Air pollution doesn’t recognize boundaries. It can travel across borders, affecting the air quality in the United States, like wildfire smoke for instance. Even mercury from afar can seep into our waters.
Globally, air pollution is a significant cause of death, taking more than 8 million lives each year, including tens of thousands in the U.S. The economic toll is immense—billions are lost due to medical expenses, job losses, and missed school days.
The U.S. has traditionally been a leader in promoting air quality, particularly through initiatives like the Global Air Monitoring Program at American embassies. My colleagues and I were involved in establishing this program during our time at the State Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. Sadly, it was discontinued in March 2025, reducing air monitoring in 44 countries, with six having no monitoring at all.
We are urging the State Department to bring back this vital program and restart data sharing to potentially save countless lives and reinforce the EPA’s role in safeguarding public health.
Looking back, this initiative began in Beijing before the 2008 Olympics. The U.S. Embassy, uncertain of the validity of local air pollution data, set up monitors on its rooftop to track pollution levels, primarily for the benefit of its staff and the expat community.
A colleague of mine even figured out how to publish this data on Twitter. Not long after, locals started sharing the information among themselves, reaching Beijing’s vast population.
At that time, the U.S. used stricter standards for measuring air quality compared to China, which had far more lenient criteria. This discrepancy meant that American monitors often flagged “dangerous” levels of pollution when local measurements deemed the air merely “slightly contaminated.”
Such contradictions led to public criticism from the Chinese government, which challenged the validity of our monitoring practices. In response, the EPA conducted a review to ensure our methods were scientifically sound.
The Chinese government subsequently requested that the embassy halt publicizing air quality data, while also blocking access to Twitter.
Understanding that our monitor had become a reliable source for accurate health-related decisions, the embassy persisted. Even when Twitter was inaccessible, a local app emerged to relay our data. This success led to extending monitoring efforts beyond Beijing to other consulates in China.
The turning point came in late 2011 when severe air pollution caused widespread disruptions in Beijing. This reality check caught media attention, highlighting the differences between our data and that of the Chinese government. Our findings echoed the residents’ experiences and raised doubts about the official numbers, driving the public to call for better compliance with international standards.
In November 2011, in response to mounting public pressure, the Chinese government introduced new guidelines for air quality that aligned more closely with U.S. standards, set to take effect in 2016. They began installing numerous air monitoring stations using American technology and started regularly releasing their data. Other cities soon followed, and by 2013, China had launched an unprecedented air quality improvement initiative.
Over five years, this led to significant declines in pollution and improved public health, reportedly saving around 370,000 lives.
Encouraged by the positive outcomes in China, U.S. officials initiated a global air monitoring partnership in February 2015. Since then, air monitoring devices have been deployed in various cities worldwide where air quality poses a growing risk, benefitting over 80 cities like New Delhi and São Paulo by providing important data.
The U.S. has collaborated with numerous governments to increase public awareness about the dangers of air pollution and promote risk reduction strategies. A 2022 survey found that the average economic benefit from these monitors reached approximately $127 million, while each U.S. post saved about $100 million on average, partly through reduced hardship allowances.
This approach also provides the U.S. with opportunities, as cities often look to American technologies to tackle their air pollution, thus boosting exports and growing the domestic environmental tech sector—adding up to substantial revenues and jobs.
Recent estimates suggest 156 million Americans live in areas with unhealthy air. Increased global surveillance and reduced harmful pollution flows protect public health in the U.S.
Clearly, the benefits of lives saved, economic advantages, and the growth of U.S. technology far outweigh the relatively modest costs of this successful air monitoring initiative. We call on the State Department to reinstate it.
