The Clean Air Act is one of the most vital pieces of environmental legislation in the US. Currently, the policy is administrated by the US Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA. The agency works on all matters of environmental protection, collaborating with state and local governments alike. Currently only $1.4 billion are to be given to the administration in order to complete its goals for the year, including the aforementioned Clean Air Act. However, comparing this sum with the budget reserved for other considerations, questions arise. In particular, education, housing and equity receive sums that are tens, if not hundreds of times bigger than those allocated for EPA. This is a concerning development and a cause for worry. Despite an understandable need to improve other parts of the American public life, the present budgets shows a lack for consideration towards the Clean Air Act. More budget needs to be given to the Environmental Protection Agency, in order to ensure that the US has a stable and healthy future.
Compared to other issues, Climate Change and air pollution remain among the most monumental, affecting the entirety of humanity. In order to protect the citizens of the US, the cultural and historical legacy of the founding fathers, as well as the present achievements of the American people, environmental action is an inevitability. Only through significant monetary investment and concern from the government is it possible to prevent the climate crisis (The effects of climate change 2021). While it is easy to consider climate change as a minor issue compared to more immediate problems, such as a poverty and inequality, environmental problems will only exacerbate existing issues if left unchecked. Food sources will become more scarce and unreliable, while the ability of people to inhabit certain parts of the country will diminish. Current prognoses indicate that significant changes to the global environment are borderline inevitable at this time, likely to lead to a significant rise in temperatures, weather and living conditions of billions of people (The effects of climate change 2021). The US, as one of the most prosperous nations in the world, is in the prime position to use its resources in order to protect the planet. Compared to less prosperous nations, America has both the support of its people and a necessary financial backing to enact overreaching environmental protection laws. While the Clean Air act is only a small step towards change, it is still invaluable towards the goal of protecting the planet. Without decisive, and quick, action, the likely results of pollution will be irreversible. Not only to safeguard the future generations, but also to ensure the continued prosperity of humanity as a whole, it is necessary to further invest into the Clean Air act.
Reference
NASA. (2021). The effects of climate change. NASA. Web.