Almost half of U.S. exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution: Report
Summary
A new report from the American Lung Association says nearly half of Americans live in places with unhealthy air pollution levels. The report highlights rising pollution partly due to climate change and warns that recent plans to reduce environmental protections may worsen air quality.Key Facts
- About 156 million Americans live where smog and soot pollution levels got failing grades.
- The number of people breathing unhealthy air increased by 25 million compared to last year.
- Since 1970, air pollution dropped by 78%, but it has been rising again in recent years.
- Climate change is making wildfires and heat worse, which increases ozone pollution.
- Bakersfield, California, has the worst particle pollution for the sixth year in a row.
- Air pollution is spreading from western states into central and eastern U.S. areas.
- Recent extreme heat waves and wildfire smoke, including from Canada, have worsened air quality.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to weaken 31 environmental rules, risking progress on cleaner air.
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