Clean Air
Clean Air
Clean air is essential for our health, our climate, and all living things.
Why is clean air important?
Public health researchers estimate that 7 million people across the planet die prematurely every year due to air pollution from coal, oil, and gas. From asthma and bronchitis to heart disease and strokes, the health impacts of polluted air can be severe.
Redlining, racist zoning practices, and other factors have disproportionately put people of color and low-income neighborhoods near or downwind from the sources of air pollution. Cleaning up our air is critical for reducing health disparities and improving quality of life for all our communities.
Air pollution is bad news for pollinators too. Pollutants from human activity can react with a flower’s scent, impeding pollinators’ ability to locate them.
4,500
5,700
new asthma cases prevented per year
Exposure to soot pollution increases the risk of asthma, heart attacks, stroke, cancer, and premature death
EPA released updated National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM2.5), or soot, taking a positive and long-awaited step toward addressing a dangerous and deadly air pollutant responsible for over 100,000 deaths in the United States every year. Read more.
Victory!
In 2024, the EPA strengthened National Ambient Air Quality Standards for soot, saving thousands of lives and billions of dollars! These protections will directly save an estimated 4,500 lives and prevent 5,700 new cases of asthma each year. The economic benefits are good too – resulting in 290,000 fewer lost workdays per year and bringing as much as $46 billion in net health benefits in 2032, when the standard is in full effect.
What We Are Doing
The Sierra Club works in communities across the country fighting pollution that’s harming our health, heating up our climate, and degrading our environment. From advocating for stronger regulations on soot, methane, and mercury to reducing pollution from cars, trucks, and home appliances, there’s a lot we can do to clean up our air.
One of the best ways to get the fumes out of your home? Using an affordable portable induction cooktop or replacing your gas stove entirely—which uses methane and spews harmful air pollutants—is a great upgrade you can make to your living space.
What You Can Do
Sign the petition to the EPA: Set pollution limits for space & water heaters
It's time the EPA set standards for heating appliances! Sign the petition to tell the EPA to write new rules to limit dangerous pollution from furnaces and water heaters.
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Sign the Petition