2009 State of the Air Report: 186.1 million Americans Breathe Dangerous Air

Despite a growing green movement the state of the air in most American cities got worse, according to the 2009 Sate of the Air Report put out by the American Lung Association today. 186.1 million Americans live in areas where air pollution levels endanger lives. One in six Americans breathes air filthy enough to send residents to emergency rooms. The State of the Air report, found at www.stateoftheair.org, includes a national air quality “report card” that assigns A-F grades to communities across the country. The report also ranks cities and counties most affected by the three most widespread types of pollution (ozone—or smog, annual particle pollution, and 24-hour particle pollution levels) and details trends for 900 counties over the past decade. “This should be a wakeup call. We know that air pollution is a major threat to human health,” said Stephen J. Nolan, American Lung Association National Board Chair. To read report, click here.

To follow my search for clean air in areas near and far, as well as companies making a positive difference, subscribe to the Chasing Clean Air RSS feed. Photo is aerial shot of Los Angeles I took while flying in August 2007.