Fossil Fuels Winning on Air Emissions (2023 update)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- January 2, 2024

“Since 1970, implementation of the Clean Air Act and technological advances from American innovators have dramatically improved air quality in the U.S. Since that time, the combined emissions of criteria and precursor pollutants have dropped by 78%. Cleaner air provides important public health benefits, and we commend our state, local, community and industry partners for helping further long-term improvement in our air quality.” (- U.S. EPA, Our Nation’s Air: Trends through 2023)

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have never been considered a pollutant at ambient levels as have the criteria pollutants: Carbon Monoxide (CO); Lead (Pb); Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂); Particulate Matter (PM); and Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂). With these real pollutants, the good continues to be good with more fossil fuel usage, less emissions. This is part of the increasing sustainability of fossil fuels, a multi-decade phenomenon with no end in sight.

Here is the latest from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through 2023.

Air Quality Trends Show Clean Air Progress

Nationally, concentrations of air pollutants have dropped significantly since 1990:

• Carbon Monoxide (CO) 8-Hour,  79%
• Lead (Pb) 3-Month Average,  87% (from 2010)
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) Annual,  62%
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) 1-Hour,  55%
• Ozone (O₃) 8-Hour,  18%
• Particulate Matter 10 microns (PM₁₀) 24-Hour,  29%
• Particulate Matter 2.5 microns (PM_2.5) Annual,  37% (from 2000)
• Particulate Matter 2.5 microns (PM_2.5) 24-Hour,  29% (from 2000)
• Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂) 1-Hour,  92%
• Numerous hazardous air pollutants, or air toxics, have declined with percentages varying by pollutant

Despite increases in air concentrations of pollutants associated with fires (carbon monoxide, particle pollution, and ozone), national average air quality concentrations remain below the current, national standards.

Final Comment

Internalizing negative externalities is a theme of the above statistics. Oil, natural gas, and coal are complex, technological, environmental products in the 21st century. The fossil-fuel era, in fact, is still young, very young.