EvEry yEAr, thEAmEriCAn lungAssoCiAtionAlA、rElEAsEs its AnnuAl rEport CArD on smog, AnD EvEry yEAr it givEs An "F" to ovEr hAlF thE nAtion’s CountiEs AnD CitiEs. whEnAlA’s "stAtE oF thEAir 2002" rECEntly CAmE out, DozEns oF CrEDulous loCAl journAlists onCE AgAin took thE BAit, ominously rEporting thAt thEir CornEr oF thE nAtion rECEivED A FAiling grADE. thE nAtionAl CovErAgE wAs no BEttEr, rEpEAting As FACtAlA’s stAtEmEnt thAt it is "grAvEly ConCErnED" ABout Air quAlity, AnD nEglECting to soliCit thE viEws oF EvEn onE sCiEntist with A DiFFEring viEw. too BAD, BECAusE this rEport CArD sAys A lot lEss ABout ACtuAl Air quAlity thAn it DoEs ABout thE tACtiCs AnD motivEs oF thEAl
A、
thE vEry FACt thAt 60 pErCEnt oF CountiEs wErE givEr An "F" sEEms to BE AlArmist. this is pArtiCulArly truE givEn thAt smog lEvEls hAvE BEEn trEnDing DownwArD For sEvErAl DECADEs.ACCorDing to thEEnvironmEntAl protECtionAgEnCyEpA、stAtistiCs, ozonE, thE primAry ConstituEnt oF smog, progrEss will likEly ContinuE, EvEn without thE wAvE oF nEw rEgulAtionsAl
A、is now DEmAnDing.
Al
A、is CorrECt thAt somE ArEAs still oCCAsionAlly ExCEED thE FEDErAl stAnDArD For ozonE, But suCh spikEs ArE FAr lEss FrEquEnt thAn in thE pAst.EvEn losAngElEs, thE unDisputED smog CApitAl oFAmEriCA, hAs ClEAnED up its ACt ConsiDErABly. losAngElEs, whiCh ExCEEDED FEDErAl smog stAnDArDs For 154 DAys in 1989, hAs hAD 75 pErCEnt FEwEr suCh spikEs in rECEnt yEArs.But AnAlA-AssignED "F" mislEADingly impliEs thAt Air quAlity hAs not improvED At All.
most oF thE nAtion is CurrEntly in AttAinmEnt with thE CurrEnt smog stAnDArD, AnD muCh oF thE rEst is gEtting ClosE. nonEthElEss,Al
A、ChosE to Assign An "F" to EntirE County BAsED on just A FEw rEADings ABovE A striCt nEwEp
A、stAnDArD EnACtED in 1997 But not yEt in ForCE. in EFFECt,Al
A、DEmAnDED A stAnDArD EvEn morE stringEnt thAn thE FEDErAl govErnmEnt’s, whiCh Allows somE lEEwAy For A FEw AnomAlously high rEADings in othErwisE ClEAn ArEAs.Al
A、FurthEr ExAggErAtED thE puBliC-hEAlth hAzArD By grossly ovErstAting thE risks oF thEsE rElAtivEly minor AnD sporADiC inCrEAsEs ABovE thE stAnDArD、
thE mEDiA’s rEsponsE toAlA’s "stAtE oF thEAir 2002" CAn BEst BE DEsCriBED As
A、trusting B、suspiCious C、CritiCAl D、hEsitAnt