This is a special bonus episode to bring you some good clean air and climate news. Advocacy is often hard and frustrating, but it is important to celebrate when improvement is made. On February 7th, 2024, the EPA released it’s final rule for the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (or NAAQS) for particulate matter pollution, lowering the annual standard to 9 ug/m3. The previous standard was 12ug/m3. If you’ve been listening to this podcast, you know that we’ve covered in multiple episodes how people were sickening and dying from lung disease, heart disease and more at levels below 12. For context, the WHO advises a standard of 5, and the American Thoracic Society has been advising a standard of 8 for years.

It includes an update on what has happened, and a roundtable in which I participated as a representative of the American Thoracic Society.

It's important to celebrate the steps forward in advocacy!

Learn more from the EPA announement here.

Read the ALA response here.

Read the ATS response here.

The photo is of EPA administrator Michael Regan pictured with advocates from EcoMadres and Moms Clean Air Force after the signing on Feb 7th.