Clean Air Actions Make a Difference!

A park visitor learning about air pollution effects on visibility at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina.

NPS Photo

Back in the 1970's, air pollution in the United States was much worse than it is today. Some said that it would never get better, and that the price of progress was dirty air.

But environmental laws and technology have helped reduce air pollution, making the air cleaner and healthier now than it used to be, even though there are more people. This shows us that we can tackle difficult problems by working together for a better and cleaner future.

Laws and technology are only part of the solution. The day-to-day clean air actions people make can also make a difference to reduce air pollution. Many of these same actions also save energy and money while reducing waste at home, school, work, and while visiting parks. Whenever people use gasoline in a car, or natural gas and electricity for heating, cooling, and light, they contribute to air pollution and climate change. Check out the following pages for suggestions on how to get started doing your part at home, at a park, or even through citizen science!