Pollution hasn’t gone down of its own accord

It was only a matter of time before Planet Gore got around to the most famous bit of disinformation.

The big lie is to tout the fact that the air has gotten cleaner in recent decades while conveniently ignoring the fact that the reason for this achievement is environmental activism leading to tough air pollution standards. Progressives must push back hard on this big lie (something John Kerry failed to do with George Bush in the second Presidential debate).

Planet Gore proclaims proudly today:

Imagine this headline on page A1 today: "The environment is getting cleaner."

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Given the daily state of fear in America’s media, that would be news to most Americans. But as Joel M. Schwartz reveals in a National Center for Policy Analysis study "pollutants have been reducing steadily for the past several decades."

The post goes on to cite the sharp reduction in lead, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and fine particulates — and then marvels: "All this improvement has come at a time of increased motor vehicle use, energy production and economic growth."

Needless to say, PG does not go on to thank environmentalists or the EPA for this impressive achievement. No, for PG, it was all magic. The final paragraph is the height of chutzpah:

Of course, enviro-activists and their press allies will tell you none of this as their power relies on keeping the public spooked. But it also explains why Greens are trying to get carbon dioxide classified as a pollutant — because real pollutants are getting scarcer and scarcer.

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Have they no shame? Real pollutants are getting scarcer thanks to clean air regulations. That’s why we need to set greenhouse gas emissions standards — so we can achieve the same "magical" reductions in climate-destroying pollutants. Note the other clever disinformation — the Supreme Court has already decided carbon dioxide classified as a pollutant. The Greenies have won that round, thankfully.

Progressives must push back on this Big Lie whenever it comes up. And we must speak up for the environmental standards that have given us the clean air that everyone, including the dirty dozen at PG, are so thankful for.

This post was created for ClimateProgress.org, a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.