California Governor Gavin Newsom is taking his climate change road show to the Vatican where he was invited to speak by Pope Francis at a Summit of mayors and governors. The Summit, which will be held from May 15th to May 17th, will cover “the impact of rising temperatures” in local communities, and “climate resilience.”

In this article, CO2 Coalition member and noted Epidemiologist, James E. Enstrom, PhD, MPH clears up some of Newsom’s mistaken climate change notions with this list of Major Facts About California Air Pollution:

1. California has record low levels of air pollution that are below the threshold of human health effects
2. Published evidence from six California epidemiologic cohorts has found that PM2.5 is NOT related to total mortality.
3. The 2019 Age-Adjusted Total Death Rates (deaths per 1000) in California are among the lowest in the US. California has the second lowest rate of any State (6.02); Los Angeles County 5.75; California Hispanics 5.23; Los Angeles County Hispanics 5.07. All of these rates are far lower than the US rate (7.15). More Data & References for Facts 1-3: (http://scientificintegrityinstitute.org/CARBProp012323.pdf).
4. Major risk factors for coronary heart disease are blood pressure, blood cholesterol, tobacco smoking, diabetes, family history of heart disease, obesity, age, gender, and stress. Air pollution is NOT a factor. (www.msn.com/en-us/health/condition/coronary-artery-disease/hp-coronary-artery-disease).
5. The causes of asthma are unknown. Factors known to trigger asthmatic symptoms are dust mites, animal dander, pollen, molds, cigarette smoke, certain chemicals, cold air, and sinusitis. Air pollution is NOT an established factor. (www.msn.com/en-us/health/condition/asthma/hp-asthma)
6. Objective cost-benefit analysis of CARB air pollution regulations shows that the assumed health benefits of these regulations are less than the costs to the businesses that have been economically impacted by these regulations.
7. California and the US as a whole have among the lowest air pollution levels in the entire world.

PM2.5 refers to atmospheric particulate matter (PM) that have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, which is about 3 percent the diameter of a human hair and can only be detected with an electron microscope.

The complete article published at California Globe May 6, 2024 can be accessed here.

Dr. James E. Enstrom is a retired Research Professor (Epidemiology) who held faculty positions at the UCLA School of Public Health and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.  Also, he is President of the Scientific Integrity Institute in Los Angeles.  He has a BS in physics from Harvey Mudd College, an MS and PhD in physics from Stanford University, and an MPH and postdoctoral certificate in epidemiology from UCLA.  He is a Life Member of the American Physical Society, a Founding Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology, a current member of the ACE Ethics Committee, a biographee in Who’s Who in America, and a recipient of the American Freedom Alliance Hero of Conscience Award.

Learn more about Jim Enstrom here.