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June 23, 2019 11:34 am

America's Air Quality Is Slipping After Years of Improvement

The Grim Reefer shared this report from the Associated Press:Over the last two years America had more polluted air days than just a few years earlier, federal data shows. While it remains unclear whether this is the beginning of a trend, health experts say it's troubling to see air quality progress stagnate. There were 15% more days with unhealthy air in America both last year and the year before than there were on average from 2013 through 2016, the four years when America had its fewest number of those days since at least 1980... Air quality is affected by a complex mix of factors, both natural and man-made. Federal regulations that limit the emissions of certain chemicals and soot from factories, cars and trucks have helped dramatically improve air quality over recent decades. In any given year, however, air quality can be affected by natural variations... Air pollution experts agree wildfires likely have had a role, along with random variation, a stronger economy which leads to more consumption of fuels, and a changing climate. Higher temperatures increase the chances for fires and smog. Even with the recent stagnation, there are far fewer bad air days now than in the early 2000s, 1990s and 1980s. They also report that "about 100,000 Americans each year die prematurely because of polluted air, studies show."

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