In America, Air Pollution Was An Insidious Problem That

Air pollution has been a major problem throughout world for the past 5 decades i.e. a few years after the industrial revolution. There are two types of air pollutions a) Natural and b) Anthropogenic, of which the natural causes (volcanoes, forest fires and tornadoes) are not in the control of man (Mosley 2010). Anthropogenic air pollution on the hand is a type of anomaly in the atmosphere where foreign objects are released into the air entirely by man and his activities (Industries, transport) and are controllable.

The 1955 Air Pollution Control Act was the first U.S federal legislation that pertained to air pollution; it also provided funds for federal government research of air pollution.[4] The first federal legislation to actually pertain to "controlling" air

Although the United States passed the Clean Air Act in 1970, but also have half of Americans breathe dirty air (CBSNEWS,2014). The American Lung Association will release an air pollution report every year, which named the State of the Air. According to the report, although the air quality has despite the gradual increase but also have 166 million people breathe polluted air in the United States (lung.org, 2016).

The clean Air Act deals with solving air pollution problems through science and new information. The purpose for this act is to decrease the amount of pollution that we give off, and work towards making the air cleaner for everyone. Although progress has been made to lower pollution levels, it still is a threat to people’s lives. A goal that was set in the year 1975 was going to try and achieve National Ambient Air Quality Standards in every state to keep people healthy.

Improved air quality wasn’t a subject of national concern until the mid 1900s. After decades of coal burning, unregulated gas emissions from cars and the excessive burning of fossil fuels, people started noticing bad air quality as a hazard to their lives. Over several decades, after seeing the costly effects air pollution was having on the environment and people’s health, interest groups like the Friends of The Earth club and the influences of Theodore Roosevelt and Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring finally came together to persuade the government to enforce legislation that would reduce air pollution. Because of these efforts, the policies of the Clean Air Act of 1963 and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Act of 1965, that aimed to control air pollution and raise air quality standards, helped create the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 2, 1970. Since then, the EPA has passed more air quality improvement acts, and amendments to previous acts passed, to increase restrictions on air pollutants, with their main policy concern being the Clean Air Act. Improved air quality acts imposed by the EPA have been successful in cleaning the United States’ air quality by reducing ground-level ozone pollution and reducing emissions, allowing for a decrease in pollution related deaths/illnesses and a better standard of living. The EPA, through regulations and the Clean Air Act, has delivered it’s promise to improve air quality in the United States.

This chapter of the book discussed some of the pollutants that are discharged into the air from coal-fired utilities. It explained how weather conditions play a role in exposure and explained the measuring criteria for particulates. It explained how some particulates stay in the atmosphere longer and therefore travel a greater distance till exposure. It then discussed federal involvement in the issue and some of the Clear Air legislation that has been passed over the years starting with the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955. There were six pollutants that were determined to pose the greatest risk, carbon monoxide, lead, particulate matter (now subdivided be particle size), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. The final report listed

It was not until the Clean Act of 1970 that enforcement at the federal level being in more a serious way. To quote the EPA website directly “The enactment of the Clean Air Act of 1970 (1970 CAA) resulted in a major shift in the federal government's role in air pollution control. This legislation authorized the development of comprehensive federal and state regulations to limit emissions from both stationary (industrial) sources and mobile sources. Four major regulatory programs affecting stationary sources were initiated: the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS, pronounced "knacks"), State Implementation Plans (SIPs), New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs). Furthermore,

Air pollution can harm plants, lakes, and animals. In addition to damaging the natural environment, air pollution also can damage buildings, monuments, and statues. Not only does it reduce your visibility but it also interferes with aviation. In 1970, Congress created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and passed the Clean Air Act, giving the federal government authority to clean up air pollution in this country.3 Ever since then, the EPA, states, tribes,

Initially, the smog created from burning non-renewable resources causes major health issues to people. In the 1970’s, the Clean Air Act was passed to increase the health of the environment for people. This law was created to better the air quality for the people and lower health issues that came from the pollutants in the atmosphere. Before the law was passed, the over pollution had about 90 percent of American children with higher levels of lead in their bodies (beinecke). This alarming statistic

