America's Pollution: Fact Or Fiction?

America's pollution levels have been a cause for concern, with the country ranked as the second-biggest carbon dioxide polluter after China. While there has been progress in reducing certain air pollutants since 1980, recent reports indicate that nearly half of Americans are breathing in unsafe levels of air pollutants, with a significant rise in soot and smog levels. This has resulted in adverse health effects, including asthma attacks, heart attacks, and an increased risk of serious medical conditions. The American Lung Association's State of the Air report highlights the impact of climate change, with extreme heat and wildfires contributing to worsening air quality. Despite the efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency, budget cuts and policy changes threaten further setbacks in addressing this issue.

America's ranking as a polluter

America is the second biggest carbon dioxide polluter globally, after China, according to the latest data available from the World Bank. On a per-person basis, the United States is the biggest producer of carbon emissions. This heavy carbon pollution is largely due to the country's reliance on outdated technology and limited resources for its electricity needs. While renewable energy production is growing, the majority of America's electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, and from nuclear power.

Coal is the biggest culprit, supplying just under half of America's electricity and being the dirtiest of all fuels. In 2007, America's coal-fired power plants emitted 80% of the country's power plant carbon dioxide pollution and 36% of total carbon dioxide pollution. These plants also emitted disproportionate amounts of toxic pollutants, including smog- and soot-forming pollutants, toxic mercury, and other toxic air pollutants.

The burning of fossil fuels, vehicular emissions, and industrial sources are significant contributors to America's air pollution. Nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and methane are some of the prominent chemical pollutants released from these sources. Additionally, ozone or smog, formed through the interaction of various gases and sunlight, is a potent respiratory irritant, causing inflammation of the lungs.

The impact of this pollution is evident as nearly half of Americans, approximately 156 million people, are breathing in unsafe levels of air pollutants. This issue disproportionately affects people of color and, more specifically, Latino Americans, who are three times more likely to breathe in toxic air pollutants. The consequences of air pollution include increased health risks such as asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, preterm births, and impaired cognitive functioning.

To address this issue, there is a growing recognition of the need to transition to clean, renewable energy sources. The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has emphasized the urgency of reducing global warming emissions, and the American Lung Association has advocated for monitoring and reducing air pollution levels to safeguard public health.

Air pollution and health

Air pollution is a serious health threat. It can trigger asthma attacks, harm lung development in children, and even be deadly. People who work or exercise outside face an increased risk from the effects of air pollution. Additionally, millions of people are especially vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution, including children, older adults, and people with lung diseases such as asthma and COPD. People of colour and those with lower incomes are disproportionately affected by air pollution, which puts them at higher risk for illness.

The U.S. has made significant progress in improving air quality. From 1990 to 2017, emissions of air toxics declined by 74%, largely due to federal and state regulations and technological advancements. Despite this progress, about 140 million people in the U.S. lived in counties with pollution levels above the primary NAAQS in 2023. This issue is also highlighted in the "State of the Air" 2025 report, which found that 46% of Americans (approximately 156.1 million people) live in areas with failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plays a critical role in monitoring and regulating air pollution to protect public health. They have implemented various measures, such as the Tier 3 standards, which set new vehicle emissions standards and gasoline sulfur standards to reduce tailpipe and evaporative emissions from various vehicles. The EPA has also been working to limit greenhouse gas pollution from large sources, such as cars and light trucks. However, the EPA's efforts are under threat due to staffing and funding cuts, and there are concerns that rollbacks of environmental protections could lead to increased pollution and harm to human health.

Air pollution has both indoor and outdoor sources. Outdoor air pollution is primarily caused by vehicles, factories, and other sources such as industrial facilities, power plants, and manufacturing processes. Indoor air pollution, which is not regulated under the Clean Air Act, can also pose health risks and arises from various causes. Climate change exacerbates the problem by creating conditions that increase the formation of ozone pollution and make it harder to improve air quality.

To address air pollution and its health impacts, it is crucial to continue enforcing and strengthening regulations, such as the Clean Air Act, and to support the work of organisations like the EPA and environmental health groups. Additionally, individuals can take proactive measures, such as checking air quality forecasts and avoiding outdoor activities when unhealthy air is expected.

Environmental rollbacks

The United States is the second-biggest carbon dioxide polluter after China, according to the latest data from the World Bank. On a per-person basis, the US is the biggest producer of carbon emissions. In 2017, the US committed to reducing its emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025 compared to 2005 levels. However, the Trump administration's sweeping environmental rollbacks have negatively impacted the country's progress in addressing pollution and climate change.

