Introduction to Air in California

What is air? Why is the sky blue? Why do people react favorably to mountain or sea air? How does desert air differ from the air of California’s Central Valley? How is air pollution affecting plants and animals? This book is a unique guide to the air we breathe in California. More than a natural history guide, it approaches this fascinating topic by recognizing the overwhelming role played by humans in the story of California’s air. In a highly engaging style, David Carle explains daily weather patterns, seasonal climate, characteristic winds, and sky phenomena. He explores air as the gases in our atmosphere, but also considers the aspects of air that influence all of our senses—its taste, smell, feel, and look. The guide discusses California’s history of air quality management, air pollution and its effect on humans and the environment, and the technological and individual measures needed to address these challenges. The book also functions as a handbook for more environmentally conscious living by providing information on alternative energy sources for consumers and tips for cleaner running cars.



* Features 80 color photographs, 23 figures, 18 maps

* Covers regional differences of topography, weather, and the character of the air in California’s fifteen designated air basins

* Includes a field guide to the sky, explaining color and light, clouds and wind, and the nature of flight

* Addresses issues surrounding global climate change in California



A book in the Californians and Their Environment subseries, dedicated to understanding human influences on the state's ecology and natural resources

David Carle worked as a California State Park ranger for 27 years. He is author of Introduction to Water in California (UC Press, 2004), Water and the California Dream: Choices for the New Millennium (2003) and Burning Questions: America's Fight with Nature's Fire (2002), among other books.

Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Nature of California Air

THE THIN BLANKET: THE ATMOSPHERE

Layers of the Blanket
The Elegant Balance: Photosynthesis and Respiration
Why Is There Air? Evolution of the Atmosphere
    What a Difference an O Makes,
The Essence of Air
    The Nitrogen Cycle, ■ The Carbon Cycle, ■
    The Essential “Greenhouse Effect,” ■
    A Dating Game: Ions and Radiation,
Weighty Matters: Air Pressure
Highs and Lows: California’s “Mediterranean Climate”
    El Niño,
“It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Humidity”
Temperature Upside Down

AIR APPARENT: A FIELD GUIDE TO THE SKY

Why Is the Sky Blue?
How to Find Cloud 9
    Lightning, Then Thunder, ■ Clouds on Your Level, ■
    Contrails, ■ The Sierra Wave,
Air in Motion
    Daily and Seasonal Winds, ■ Santa Ana and Diablo Winds,
    ■ Dust Devils and the Occasional Tornado,
    ■ Blowing in the Wind,
    ■ Pollination, Planting, and Perfumes,
Motion in Air: Taking Flight
    Designing California Birds, ■ California
    Condors, ■ California Gulls, ■ California
    Quails, ■ Can Bumblebees Fly? ■
    Mammals Overhead,
    
CALIFORNIA AIR BASINS

San Diego County
South Coast
South Central Coast
North Central Coast
San Francisco Bay
North Coast
Lake County
Sacramento Valley
San Joaquin Valley
Mountain Counties
Lake Tahoe
Northeast Plateau
Great Basin Valleys
Mojave Desert
Salton Sea

FOOTPRINTS IN THE AIR

The Breath of Life
What’s a ppb to Me?
The Pollutants
    Photochemical Smog: NOx, VOCs, and Ozone,
    ■ Ozone’s Health Effects, ■ The Mysterious
    “Weekend Effect,” ■ Particulates, ■
    Carbon Monoxide, ■ Sulfur Dioxide, ■
    Lead, ■ Toxics,
The Enemy Is Us: Emission Sources
    Tailpipes, ■ Diesel, ■ Ports of Call,
    ■ “Air Spray,” ■ Downwind from the Farm,
    ■ Natural Emissions Too,
Sharing Air with the Wildlands
    Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks:
    A Case Study,
    
SHARING AIR WITH THE GLOBE

Adrift from Asia
Ozone Depletion
The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change
    Gambling with Greenhouse Gases,
    Slow or Sudden? ■ Reacting to Change,
    ■ California and Climate Change,
Climate Stewardship

BREATHING EASY

Who Takes Regulatory Responsibility?
    Tensions over Jurisdiction,
Cleaning the Car
    Smog Check Program, ■ Getting Older Cars
    off the Road ■ Reporting Smoking Vehicles,
    ■ Weaning Ourselves from Oil, ■ Clean Diesel,
    ■ Hydrogen Fuel Cells,
Renewable Energy: Here Today, Much More Tomorrow
    Air Power, ■ Solar,■ Cool Communities,
    
Success Stories
What You Can Do, Every Day
    Cars, ■ At Home, ■ What about Indoor Air?
Finally, Think about Numbers

Glossary
References
Art Credits
Index