Today’s Climate Change Poster Collection focus on Clean Air Act. Over the past four decades, the Clean Air Act has been a crucial instrument in protecting air quality, thereby improving public health, saving thousands of lives, and enhancing the U.S. economy. The Act was established with the mandate to regulate air pollutants in order to safeguard public health and welfare, a responsibility that falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
A landmark decision by the Supreme Court in 2007 further solidified the role of the Clean Air Act in combating climate change. The court ruled that carbon dioxide (CO2), a primary greenhouse gas, is considered an air pollutant. This ruling ordered the EPA to regulate CO2 emissions, marking a significant step in climate change mitigation efforts.
Since that ruling, the EPA has begun to control greenhouse pollution under the Act. But this has been limited to a few hundred large sources of greenhouse gases, such as power plants and large industrial facilities. Despite these limitations, organizations like the Center for Biological Diversity have been steadfast in defending the EPA’s climate protection rules under the Clean Air Act against legal challenges from industry and certain states.
The Clean Air Act operates by requiring states and the EPA to tackle various air pollution problems using the most recent scientific and technological information. This approach has proven to be effective. Since the Act’s implementation, there has been a significant reduction in air pollution, preventing numerous cases of severe health effects annually. In fact, key air pollutant emissions have seen a roughly 50% reduction since 1990.
Despite these significant improvements, air pollution continues to pose a significant threat to the health and welfare of Americans. As our understanding of the effects of air pollution on public health and the environment continues to evolve, so too must our efforts to combat it. The Clean Air Act provides a critical framework for these efforts, and its continued enforcement is essential for the protection of our air, our health, and our future.
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