Why Wait for a Special Event? Clean up Los Angeles Now!

I read with great interest in the Los Angeles Times about the terrible air pollution problem that China suffers from, and how the Chinese are trying to make some necessary changes in order to clean up the pollution before the Olympic games. In China's case hosting a global event is the motivation to instigate real change to clean up the environment. In view of recent studies' predicting an enormous population increase for California, we would be wise to implement many of the measures China is implementing. Why wait for a special event to make our communities more pleasant, beautiful, and livable? Also, we should not wait until our environment reaches the desperate point that China has reached. The government should take immediate action and mandate real change. One idea from the article stands out for me, and that is the Chinese' plan to remove 50% of the cars off the streets by enacting an odd/even license plate system where depending on the last number of your license plate you can only drive on certain days. Imagine what Los Angeles would look like with 50% less cars- less traffic, less noise, much cleaner air...it just might make you want to hop on a bike or walk to your destination. The minor inconvenience would be far outweighed by our improved quality of life.