Metro: They don't want you to drive cars

... and they're using Climate Change and the horrors of GHG emissions to justify their Smart Growth, Climate Smart policies.  

Are these policies "smart" or just plain dumb?

Let's see what the EPA has to say about America's progress on pollution control, remembering that the improvement came with increasing population and more cars and industry than ever - before Smart Growth policies were invented.

EPA:  

Progress Cleaning the Air and Improving People's Health

The Clean Air Act has a proven record of public health and environmental protection since 1970.
New cars, trucks, and nonroad engines use state-of-the-art emission control technologies.

• Compared to 1970 vehicle models, new cars, SUVs and pickup trucks are roughly 99 percent cleaner for common pollutants (hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particle emissions).
• The emissions reductions have led to dramatic improvements in the quality of the air that we breathe. Between 1980 and 2012, national concentrations of air pollutants improved 91 percent for lead, 83 percent for carbon monoxide, 78 percent for sulfur dioxide (1-hour), 55 percent for nitrogen dioxide (annual), and 25 percent for ozone. Fine particle concentrations (24-hour) improved 37 percent and coarse particle concentrations (24-hour) improved 27 percent between 2000, when trends data begins for fine particles, and 2012. (For more trends information, see EPA's Air Trends site.)
• These air quality improvements have enabled many areas of the country to meet national air quality standards set to protect public health and the environment. For example, all of the 41 areas that had unhealthy levels of carbon monoxide in 1991 now have levels that meet the health-based national air quality standard. A key reason is that the motor vehicle fleet is much cleaner because of Clean Air Act emissions standards for new motor vehicles.
• Airborne lead pollution, a widespread health concern before EPA phased out lead in motor vehicle gasoline under Clean Air Act authority, now meets national air quality standards in most areas of the country.
• State emission control measures to implement the Act, as well as EPA's national emissions standards, have contributed to air quality improvements.

   

Emission Trends
Annual emissions estimates are used as one indicator of the effectiveness of our programs. The graph below shows that between 1980 and 2013, gross domestic product increased 145 percent, vehicle miles traveled increased 95 percent, energy consumption increased 25 percent, and U.S. population grew by 39 percent. During the same time period, total emissions of the six principal air pollutants dropped by 62 percent. The graph also shows that between 1980 and 2012, CO2 emissions increased* by 14 percent.

USC NOTE:  *The graph shows a decrease in CO2 emissions, not an increase as the text denotes.  The text appears to be a misprint.  

Comparison of Growth Areas and Emissions, 1980 - 2013

In addition, from 1990 to 2008, emissions of air toxics declined by approximately 62 percent. These reductions are the result of implementing stationary and mobile source regulations. The majority of the air toxics emitted in 2008 are also precursors of ozone and/or particle 
pollution.

Weather
Weather conditions influence emissions and air quality.  EPA has developed statistical approaches to account for weather’s influence on ozone and fine particles.  While these approaches do not change the quality of air we breathe, they do help us understand how well emission reduction programs are working. More information on trends in ozone adjusted for weather conditions can be found at http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/weather.html.

What?!?  I thought ozone and fine particulates affected weather, not the other way around!