Air pollutant emissions fell 25 percent while the economy grew 160 percent since 1970

Evidence

Few would dispute the contention that our air, water, and land are far cleaner today than they would have been absent such legal reform. In many respects, the quality of the natural environment in the United States is better on an absolute scale than it was over three decades ago, notwithstanding the tremendous increases in economic activity during the same period. The air we breathe in many urban areas is far healthier than before. According to a recent EPA report, aggregate emissions of the six principal air pollutants monitored since 1970 have decreased by 25 percent, while energy consumption has increased by 43 percent, vehicular miles traveled by 149 percent, and gross domestic product by 160 percent. — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 29

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Strict environmental laws coexisted with a thriving US economy — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 1100