AAFA supports clean, safe air for everyone and urges the adoption of strong standards to reduce the emission of harmful air pollutants. The quality of the environment around us has a direct impact on our health and the health of future generations. We have an obligation to protect the climate and preserve clean air for the health and well-being of all Americans.
Join AAFA in fighting for the protection and implementation of the Clean Air Act, which is designed to protect the environment from harmful and dangerous air pollutants.
Ground-level ozone pollution comes from motor vehicles, power plants, industrial action and other human activities. Smog from ozone pollution is particularly harmful to human health – it contributes to asthma attacks, heart disease, respiratory ailments and more.
On October 1, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced stricter standards that would reduce the amount of ozone pollution in the air. In addition to protecting human health, tougher ozone standards will also help the economy by reducing healthcare costs and cutting the number of school and work days missed due to pollution-related symptoms.
The health impacts of air pollution can vary, and some populations – such as children, the elderly, people with lung disease and those who are active or work outdoors – are particularly vulnerable to dangerous health issues from breathing ozone- and smog-polluted air.
While the EPA’s action is progress, AAFA supports an even lower ozone standard that scientists agree would better protect our health. Everyone has the right to breathe clean, healthy air. Reducing the amount of smog from ozone pollution in our environment is a great step toward that goal!
For more information on the EPA's proposed ozone standards, check the resources below:
On August 3, 2015, President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the final Clean Power Plan, which establishes the first-ever national standards to limit carbon pollution from power plants!
Power plants are the largest source of carbon pollution in the U.S., and these dangerous emissions contribute to many health issues – especially for those with asthma and other respiratory diseases. These standards will allow the EPA to reduce the amount of power plant carbon emissions over the next two decades and would protect the health of millions of Americans.
Learn more about this groundbreaking announcement:
President Obama recognized climate change as a serious threat to public health. President Obama’s administration announced a series of activities and educational events that were designed to bring greater awareness to the health implications of climate change.