Clean Air

A new federally funded study by researchers from Bringham Young University and Harvard School of Public Health says that cleaner air aids in a longer life. According to the study, cleaner air adds 5 months to Americans life expectancy. “It shows that our efforts as a country to control air pollution have been well worth the expense,” said Dr. Joel Kaufman, a University of Washington expert on environmental health.

Congress passed the revised Clean Air Act in 1970 which gave the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to set and enforce clean air standards including limits on particulate matter, carbon monoxide and other pollutants. The Clean Air Act is being credited as the reason our air is cleaner and according to the study it is helping us live longer.

Many people will say that there are other factors that come into play including, medical advancements, medication, and other advances. But the bottom line is that clean air is better for us. I applaud the advances in automobiles and the green energy movement. I hope that these advances will help our children live long healthy happy lives.