Scientists say human-caused climate change in the US is turning back positive gains brought on by the Clean Air Act of 1970 – and California is ground zero. Research shows wildfires in California and the West are steering this reversal. Jeremy Porter with First Street Foundation warns future models suggest it could get worse in the next 30 years. Microscopic particles are the culprit. They’re found in wildfire smoke and vehicle exhaust and travel deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Long-term exposure is linked to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, multiple types of cancer, and cardiovascular disease among others. Porter tells the San Francisco Chronicle the West is essentially wiping out 20 years of progress.
Wildfires in the West Reversing Gains from the Clear Air Act of 1970
