A guest column by Dr. John Wear, executive director of the Center for the Environment, appeared in the Oct. 14 edition of the Charlotte Observer. He noted that cooler summer temperatures, increased rainfall and the recession played a role in the number of reduced ozone alert days. So did environmental laws that were instituted earlier in this decade.

"We got lucky with the weather," he wrote. "When hot, dry summers return, ground-level ozone levels will go up. When the economy recovers, factories will ramp up production and use more energy once again. When the Environmental Protection Agency institutes more stringent standards, we'll have to further reduce ozone-producing emissions."

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FULL ARTICLE: "Why Did Our Air Quality Improve This Summer?" (Charlotte Observer)

Center for the Environment