最新的《空氣狀況》報告稱，美國的空氣質量比前幾年嚴重得多

最新的《空氣狀況》報告稱，美國的空氣質量比前幾年嚴重得多

The air quality in the United States is dramatically declining, leaving about 150 million people -- nearly half of America's population -- breathing unhealthy, heavily polluted air, according to the newly released "State of the Air" 2020 report by the American Lung Association.

根據(jù)美國肺臟協(xié)會最新發(fā)布的《空氣狀況》2020年報告，美國的空氣質量正在急劇下降，導致約1.5億人——接近美國人口的一半——呼吸著不健康、嚴重污染的空氣。

"We're moving in the wrong direction, with nearly nine million more people breathing dirty air than in last year's report," said Paul Billings, the national senior vice president of public policy for the American Lung Association.

美國肺臟協(xié)會負責公共政策的全國高級副總裁保羅·比林斯說，“我們正在朝著錯誤的方向前進，與去年的報告相比，呼吸污濁空氣的人數(shù)增加了近900萬。”

That's particularly bad news for people like Tim Seib, a 37-year-old New York City regional theater director who has suffered from asthma his entire life.

這對蒂姆·塞布這樣的人來說尤其是個壞消息。37歲的塞布是紐約市地區(qū)劇院的導演，一生都飽受哮喘之苦。

"Knowing we've let our air get worse is maddening to me because air quality directly affects my day to day health," Seib said. "It's not a political stance, it's not an ideology thing."

塞布說：“知道我們讓空氣變得更糟，我很惱火，因為空氣質量直接影響到我的日常健康。”這不是政治立場，也不是意識形態(tài)問題。”

"When asthma symptoms start, you don't know when your next full breath of air is going to come. It almost feels like you're drowning," Seib continued.

“當哮喘癥狀開始時，你不知道下一次呼出的空氣是什么時候。感覺就像你快要淹死了，”塞布繼續(xù)說。

"I don't think until you've walked in the shoes of someone with respiratory issues (that) you really understand how scary that can be."

“我認為，除非你站在有呼吸問題的人的立場上，你才真正明白這有多可怕。”

50th anniversary of Clean Air Act

《清潔空氣法》頒布50周年

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, which charged the US Environmental Protection Agency with regulating all sources of air emissions. The goal was to reduce air pollution and acid rain, increase air quality and visibility, slow climate change and protect the ozone layer.

今年是《清潔空氣法》通過50周年，該法案責成美國環(huán)境保護署監(jiān)管所有空氣排放源。目標是減少空氣污染和酸雨，提高空氣質量和能見度，減緩氣候變化，保護臭氧層。

According to the EPA, the act is responsible for a 50% decline in emissions of key air pollutants since 1990. the year when a new series of amendments were passed.

根據(jù)美國環(huán)境保護署(EPA)的說法，自1990年通過一系列新修正案以來，《清潔空氣法》的頒布使主要空氣污染物的排放量下降了50%。

It's that lack of enforcement -- along with worsening climate change -- which has lead to the recent reversal of air quality gains, the report said.

報告說，正是由于缺乏執(zhí)法，加上氣候變化不斷惡化，導致最近空氣質量改善的成果出現(xiàn)逆轉。

"If there's no environmental cop on the beat, we know that polluters will skirt the rules of the law, will cheat and will increase emissions," Billings said. "And pollution will increase. It has increased."

比林斯說:“如果沒有環(huán)境警察，我們就知道污染者會逃避法律規(guī)定，會作弊，會增加排放。”“污染會增加。已經(jīng)增加了。”

Environmental advocacy groups were equally critical

環(huán)境保護團體也同樣持批評態(tài)度

"Around the world, toxic air kills 5 million people every year and, as this report makes clear, the US has a long way to go to better protect communities." said Sarah Vogel, vice president for health at the Environmental Defense Fund.

美國環(huán)境保護基金會負責健康事務的副總裁薩拉•沃格爾表示:“全球每年有500萬人死于有毒空氣，正如這份報告明確指出的那樣，美國在更好地保護社區(qū)方面還有很長的路要走。”

"At a time when our lung health is more endangered than ever before, our leaders should be taking firm measures to clean up our air." said Bill Magavern, policy director for the Coalition for Clean Air.

“在我們的肺部健康比以往任何時候都受到威脅的時候，我們的領導人應該采取堅定的措施來凈化我們的空氣。”清潔空氣聯(lián)盟政策主任比爾·馬加弗恩說。

Increases in types of pollution

污染種類增加

The 21st annual "State of the Air" report analyzed data from 2016. 2017 and 2018 -- three of the five hottest years in recorded history in the world, the report said.

第21屆年度“空氣狀況”報告分析了2016年、2017年和2018年的數(shù)據(jù)，報告稱，這是世界上有記錄以來最熱的5年中的3年。

Those warmer temperatures contributed to the rise of ozone levels in many places in the US, the report found, affecting more than 137 million people. Breathing in ozone, or smog, can cause asthma attacks, shortness of breath, and trigger coughing, the report said.

報告發(fā)現(xiàn)，這些變暖的溫度導致美國許多地方的臭氧水平上升，影響了超過1.37億人。報告說，吸入臭氧或煙霧會導致哮喘、呼吸短促和咳嗽。

The heat from increasing climate change also contributed to wildfires, especially in western states, which spiked particulate pollution levels to dangerous levels, the report said.

報告說，日益加劇的氣候變化帶來的熱量也助長了野火，尤其是在西部各州，使顆粒物污染水平飆升至危險水平。

Particulate matter is a mixture of solid and liquid matter found in the air. Dust, dirt and smoke particles are larger but there are also extremely small, inhalable particulates that can't be seen with the naked eye. Those are called PM 2.5 because their size is generally 2.5 micrometers or less.

微粒物質是在空氣中發(fā)現(xiàn)的固體和液體物質的混合物?；覊m、塵埃和煙霧顆粒較大，但也有極小的可吸入顆粒物，肉眼無法看到。這些被稱為PM2.5.因為它們的大小通常是2.5微米或更小。