Clean, Clean Air
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Marc Katz is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. He is a graduate of Tufts University. |
Last week, the American Lung Association, released their annual State of the Air Report that ranked the cleanest and dirtiest cities and counties in the United States. Some highlights of the report:
- Los Angeles, CA is once again the most polluted city in the country, followed by Pittsburg, PA at number two, and Fresco, CA, rounding out the top three. Additionally, Detroit achieved the ranking of 8th, Cleveland, OH and Washington DC finished 10th and 11th respectively, and New York City tied for 16th with Indianapolis, IN.
- The top five cleanest cities are Amarillo, TX; Bismarck, ND; Cheyenne, WY; Colorado Springs, CO; and Corpus Christi-Kingsville, TX respectively.
- Nearly half (46 percent) of the U.S. population lives in counties that have unhealthful levels of either ozone or particle pollution
- While unhealthy ozone levels have decreased significantly since 2002, the amount of particulate mater has increased leading to higher rates of respiratory infection, and cardiovascular disease.
While this report has certainly gained a lot of press over its grim analysis, it also contains important information about advocating for clean air laws and actions individuals can take to protect local air quality. I encourage you to look at the report and speak with your family about steps you can take to clean the air in your city or town. For more information on ways you can help ensure clean the air in your city and town click here.