There are noxious gases like sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen. There are specks of coal dust and rubber. Our bodies can tolerate only so much. When the pollution load is too great, we get sick, we slow down, our heads ache, our chests get tight, and our organs are impaired. The impact is most severe on children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems.
Air pollution does millions of dollars worth of damage to agricultural crops.
It kills trees and it obscures visibility. Earthjustice has been involved in the battle to clean up our air for more than 30 years.