In the air in particular, six commonly found air pollutants have decreased by more than 50 percent. Between 1970 and 1995 alone, the emissions major air pollutants decreased 30 percent. Air toxins from industrial plants have decreased by more than 70 percent. Today, more than 60 percent of America’s waters meet the fishable and swimmable goal of the Clean Water Act, up from only around 33 percent before the act was passed. While industries argue that the restrictions put on them have been too intense and stifled growth, since the passing of these bills the US GDP has tripled, energy consumption increased by 50 percent, and vehicle use increased by 200 percent. It is clear that without these acts in place it would be impossible to control the pollution in America with such fast social and economic growth in the

In February of 1984, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 was not upheld. The EPA in 1981 attempted to regulate plantations to change one piece

Air pollution are impacting the environment, and it is imperative that laws are enforced to help build and sustain a better air quality. Air pollutants can be in the form of particulate matter which can be very harmful to our health. Stimulation to our eyes, nose, throat, and breathing infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia are all short-term effects. You’re head might hurt, you might want to puke, and you might have allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can put people with asthma and emphysema in a worse condition. Long lasting breathing disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to your brains, nerves, livers, or kidneys are all long-term effects. If you’re exposed to air pollution continuously, it would affect children’s lungs and may complicate medical conditions for the elders. Some people argue and deny the bad air problem. They claim that pollution may actually be good for the Earth. The hazy weather caused by pollution has made plants far more productive when it comes to scrubbing greenhouse gasses out of the air. Pollution has turned plants into better carbon dioxide processing machines. But this is bad for our own health. Pollution is causing global warming which leads to massive ice land melting. Polar bears and other animals that live there are losing there habitats and even dying. Melting ice could also lead to more sea water which would bury some cities or land near the coastal areas. There is already a tremendous amount of people on this planet. If our land decreases, and our population continues to increase, some people would have to start living on another planet; therefore, making it a priority to address the areas

Although rarely discussed and unknown, the clean air act of 1970 and its amendments has helped the United States and its people greatly in the past 40-plus years. The act was originally created to regulate 6 criteria pollutants: lead, carbon monoxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and nitrogen dioxide. Then, the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990 expanded on these by targeting four other areas: acid rain, urban air pollution, toxic air emissions, and ozone depletion. The United States government enforced these regulations for factories, coal plants and automobiles to not only address air concerns, but address health concerns and environmental concerns.

Air pollution and its effects on health for various populations reflect the economic burden that emerges from these industries. Regulatory interventions intended to improve the health status must be tailored to meet the specific needs of the industry and populations being affected. This may be in the form of legislation that prohibits the use of certain fuels, policies that set limits on emissions, incentives that promote public transportation and recycling, investment in cleaner technologies, or subsidies to improve existing industries. Regulations can be in the form of taxes, fees, or penalties on industry or contracting with outside organizations to provide services or education. Each type of intervention targets a specific cause of pollution

There are several environmental factors referring to the automobile in the American history according to the website; “autolife.umd.umich.edu/Environment/E-Overview” says that there is a price, for having energy and danger also. By the inventing a car, and the necessity of a motor which needs oil, made the air be polluted by all kinds of chemicals that floated our air. For example, in 1948, the temperature changed, moreover, made a cloud so dense that led to smoke full of a chemical called sulfur dioxide. Consequently, such cloud was near the floor, for several days near the Donora, Pennsylvania. The result came to multiple deaths of the inhabitant, and several where infected with the aspiration of such chemicals. With such new problems that where transmitted from the air, due to air pollution, it was clear that American people was going to begin to acknowledge of the consequences. Also in other cities like New York, and other parts of London by 1953. It was until such deaths, that the government an act called “The National Air Pollution Control Act” which came active in 1955. The sole purpose of such act, was the investigation of what the pollution of air came from. Before, air contamination was not so eminent, because they had coal instead of oil to make engines work. But after World War 11, the use of cars nearly double the amount of chemicals in the air and pollute it. In result, many big cities had more problems than smaller cities. The most common chemicals that are