Almost everyone on the East coast of the United States was affected by the wildfires raging in Canada in the early summer weeks of 2023. There was heavy air pollution for days and weeks, and people were nearly forced to stay inside until it passed.
During events like these, there may be a sense to many that these types of environmental issues are getting worse, but the data shows that pollution has dramatically declined over the past few decades.
Data from the US Department of Transportation show that the seven major metros in the United States have all improved their air quality since 1980.
Some may make the case that regulation is the primary source of this change, but a better way to understand it is by reading the work of Simon Kuznets, a Nobel Prize winning economist. His work showed that as countries get wealthier, the environments first get worse then improve. The countries first begin using a lot of natural resources to get themselves out of poverty. But as the wealth of the people improves, the people care more about the environment and over time, balance can be made.
This improvement in air quality is a welcomed goal for our nation.