Do Now: Quiz

Aim: How can we improve air quality? Concept 18-6 Legal, economic, and technological tools can help us to clean up air pollution, but the best solution is to prevent it.

Why Care about the Air? In October 1948, a thick cloud of air pollution formed above the industrial town of Donora, Pennsylvania. The cloud which lingered for five days, killed 20 people and caused sickness in 6,000 of the town's 14,000 people. In 1952, over 3,000 people died in what became known as London's "Killer Fog." The smog was so thick that buses could not run without guides walking ahead of them carrying lanterns.

Laws and Regulations Can Reduce Outdoor Air Pollution United States – Clean Air Acts: 1970, 1977, and 1990 created regulations enforced by states and cities EPA: 1970 – National ambient air quality standards for 6 outdoor pollutants – National emission standards for 188 hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)

Clean Air Act Good news in U.S. – Decrease in emissions – Use of low-sulfur diesel fuel Cuts pollution Less-developed countries – More air pollution

Key Elements of the CAA – Cleaning Up Commonly Found Air Pollutants – Cars, Trucks, Buses, and Nonroad Equipment – Interstate and International Air Pollution – Clearing the Air in Our National Parks – Reducing Acid Rain – Reducing Toxic Air Pollutants – Protecting the Stratospheric Ozone Layer – Permits and Enforcement – Public Participation

Case Study: U.S. Air Pollution Can Be Improved Rely on prevention of pollution, not cleanup Sharply reduce emissions from power plants, industrial plants, and other industry Raise fuel-efficiency for cars, SUVs, and light trucks Better regulation of emissions of motorcycles and two-cycle gasoline engines

We Can Use the Marketplace to Reduce Outdoor Air Pollution Emission trading or cap-and-trade program – Mixed reactions to program – SO 2 emissions down significantly – NO x now in effect – Mercury plan strongly opposed for creating toxic hotspots Many problems with making cap-and-trade effective

Discussion Activity: At your tables discuss the question you received. Follow the guidelines for table discussions. Make sure ALL PEOPLE at your table speak at least once.

Summary: Choose one of the following quotes and explain how it relates to what you have learned. 1) "Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value." Richard Buckminster Fuller 2) "The atmosphere is the key symbol of global interdependence. If we can't solve some of our problems in the face of threats to this global commons, then I can't be very optimistic about the future of the world." Margaret Mead

Reducing Indoor Air Pollution Should Be a Priority Greater threat to human health than outdoor pollution What can be done? – Prevention – Cleanup

Turbo Stove in India

We Need to Put More Emphasis on Pollution Prevention Output approaches New shift to preventing outdoor and indoor pollution – Pressure from citizens

Case Study: U.S. Air Pollution Can Be Improved Regulate air pollution for oceangoing ships in American ports Regulate emissions at U.S. airports Sharply reduce indoor pollution Increased and more accurate monitoring of air pollutants

There Are Many Ways to Reduce Outdoor Air Pollution There are ways to deal with – Stationary source air pollution – Motor vehicle air pollution New cars have lower emissions Less-developed countries far behind developed countries in implementing solutions