EPA Releases Clean Air Progress Report Ahead of World Clean Air Days
This year Climate Week NYC Sep 22-29 (CWNYC) is celebrated New York State-wide for the very first time after the Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of NY who has been appointed the co-chair of the US Climate Alliance announced on the 15th anniversary of CWNYC that it would be celebrated NY statewide going forward. Accordingly, for 2024 CWNYC I prepared several art shows and events for various museums, two of which are located in the Hudson Valley: Putnam History Museum in Coldspring, NY and Howland Cultural Center in Beacon NY. These two art shows have a theme of how the environmental movement in the US began in the Hudson Valley and spread around the world.
Clean Air For Blue Skies Event –Pink & Blue Art Show at Howland Cultural Center
"The US Environmental Movement”
Sixty two years ago, a 17 year long legal battle waged over in both state and federal courts was settled. The combatants were two Goliaths — the Consolidated Edison Company and the Federal Power Commission — versus tiny, grassroots organizations such as Scenic Hudson, Riverkeeper in the Hudson Valley. And their successful fight helped establish the agency of the U.S. government the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that sets and enforces national pollution-control standards, environmental laws. The David vs. Goliath legal fight proved that citizens of the Hudson Valley could triumph over literal and political power, and arguably launch the modern environmental movement in the US which spread around the world1.
To show America’s progress in improving the air we breathe, on August 16, the EPA released its annual interactive report titled “Our Nation’s Air: Trends Through 2023”. The report points out that since 1970, the combined emissions of criteria and precursor pollutants have dropped by 78%.
“This interactive report gives us a valuable look at the long-term progress EPA and our state, Tribal, community and industry partners have achieved. Between 1970 and 2023, the combined emissions of six key pollutants dropped by 78%, while the U.S. economy remained strong – growing over 320% over the same time.” said EPA Assistant Administrator Joe Goffman. “As the impacts of climate change increasingly affect air quality in the United States, EPA will continue to work to assure clean air for all.”
Implementation of the Clean Air Act has fueled impressive long-term emissions reductions that have improved the air we breathe. Since 1990, air pollutant concentrations have declined:
- Carbon Monoxide (CO) 8-Hour, 79%
- Lead (Pb) 3-Month Average, 87% (from 2010)
- Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Annual, 62%
- Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) 1-Hour, 55%
- Ozone (O3) 8-Hour, 18%
- Particulate Matter 10 microns (PM10) 24-Hour, 29%
- Particulate Matter 2.5 microns (PM2.5) Annual, 37% (from 2000)
- Particulate Matter 2.5 microns (PM2.5) 24-Hour, 29% (from 2000)
- Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) 1-Hour, 92%
Clean Air For Blue Skies Event – An Art Show by Selva Ozelli for Howland Cultural Center, & Havre de Grace Maritime Museum
While long-term trends continue to improve, the impacts of climate change can slow progress. Since 2022, national average concentrations of several key pollutants – such as carbon monoxide, ground-level ozone, and fine particle pollution – have increased, due in part to the influence of wildfires, weather, and other natural events, even while emissions from transportation sources, power generation and industrial processes have declined as the result of increasingly effective controls. Many environmental impacts associated with climate change can affect the severity and timing of the wildfire season, including changes in temperature, precipitation, and drought. Continuing efforts to address and adapt to climate change will be key to safeguarding community health, protecting the environment and securing environmental justice in the years to come.
Ross Corsair’s Pink & Blue Series
The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes the importance of following the science and has taken critical actions to avoid billions of tons of climate pollution and deliver significant economic and public health benefits to people living in communities across the country, including:
- Rules that will sharply reduce methane and other harmful air pollutants from new and existing oil and natural gas operations.
- Updated national pollution standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles.
- National greenhouse gas pollution standards for heavy-duty vehicles such as freight trucks and buses.
- Standards for existing coal-fired and new natural-gas fired power plants.
- Billions of dollars in infrastructure investments through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to reduce air pollution and advance a clean energy economy.
- Work to embed environmental justice in all of EPA’s work and engage the next generation in the fight against climate change.
The report includes interactive graphics that enable citizens, policymakers and other stakeholders to view and download detailed information by pollutant, geographic location and year.
Explore the report and download graphics and data here: Our Nation’s Air: Trends Through 2023.
Clean Air For Blue Skies Event – An Art Show by Selva Ozelli for Inaugural LA Climate Week
Furthermore, the EPA, in a final rule unveiled Wednesday, strengthened a rule limiting toxic air pollution from factories, refineries and other industrial facilities, reversing one of former president Donald Trump’s major environmental rollbacks.
The Global Environmental Movement
Here are some of the art shows, films, videos from around the world detailing the impact of air pollution on life on earth that will be featured as part of CWNYC events in various museums and culture centers.
ASIA
China: World’s first Climate Change museum CUHK Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, Hong Kong MoCC video - 2024
EUROPE
Spain: A multiple award winning documentary titled “Melting Age” by Alfons Rodriguez2 and Jose Bautista shows the impacts of climate change in 7 continents and 30 countries which was exhibited at COP28 and several other film festivals.
Melting Age Short Version
Melting Age Documentary
MIDDLE EAST
Turkiye: Artists Fatma Kadir, Mehmet Kuran, Selva Ozelli, Gunsu Saracoglu and Ilhan Sayin capture the impact of climate change on land, air and water in their art show
Future of Power COP 28
UAE: Teiduma The Melting Age Documentary
South East Asia, SEACHA: presentation
Indonesia: A film from Climate Changing Lives (CCCL) Film Festival by director Rian Apriansyah about pollution where young Zahran is playing hide and seek cheerfully with his friends in a friend’s house. When it's his turn to seek, the situation suddenly turns silent. A thick fog of smoke envelops the entire room, and his friends disappear3.
These international art shows, videos and films that are CWNYC events celebrate Clean Air for Blue Skies Day (September 74) World Ozone Day (September 165) and World Zero Emission Day (September 216) and highlight the negative impact of air pollution on the stratospheric ozone layer and the day-to-day lives of all living beings. Air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to biodiversity, health and one of the main avoidable causes of death and disease for all beings globally. It is also strongly associated with climate warming which countries that signed on to the Paris Agreement help try to mitigate.
