Snapshot 4:Wed, Apr 24, 2024 5:05:20 PM GMT last edited by Haakan

More than one-third of people in the US exposed to harmful air pollution – report

Published APR 24 2024

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The Spin

Cars are now cleaner as we are using cleaner fuels. Most of the dirty coal-fired power facilities have been shut down, making the industry cleaner. Nevertheless, oil and gas extraction in the western part of the country has increased, causing pollution, and climate change has worsened the frequency and intensity of wildfires, causing particle pollution. If we are to tackle this public health problem, we need greater federal and local investments, as well as tougher rules and standards.

CNN

Every year, thousands of Americans die from the air we breathe. Low-income and minority populations have historically inhaled polluted toxic air more than in affluent neighborhoods or whiter areas, and this gap persists in 2024. People of color are more than twice as likely as whites to be exposed to particle or ozone pollution that exceeds EPA health guidelines. This situation is clearly a product of structural racism, and its inequities and exposure to air pollution must be addressed by race.

NPR Online News