Latest Findings on National Air Quality : 2000 Status and Trends

By Environmental Protection Agency

Book Id: WPLBN0000145883
Format Type: PDF eBook
File Size: 2.7 MB
Reproduction Date: 2007

Title:	Latest Findings on National Air Quality : 2000 Status and Trends
Author:	Environmental Protection Agency
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Ecology, Natural resource issues, Environemtal protection
Collections:	Environmental Awareness Library Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	United States Environmental Protection Agency


Citation APA MLA Chicago Agency, E. P. (n.d.). Latest Findings on National Air Quality : 2000 Status and Trends. Retrieved from http://www.gutenberg.cc/

Description
Excerpt: This summary report highlights the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) most recent evaluation of status and trends in our nation’s air quality. Highlights -- Since 1970, aggregate emissions of six principal pollutants tracked nationally have been cut 29 percent. During that same time period, U.S. Gross Domestic Product increased 158 percent, energy consumption increased 45 percent, and vehicle miles traveled have increased 143 percent. -- National air quality levels measured at thousands of monitoring stations across the country have shown improvements over the past 20 years for all six principal pollutants. -- Despite this progress, over 160 million tons of pollution are emitted into the air each year in the United States, and approximately 121 million people live in areas where monitored air was unhealthy because of high levels of the six principal air pollutants. -- EPA is increasingly focusing its efforts on tracking and controlling two of these pollutants: ground-level ozone and fine particles, key components of smog and haze. -- Of the six tracked pollutants, progress has been slowest for ground-level ozone. In the southern and north central regions of the United States ozone levels have actually worsened in the past 10 years. Similarly, over the last 10 years, the average ozone levels in 29 of our national parks increased over 4 percent.

Table of Contents
National Air Quality ......................................... 2 Six Principal Pollutants................................... 4 Acid Rain........................................................ 16 Visibility ......................................................... 18 Toxic Air Pollutants ....................................... 20 Stratospheric Ozone ..................................... 22 Global Warming & Climate Change .............. 24 Conclusion ..................................................... 26 Acronyms....................................................... 26