Contrary to what many people may think, the air quality in cities across the US has been getting better for many years. Since 1990 mercury released from human sources is down 60 percent, benzene—a toxic greenhouse gas—is down 66 percent, and lead pollution which impacts brain development has dropped by 84 percent, according to a newly released EPA report. While there is still much work to be done to make US cities cleaner, the authors say, the report shows that we are headed in the right direction.
Air is safest to breathe in more than 20 years
More of Today's Solutions
Kenya unlocks $160 million to protect the Maasai Mara and Tsavo ecosystems
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Kenya committed $160 million over ten years to protect 173,000 square kilometers (roughly 67,000 square miles, or 17.3 ...
Read MoreWill vinegar actually keep bugs out this fall? Pest experts explain what works
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM As temperatures drop, bugs start looking for the same thing you do: somewhere warmer. If you've been reaching ...
Read MoreStronger concrete, cleaner landfills—how scrap carpet fibers are reinventing ...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Concrete is the foundation of modern civilization, but its notorious tendency to crack isn’t just a construction headache—it’s ...
Read MoreHow sheep are powering the solar boom in a win for sustainability and agricul...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM On a sprawling solar farm in rural Texas, thousands of sheep are hard at work. Beneath rows of ...
Read More
