Over the last two and a half years, the Obama Administration has taken unprecedented steps forward to protect the public health of American families by reducing harmful air pollution. Taken together, the Administration’s clean air achievements will produce enormous benefits for public health and the environment – while promoting the nation’s continued economic growth and well-being.
Clean Air: An Investment in Health, the Environment, and the Economy
Clean air is critical to protecting public health and the environment and the evidence shows that it’s a good investment. A recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that the direct benefits of the Clean Air Act – in the form of cleaner air and healthier, more productive Americans – are estimated to reach nearly $2 trillion in the year 2020, exceeding the costs by a factor of more than 30 to one. These benefits are ultimately about the health of our families.
According to the report, in 2010 alone, the reductions in fine particle and ozone pollution from the Clean Air Act prevented:
- 160,000 premature deaths;
- More than 80,000 emergency room visits;
- Millions of cases of respiratory problems;
- Millions of lost workdays, increasing productivity;
- Millions of lost school days due to respiratory illness and other diseases caused or exacerbated by air pollution.
Fonte: White House