Earlier this month, President Trump made serious claims about US air quality while in Ireland. He said, “We have the cleanest air in the world, in the United States, and it’s gotten better since I’m president.”
Well, turns out that Trump falsified his claims about our air quality.
New Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data displays a noticeable increase in polluted air days during Trump’s first two years. Reports say that we spent 15% more days with unhealthy air both last year and the year before. However, during the previous four years (2013-2016), America saw its fewest number of unhealthy air days since 1980.
While Many US Households have adopted Air Purifiers for their home and car, it’s big threat to the coming generation.
Gina McCarthy, former Obama EPA chief, said, “The EPA quietly posted new air quality data online last month that shows a recent uptick in polluted days. Five hundred and thirty-two American metro areas reported a total of 4,134 days in 2018 when the official air quality index passed 100, which means it is unhealthy for people with heart and lung disease, the elderly and the very young. That’s about 15% more bad air days per city than the average for 2013 to 2016, America’s clean air heyday.”
Federal regulations limiting emissions have dramatically improved air quality in recent decades. However, President Trump’s team rolled back The Clean Air act this past Wednesday. This Obama-era rule planned to wean the United States off fossil fuels, especially coal.
This is no surprise, since Trump started this process with coal miners at his side in 2017.
Supporters of this rollback say that Obama “wanted to put coal out of business.” However, Democratic environmentalists like Nancy Pelosi claim that “the growing climate crisis is the existential threat of our time and President Trump’s shameful response was to put lobbyists and polluters in charge of protecting your health and safety.”
Scientists say it’s too early to fully see the disastrous effects of the Trump administration’s environmental policy changes. However, looser restrictions and lax enforcement will certainly wreak havoc on our planet. Although some may argue that the recent increases in poor air quality stemmed from wildfires and increased temperatures, nobody can expect these numbers to decline once Trump’s rollback goes into effect.
Air pollution poses a more serious threat than we realize. About 100,000 Americans die prematurely each year from pollution-related illnesses. EPA officials predict that this number will climb by at least 1,000 more people annually once emissions increase again. These deaths may come in the form of heart diseases, lung cancers, and more.
President Trump loves to call out “fake news” every chance he gets. However, it’s hard to argue with multiple sources and scientists collecting facts. Will this issue push you to vote in the 2020 Presidential Election? How do you feel about our environment right now?
Featured image via Pixabay
