Analysis
of three decades of government data shows Americans don't necessarily
have to choose between healthier air and energy consumption."Breathing
Easier about Energy: A Healthy Economy and Healthier Air,"
a study produced by Energy and Environmental Analysis Inc. for
Foundation for Clean Air Progress (FCAP), says federal government
data collected since 1970 reveals dramatic U.S. air quality improvements
even as the nation experienced an equally dramatic rise in energy
consumption.
"Government
data show that over the past three decades Americans have experienced
increasingly healthier air and tremendous economic expansion powered
by greater energy consumption," said FCAP President William
D. Fay. "The data illustrate that energy consumption is not
incompatible with America's quest to improve its air quality."
The analysis
tracks air quality gains and energy consumption during the 30-year
period from 1970-1999. It is derived solely from data produced
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Energy
Information Administration (EIA) of the U.S. Department of Energy.The
nationwide data show that since 1970: carbon monoxide levels have
dropped 28 percent; sulfur dioxide levels have decreased 39 percent;
volatile organic compound levels have declined 42 percent; particulate
matter levels have fallen 75 percent; airborne lead levels have
declined 98 percent; and overall energy consumption has increased
41 percent.The only pollutant that increased overall during the
30-year period was nitrogen oxide (NOx), which rose by 22 percent,
about one-half the rate of energy consumption. NOx emissions have
been targeted for substantial future reductions, assured by new
diesel fuel requirements and technological advances, and are expected
to decline.
The study's
state-by-state analysis tracks air quality and energy consumption
during the 15-year period of 1985 to 1999. The data were drawn
from the National Emission Trends (NET) database, which is available
on EPA's AIRData web site at www.epa.gov/air/data/info.html.
"There
was a time that Americans had to choose between clean air and energy
use," Faye said. "The facts show that healthier air can
go hand in hand with a healthy economy."The Foundation for
Clean Air Progress (FCAP) is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization
founded in 1995 to provide public education and information about
America's air quality progress. More information about FCAP and
the study, including national and state-by-state data, can be found
on the group's web site at www.cleanairprogress.org.
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