Make the reduction of air pollution and greenhouse gases a high priority
Some energy production—especially burning coal—contributes to soot and smog, causing asthma, bronchitis, heart attacks and premature deaths. The Clean Air Act reduced pollution significantly, but substantial air pollution with health impacts remains. A proposal would further tighten air quality standards to reduce remaining health effects, though this could increase energy costs for businesses and households.
Arguments For & Against
Pro Argument
We have a responsibility to try to improve the conditions of thousands of people, especially the elderly and children, who are suffering from the negative health effects of poor air quality. While over the last 50 years there have been reductions in pollution, there are still tens of thousands of deaths every year due to air pollution. And in recent years air pollution has been increasing, as well as the number of days with unhealthy air. Government research has shown that every dollar invested in cleaning up the air produces $30 in benefits from reduced health costs and more productivity.
Con Argument
There is already a lot of legislation in place that has improved air quality and will keep improving it for the next decade. Air pollution has decreased a lot. Over the last 50 years, there has been nearly a 75% reduction in the most common types of pollution. Meanwhile, government bureaucrats keep moving the goal posts and imposing new regulations. People working in oil and coal industries can lose their jobs and this can hurt local economies. Trying to reduce air pollution further would only produce very minor benefits and it is simply not worth the extra cost.
Source document: EE-Questionnaire-National-and-Swing-Six.pdf
| Type | Organization | Date | Nat | Rep | Dem | Gap | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New PPC Survey (2026) | Program for Public Consultation | February 2026 | 86% | 79% | 94% | 15% | other |
| Deliberative Survey | Program for Public Consultation | July 2024 | 85% | 74% | 95% | 21% | other |
| Deliberative Survey | Program for Public Consultation | July 2024 | 80% | 66% | 94% | 28% | other |
Program for Public Consultation — February 2026
Please select how high a priority it should be for the government to:
Program for Public Consultation — July 2024
Please select how high a priority it should be for the government to work to reduce the air pollution that has negative effects on health.
Program for Public Consultation — July 2024
Please select how high a priority you think it should be for the government to work to further reduce greenhouse gasses, especially carbon dioxide.
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