--- title: New Nasa Images Show US Air Quality Improvement | TIME description: NASA satellite data shows that, at least by one measure, air pollution has decreased recently. Brian Todd reports. canonical: https://time.com/video/RoXBFd4v/ og:title: New Nasa Images Show US Air Quality Improvement og:description: NASA satellite data shows that, at least by one measure, air pollution has decreased recently. Brian Todd reports. og:url: https://time.com/video/RoXBFd4v/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/RoXBFd4v/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: New Nasa Images Show US Air Quality Improvement twitter:description: NASA satellite data shows that, at least by one measure, air pollution has decreased recently. Brian Todd reports. twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/RoXBFd4v/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # New Nasa Images Show US Air Quality Improvement > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: New Nasa Images Show US Air Quality Improvement [Watch (HLS stream): New Nasa Images Show US Air Quality Improvement](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/RoXBFd4v.m3u8) (1:57)  _Published 2014-06-29. NASA satellite data shows that, at least by one measure, air pollution has decreased recently. Brian Todd reports._ --- Jul 27, 2023 4:55 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [An Expert From the European Environment Agency Says Air Quality is Improving](/video/9bn55mir/) ### An Expert From the European Environment Agency Says Air Quality is Improving [NASA | Satellite Tracks Saharan Dust to Amazon in 3-D](/video/ozFiB7RV/) ### NASA | Satellite Tracks Saharan Dust to Amazon in 3-D [NASA | Satellite Tracks Saharan Dust to Amazon in 3-D](/video/fcA8XqLp/) ### NASA | Satellite Tracks Saharan Dust to Amazon in 3-D --- ## Transcript Dramatic new satellite pictures from NASA that dial back doom and gloom predictions about our air quality. This progression map shows by at least one measure, the air in the United States has improved. Over the last decade, nitrogen dioxide has decreased, in cities across the U. S. Red and orange are the worst areas, green and blue are better, especially along the densely populated I- 95 corridor in the northeast, the difference is striking. This represents a map in 2005 of nitrogen oxide, and you can tell by the red levels, that pollutant levels are really high, all along the eastern seaboard, the Ohio River Valley, the major cities of the U. S. like Atlanta and Chicago. Mm- hm. And then, what do we have now? Well now, we have much lower levels of this pollutant. Levels have gone down by about 40 % since 2005. Nitrogen dioxide, is a yellow brown smog, that comes mostly from vehicles and coal burning power plants. It forms ozone, the gas in the atmosphere that burns our lungs. So, why is the air getting better, even though the number of cars on the road has increased? Our pollute levels are still going down, and that's because the cars are becoming more fuel efficient. And, new coal burning power plants now scrub much of the pollution out, before it can get to our lungs. The World Health Organization says in 2012, about 3. 7 million people around the world died, from the effects of outdoor air pollution, most of them in Asia. Experts say the people who smog has hit the hardest, are the ones who can really feel this improvement in our air. People who have asthma, they definitely can tell that they're breathing easier. And it's easier when we're looking at it on a long- term basis or looking at hospital records or other medical records. Nitrogen dioxide levels are also a good indicator of how other pollution is trending. But experts say, it's not all good news, there are other pollutants out there, causing harm. 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