The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may allow states to reduce their regulations on the amount of ozone air pollution allowed in their air, a memo which was not told to the public according to an article from CNN. The change would allow a state to emit 43 percent more pollution across state lines than before the change is implemented. Of course, this comes as the EPA has been actively working to change the methods of their office, removing much of the science from their offices. Of the many scientists and panels removed, the Particulate Matter Review Panel will be disbanded starting next year while also planning to revise air quality standards, according to an article from the New York Times.
Ozone, as defined by the EPA, is broken down into “good” and “bad” ozone. The good ozone is a natural part of the upper atmosphere forming a protective layer against the suns ultraviolet rays. The bad ozone is ozone at ground level, considered a harmful air pollutant and the dominant part of smog. Smog is caused from pollutants such as greenhouse gases and has been linked to a variety of health hazards and previously has not been as prevalent in the United States as it has in other countries such as China and India according to the article from CNN.
A recent study found that 93 percent of children below the age of 15 are breathing polluted air in the world, equaling about 1.8 billion children according to another article from CNN. Air pollution effects many growth processes such as neurological growth in children and causes deadly acute lower respiratory infections, taking the lives of 600,000 children in 2016 alone. According to the article, there needs to be a global action to reduce the use of fossil fuels and provide more resources to health professionals to reduce the amount of smog produced.
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