Add green to your red, white, and blue celebration this July 4^th because the U.S. has made real progress toward our nation’s eco independence.

According to a study made by the Harvard School of Public Health, cleaner air added about 5 months to life expectancy in the U.S. over the past two decades. Tighter regulations on coal plants, car exhaust, fireplaces, furnaces, and cigarette smoke in the 51 cities included in the study are the reasons why we can all breathe a lot easier.

And the joint stewardship of our national treasures by U.S. and Canada has given a recent protection upgrade for an amendment to the Great Lakes water quality agreement. The agreement is considered a model of international cooperation and has achieved numerous successes in the reduction of high levels of toxins previously dirtying up the Great Lakes.

The U.S. is swiftly becoming number one in environmental progress but it’s up to us to make it number zero.

Photo by llaurenmmarie.