A Pacific Institute study of government data demonstrates that environmental indicators in the areas of air and water pollution, toxic releases, and resources and wildlife have improved significantly.
Ambient air pollution levels decreased significantly between 1976 and 1997: Sulfur oxides by 66.7 percent; nitrogen oxides by 37.9 percent; ozone by 30.9 percent; carbon monoxide by 66.4 percent; particulates by 25.5 percent; and lead by 97.3 percent.
Toxic chemical releases declined by at least one-third since 1988. Discharges into our nation’s water supply have been near zero since 1993. Forests today cover nearly 30 percent of the United States’ total land area. Since 1950, net growth of trees has exceeded net harvest of trees every year. And wetlands conversion is decreasing dramatically. For every 60 acres of wetlands converted to cropland annually from 1954 to 1974, only 3 acres were converted annually from 1982 to 1992.
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