Air Pollution Solutions

Ch. 18

How should we deal with air pollution?

Legal, economic, and technical tools can help us to clean up air pollution, but the best solution is prevention.

Laws & Regulations

• United States– Clean Air Acts:

1970, 1977, 1990 created regulations enforced by states & cities

Laws & Regulations

• EPA–National Ambient Air Quality

Standards (NAAQ) for 6 outdoor pollutants

–National emission standards for 188 hazardous air pollutants (HAPs)

Carbon Monoxide (CO)Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM – smaller than PM -10)Ozone (O3)Lead (Pb)

Clean Air Act 1970

• National Air Quality Standards• Statutory Deadlines for

Compliance • Clean Air Act Amended in 1977

and 1990 primarily to set new goals (dates) for achieving attainment of NAAQS

EPA & Air Quality*

• Primary Standard – protects human health

EPA & Air Quality

• Secondary Standard – Prevent environmental and property damage

Clean Air Act SuccessAccording to EPA 6 major pollutants decreased by 54% between 1980 and 2008

Possible Economic Solutions $$

• Enabled Emissions Trading Policy• Allows power plants to buy/sell

SO2 pollution rights

• Can only emit certain amt of SO2

• If emit less – earn pollution credits

Clean Air Act Failure

• CO2 emissions increased by 16% between 1980 - 2008

Controlling Air Pollution

1. Fuel efficient transportation2. Scrubbers, filters on

smokestacks3. Controlled land disturbing

activities4. Removing sulfur from fuels5. Lowering temp. of combustion6. Reducing incomplete

combustionA. Catalytic Converters

U.S. vs. Developing Nations

“The air is cleaner despite the fact that we have twice as many vehicles traveling twice as many miles.”- Denis Hayes – coordinator of 1st Earth Day

U.S. vs. Developing Nations

• tech + older tech + effort in env. quality = Air Pollution

• Older sources of fuel (coal, biomass) contribute to air pollution

• Leaded gasoline • 1999 WHO: respiratory disease =

leading cause of death of children in developing nations