Cheyenne
Ms. Smarty Pantsless
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2000
- Posts
- 59,553
Breathe Easy, But Not for Long
By: Ben Lieberman, Senior Policy Analyst,
Competitive Enterprise Institute
http://www.TechCentralStation.com/EnviroScienceTechnology.asp?id=109
America's air quality continues to get better. A
recently released Environmental Protection Agency
report concludes that "since 1970, aggregate
emissions of six principal pollutants tracked
nationally have been cut 29 percent."
This good news may come as a surprise to most
people. We may be exposed to cleaner air, but
we're also exposed to the drumbeat of gloomy media
accounts to the contrary. However, the reality
that air pollution is declining needs to be taken
into account in current debates over costly new
air quality measures.
The 1970 Clean Air Act contains provisions
designed to reduce ambient levels of six so-called
criteria pollutants - nitrogen dioxide,
ground-level ozone (the primary constituent of
smog), sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, carbon
monoxide, and lead. According to the EPA's "Latest
Findings on National Air Quality: 2000 Status and
Trends," all six have undergone significant
declines. There are still problems, especially
with smog in certain parts of the country, but the
overall trends are quite promising.
These improvements occurred over a span in which:
US gross domestic product (GDP) increased 158
percent Vehicle miles traveled increased 143
percent Energy consumption increased 45 percent
Population increased 36 percent.
>From these numbers it would seem economic growth
is clearly not the enemy of air quality, and will
not stand in the way of further improvements.
These air quality gains will likely continue into
the future, as regulations currently on the books
are implemented. For example, today's motor
vehicles, which are the main source of
smog-forming compounds, are 25 times cleaner than
their 1970s counterparts and are still improving.
"Turnover of the fleet to vehicles that start
cleaner and stay cleaner will continue to drive
down smog in the coming decades," says Joel
Schwartz, Senior Scientist with the Los
Angeles-based Reason Public Policy Institute.
Now the Bad News.
Despite all this good news, polls show that most
Americans believe air quality is deteriorating.
Little wonder, given the near monopoly on news
coverage given to the pessimistic claims from
advocacy organizations. For example, the American
Lung Association's well-publicized "State of the
Air 2001" gave report card-style grades on air
quality, and flunked more than half of the
nation's counties and cities. And the Natural
Resources Defense Council has grabbed headlines
with its questionable assertion that 64,000
Americans die annually from exposure to soot in
the air. Too bad the EPA's good news won't get
nearly as much coverage.
It is important to bridge the gap between the
pessimistic perception and optimistic reality of
air quality. Acting on the erroneous assumption
that current laws and regulations are inadequate,
Congress and the administration have proposed a
number of costly new air quality measures. This
includes so-called multi-pollutant proposals that
would crack down on power plant emissions, as well
as new motor fuel requirements. The most extreme
of these proposals could drive up the cost of
electricity and increase the severity of the
gasoline price spikes seen in recent summers - all
for a problem already on its way towards
resolution.
No one is suggesting a repeal of the many air
quality standards already on the books. But
further measures, especially those that come with
a high price tag, should be evaluated in light of
the positive air quality trends currently
underway.
By: Ben Lieberman, Senior Policy Analyst,
Competitive Enterprise Institute
http://www.TechCentralStation.com/EnviroScienceTechnology.asp?id=109
America's air quality continues to get better. A
recently released Environmental Protection Agency
report concludes that "since 1970, aggregate
emissions of six principal pollutants tracked
nationally have been cut 29 percent."
This good news may come as a surprise to most
people. We may be exposed to cleaner air, but
we're also exposed to the drumbeat of gloomy media
accounts to the contrary. However, the reality
that air pollution is declining needs to be taken
into account in current debates over costly new
air quality measures.
The 1970 Clean Air Act contains provisions
designed to reduce ambient levels of six so-called
criteria pollutants - nitrogen dioxide,
ground-level ozone (the primary constituent of
smog), sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, carbon
monoxide, and lead. According to the EPA's "Latest
Findings on National Air Quality: 2000 Status and
Trends," all six have undergone significant
declines. There are still problems, especially
with smog in certain parts of the country, but the
overall trends are quite promising.
These improvements occurred over a span in which:
US gross domestic product (GDP) increased 158
percent Vehicle miles traveled increased 143
percent Energy consumption increased 45 percent
Population increased 36 percent.
>From these numbers it would seem economic growth
is clearly not the enemy of air quality, and will
not stand in the way of further improvements.
These air quality gains will likely continue into
the future, as regulations currently on the books
are implemented. For example, today's motor
vehicles, which are the main source of
smog-forming compounds, are 25 times cleaner than
their 1970s counterparts and are still improving.
"Turnover of the fleet to vehicles that start
cleaner and stay cleaner will continue to drive
down smog in the coming decades," says Joel
Schwartz, Senior Scientist with the Los
Angeles-based Reason Public Policy Institute.
Now the Bad News.
Despite all this good news, polls show that most
Americans believe air quality is deteriorating.
Little wonder, given the near monopoly on news
coverage given to the pessimistic claims from
advocacy organizations. For example, the American
Lung Association's well-publicized "State of the
Air 2001" gave report card-style grades on air
quality, and flunked more than half of the
nation's counties and cities. And the Natural
Resources Defense Council has grabbed headlines
with its questionable assertion that 64,000
Americans die annually from exposure to soot in
the air. Too bad the EPA's good news won't get
nearly as much coverage.
It is important to bridge the gap between the
pessimistic perception and optimistic reality of
air quality. Acting on the erroneous assumption
that current laws and regulations are inadequate,
Congress and the administration have proposed a
number of costly new air quality measures. This
includes so-called multi-pollutant proposals that
would crack down on power plant emissions, as well
as new motor fuel requirements. The most extreme
of these proposals could drive up the cost of
electricity and increase the severity of the
gasoline price spikes seen in recent summers - all
for a problem already on its way towards
resolution.
No one is suggesting a repeal of the many air
quality standards already on the books. But
further measures, especially those that come with
a high price tag, should be evaluated in light of
the positive air quality trends currently
underway.
