Tri-County Technical College Abstract
This paper is intended to highlight the events that lead to the introduction of the Air Pollution Act of 1955, inform the audience of the nature of that legislation, and describe the people who assisted in the creation and passing of the Act itself. Events like the smog in Los Angeles, the pioneering of state laws regulating air pollution and the disastrous events in Donora, Pennsylvania will be due to their integral part in passing the Act. This paper will also outline the effects the Act has had on other pieces of legislation it inspired and the social impact it has had/continues to have in modern times.
Patricia McKinney …show more content…
Many heated debates about the topic ensue on a regular basis around the world. Though America has countless rules and regulations regarding clean air today, the same cannot be said for the country sixty years ago. In the 1950s, America was rapidly industrializing across the country. That industrialization caused many types of pollution and due to the lack of regulations that pollution had drastic effects on the environment. In fact, it took a series of disastrous events to draw America’s attention to a growing problem. Whether it was smog in Donora, Pennsylvania or the leaders in California addressing the pollution problem nearly a decade before the nation followed suit, major events had to take place before true progress could be made. After the Air Pollution Control Act became law, great strides were made in the scientific community regarding the research of pollution, and that Act brought forth many others like it in the decades to follow. Though the Act itself was just a stepping stone, it positively impacted the country and each person in it. The Air Pollution Control Act is one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation passed in America’s history. It is important to note the conditions that citizens lived in prior to the adaptation of pollution …show more content…
Many scientists have produced data that confirms that humans have impacted the ozone layer negatively and that the health of people in general is failing. Air pollution is no longer limited to synthetic toxins. The Environmental Protection Agency and researchers have found that greenhouse gasses have contributed to air pollution and in turn, weakened the ozone layer. There has been data that supports the environmentalist’s theory. “Global temperatures have risen 0.85 C on average since the Industrial Revolution--a change most scientists blame on human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels.” (Lewis 23) Local and national leaders have stood up to combat the effect big cities have on the greenhouse gas emissions. “Almost a decade ago, then-Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels challenged fellow mayors around the country to abide by the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that the United States refused to support when it was drafted in 1997.” (Wogan 46) One of the biggest social issues regarding air pollution today is the ongoing fight between those who believe in global warming, and those who do not. Regardless of the debate, it can be concluded that the environmental awareness of modern times and the current legislation on the subject can all be traced back to the intial awareness in
This paper is intended to highlight the events that lead to the introduction of the Air Pollution Act of 1955, inform the audience of the nature of that legislation, and describe the people who assisted in the creation and passing of the Act itself. Events like the smog in Los Angeles, the pioneering of state laws regulating air pollution and the disastrous events in Donora, Pennsylvania will be due to their integral part in passing the Act. This paper will also outline the effects the Act has had on other pieces of legislation it inspired and the social impact it has had/continues to have in modern times.
Patricia McKinney …show more content…
Many heated debates about the topic ensue on a regular basis around the world. Though America has countless rules and regulations regarding clean air today, the same cannot be said for the country sixty years ago. In the 1950s, America was rapidly industrializing across the country. That industrialization caused many types of pollution and due to the lack of regulations that pollution had drastic effects on the environment. In fact, it took a series of disastrous events to draw America’s attention to a growing problem. Whether it was smog in Donora, Pennsylvania or the leaders in California addressing the pollution problem nearly a decade before the nation followed suit, major events had to take place before true progress could be made. After the Air Pollution Control Act became law, great strides were made in the scientific community regarding the research of pollution, and that Act brought forth many others like it in the decades to follow. Though the Act itself was just a stepping stone, it positively impacted the country and each person in it. The Air Pollution Control Act is one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation passed in America’s history. It is important to note the conditions that citizens lived in prior to the adaptation of pollution …show more content…
Many scientists have produced data that confirms that humans have impacted the ozone layer negatively and that the health of people in general is failing. Air pollution is no longer limited to synthetic toxins. The Environmental Protection Agency and researchers have found that greenhouse gasses have contributed to air pollution and in turn, weakened the ozone layer. There has been data that supports the environmentalist’s theory. “Global temperatures have risen 0.85 C on average since the Industrial Revolution--a change most scientists blame on human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels.” (Lewis 23) Local and national leaders have stood up to combat the effect big cities have on the greenhouse gas emissions. “Almost a decade ago, then-Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels challenged fellow mayors around the country to abide by the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that the United States refused to support when it was drafted in 1997.” (Wogan 46) One of the biggest social issues regarding air pollution today is the ongoing fight between those who believe in global warming, and those who do not. Regardless of the debate, it can be concluded that the environmental awareness of modern times and the current legislation on the subject can all be traced back to the intial awareness in