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Since 1955, U.S. air pollution reforms have attempted to fight global warming.

is a condition used to describe the observable shift in the Earth’s climate. This shift happens as temperatures rise, causing unintended ecological effects. Shrinking glaciers, rising sea levels, and intense drought are among these . Climate change is one of the most widely prioritized and imminent ecological issues because of its widespread impact. According to the , land and ocean temperatures have increased at a rate of around 0.18 percent Fahrenheit per decade since 1981. However, environmental degradation was not always an impending threat. , the human-induced warming of the Earth, is a primary cause of climate change. Global warming occurs from the burning of fossil fuels which emit greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gas absorbs radiation and traps heat in the atmosphere, increasing the Earth’s overall temperature. To aid the global effort against global warming, the United States enacted its first air pollution reform in 1955.

Congress passed the after recognizing air pollution as a . However, this legislation did little to control the issue on a federal level. The act dedicated funding towards federal research; however, it reserved power to the states and local governments to implement air pollution control ordinances. Though the act was amended through 1990, it was ultimately ineffective at regulating air pollution without federal standards or oversight. Thus, the (CAA), first enacted in 1963, became the most well-developed air pollution-focused legislation in the United States. As its name implies, the law to improve air quality. Initially, the act expanded federal environmental operations, extending its research program from 1955 and allocating $95 million for state pollution programs. The CAA also established the first federal interstate transportation emission standards, calling for a reduction in hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in automobiles. In 1970, the CAA was amended to limit the emissions of industrial and mobile sources. These amendments were adopted in addition to the (EPA). The EPA responds to environmental problems within the United States and executes and enforces CAA requirements. In 1977, the CAA was again amended to address concerns of air quality deterioration in some geographic regions that do not meet federal air quality standards. was in 1990 to account for acid rain safety, stratospheric ozone protection, and the management of toxic air pollutants.

Despite decades of persistent pollution, the CAA has been . more than 230,000 premature deaths, over 200,000 heart attacks, and millions of chronic respiratory diagnoses. Between 1970 and 2020, the combined emissions of the six most common pollutants dropped by 78 percent.

In 2011, the EPA actively began from aircrafts. According to the Air Transport Action Group, “aviation is responsible for 12% of carbon dioxide emissions from all transports sources” and produces around 2% of all human-induced carbon dioxide emissions. The EPA decided to collaborate with the United Nations to for developing a U.S. domestic gas emission regulation process. In 2020, the EPA for commercial aviation and business jets.

Each year, the EPA funds to state, local, and non-profit organizations to achieve ideal air quality results. While there is plenty of work to be done nationally and globally to resist climate change, the practices set in the Clean Air Act and the work done by the EPA continue to save lives and protect the Earth. 

For further information on , s, or , please explore the , which contains overviews and finalized documents for each section. To aid the fight against climate change, check out EPA’s page to get involved with environmental justice and health.