Clean Air Act
Since 1955, U.S. air pollution reforms have attempted to fight global warming.
Climate change is a condition used to describe the observable shift in the Earth’s climate. This shift happens as temperatures rise, causing unintended ecological effects. Shrinking glaciers, rising sea levels, and intense drought are among these unusual weather patterns. Climate change is one of the most widely prioritized and imminent ecological issues because of its widespread impact. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, land and ocean temperatures have increased at a rate of around 0.18 percent Fahrenheit per decade since 1981. However, environmental degradation was not always an impending threat. Global warming, the human-induced warming of the Earth, is a primary cause of climate change. Global warming occurs from the burning of fossil fuels which emit greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gas absorbs radiation and traps heat in the atmosphere, increasing the Earth’s overall temperature. To aid the global effort against global warming, the United States enacted its first air pollution reform in 1955.
Congress passed the Air Pollution Control Act after recognizing air pollution as a public health concern. However, this legislation did little to control the issue on a federal level. The act dedicated funding towards federal research; however, it reserved power to the states and local governments to implement air pollution control ordinances. Though the act was amended through 1990, it was ultimately ineffective at regulating air pollution without federal standards or oversight. Thus, the Clean Air Act (CAA), first enacted in 1963, became the most well-developed air pollution-focused legislation in the United States. As its name implies, the law regulates air emission sources to improve air quality. Initially, the act expanded federal environmental operations, extending its research program from 1955 and allocating $95 million for state pollution programs. The CAA also established the first federal interstate transportation emission standards, calling for a reduction in hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in automobiles. In 1970, the CAA was amended to limit the emissions of industrial and mobile sources. These amendments were adopted in addition to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA responds to environmental problems within the United States and executes and enforces CAA requirements. In 1977, the CAA was again amended to address concerns of air quality deterioration in some geographic regions that do not meet federal air quality standards. CAA’s last notable revision was in 1990 to account for acid rain safety, stratospheric ozone protection, and the management of toxic air pollutants.
Despite decades of persistent pollution, the CAA has been relatively successful in its goals. The EPA has prevented more than 230,000 premature deaths, over 200,000 heart attacks, and millions of chronic respiratory diagnoses. Between 1970 and 2020, the combined emissions of the six most common pollutants dropped by 78 percent.
In 2011, the EPA actively began monitoring greenhouse gas emissions from aircrafts. According to the Air Transport Action Group, “aviation is responsible for 12% of carbon dioxide emissions from all transports sources” and produces around 2% of all human-induced carbon dioxide emissions. The EPA decided to collaborate with the United Nations to create a timeframe for developing a U.S. domestic gas emission regulation process. In 2020, the EPA finalized greenhouse gas standards for commercial aviation and business jets.
Each year, the EPA funds $4 billion in grants to state, local, and non-profit organizations to achieve ideal air quality results. While there is plenty of work to be done nationally and globally to resist climate change, the practices set in the Clean Air Act and the work done by the EPA continue to save lives and protect the Earth.
For further information on EPA’s origins, its regulations for aircrafts, or the history of the CAA, please explore the EPA website, which contains overviews and finalized documents for each section. To aid the fight against climate change, check out EPA’s “What You Can Do About Climate Change” page to get involved with environmental justice and health.