The Trump administration has pursued several policies and actions that have weakened environmental protections and hindered efforts to address pollution and climate change:

• Clean Energy Tax Credits: The administration has proposed phasing out clean energy tax credits, which have supported the development and adoption of renewable energy sources. This move is expected to increase energy costs for families and create challenges for the business community, particularly in sectors like solar energy.
• Spending on Electric Vehicles and Renewable Energy: There are plans to slash spending on electric vehicles and renewable energy initiatives. This includes ending government support for electric vehicles (EVs) and reducing funding for research, development, and incentives for these technologies.
• Climate-related Funds: The administration aims to claw back climate-related funds allocated for initiatives such as environmental and climate justice block grants, impacting various programs aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change.
• Vehicle Emissions Standards: The House energy panel's plan includes repealing the Biden administration's rules on cutting allowed emissions for light- and medium-duty vehicles. This rollback could result in higher emissions from the transportation sector.
• Liquefied Natural Gas Exports: Measures are being proposed to expedite the permitting process for liquefied natural gas exports, potentially increasing the country's reliance on fossil fuels and contributing to higher greenhouse gas emissions.
• Environmental Protection Agency Rules: There is a focus on dismantling or weakening Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules and regulations. This includes terminating the Environmental Justice and DEI arms of the agency and ending the "Good Neighbor Plan," which expanded federal environmental rules to additional states and sectors.
• State and Tribal Implementation Plans: The administration has worked with states and tribes to address backlogs in State and Tribal Implementation Plans (SIPs/TIPs) and reconsider exceptional events rulemaking, potentially impacting the enforcement of environmental standards.
• Science Advisory Boards: The reconstitution of science advisory boards, such as the Science Advisory Board and Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (SAB/CASAC), may lead to changes in scientific advice and expertise considered in policymaking.
• Coal Ash Regulations: Prioritizing the coal ash program could expedite state permit reviews and updates to coal ash regulations, potentially weakening oversight and allowing for increased coal-related environmental impacts.

These environmental rollbacks have contributed to the worsening air quality across the United States, with nearly half of Americans breathing in unsafe levels of air pollutants, according to the American Lung Association. The rollbacks also undermine global efforts to combat climate change and could have significant impacts on public health, the environment, and the transition to a clean energy economy.

Progress in air quality

According to the World Bank, the United States is the second biggest carbon dioxide polluter, after China. The US is the biggest producer of carbon emissions per person. Despite this, the US has made progress in improving its air quality over the years.

The Clean Air Act, which has been in place for nearly 50 years, has successfully driven pollution reduction. Between 1970 and 2019, the combined emissions of six common pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10, SO2, NOx, VOCs, CO, and Pb) dropped by 77%. This progress occurred while the US economy continued to grow, Americans drove more miles, and population and energy use increased. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has played a critical role in cleaning up air pollution by monitoring air quality, implementing rules to address pollution, and enforcing those rules.

However, climate change-driven events such as extreme heat and wildfires have contributed to increased ozone levels in many parts of the country. Warmer temperatures increase the risk of ozone formation and make it harder to reduce ozone pollution. The American Lung Association's 2025 report found that 46% of Americans (approximately 156 million people) live in areas with failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. This is a significant increase compared to the previous year's report and is the highest number in a decade.

The EPA's data also shows that emissions of common air pollutants and their precursors have been reduced substantially since 1980. Airborne lead concentrations in the US decreased by 98% between 1980 and 2005 due to the phase-out of leaded gasoline and other regulations. Since 2008, emissions have continued to decrease, with a 30% reduction from 2008 to 2017.

While there has been progress in reducing air pollution in the US, the effects of climate change and the rollbacks of environmental protections pose challenges to maintaining and improving air quality.

The Clean Air Act

The Act establishes National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and welfare by regulating emissions of hazardous air pollutants. These standards set limits for concentrations of specific pollutants in outdoor air, including ground-level ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), lead (Pb), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

The 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act were particularly significant. They aimed to address four major threats to the environment and public health: acid rain, urban air pollution, toxic air emissions, and stratospheric ozone depletion. The amendments established a cap-and-trade emissions program, the Acid Rain Program (ARP), to reduce sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from power plants and other industrial sources, which are the primary contributors to acid rain.

Despite this progress, air pollution remains a significant issue in the United States, with almost half of Americans breathing in unsafe levels of air pollutants, according to a report by the American Lung Association.

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