also about ensuring that people who are
impacted are involved in decision-making.
“I work with the people who are affected, so that they have the tools and information they
need to be included in the decision-making processes that will have such profound impacts
on their lives.”
Top stories on USC News
[/79117/usc-athletics-hits-its-highest-fundraising-total-ever/]
USC Athletics hits its highest fundraising total ever
With $300 million raised, the department’s Heritage Initiative meets its Campaign for USC goal.
[/79117/usc-athletics-hits-its-highest-fundraising-total-ever/]
[/79220/who-wouldnt-want-randy-newman-as-a-musical-mentor/]
Who wouldn’t want Randy Newman as a musical mentor?
One lucky alum’s 15-minute sit as part of a USC Thornton program turns into a melodious two-hour
meeting.
[/79220/who-wouldnt-want-randy-newman-as-a-musical-mentor/]
[/79081/beware-of-an-ads-hidden-costs-in-free-mobile-apps/]
‘Free’ apps may not be so free after all: They take a big toll on your
phone
Apps with ads gobble up more energy, processing time and network data, leading to frustrated users.
[/79081/beware-of-an-ads-hidden-costs-in-free-mobile-apps/]
Athletics [/category/athletics/] University [/category/university/]
Arts [/category/arts/]
Science/Technology [/category/science-technology/]

Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

• Plagiarism free papers
• Timely delivery
• Any deadline
• Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
• Subject-relevant academic writer
• Adherence to paper instructions
• Ability to tackle bulk assignments
• Reasonable prices
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Get superb grades consistently

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

• When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
• We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

• The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
• We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
• Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment  Help Service Works

1.      Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2.      Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3.      Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4.      Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!