SECTION: IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND AROUND TOWN

While much of the current popular media reporting on the environment is centered on the impending effects of rapid global warming, two think tanks have issued a report charting a steady path of improvement on a number of environmental fronts in the US. According to the 2006 Index of Leading Environmental Indicators, released by the Pacific Research Institute (PRI) and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), there is material evidence of improving environmental conditions. For example: -- "The number of exceedances of the eight-hour ozone standard in Los Angeles during the last 30 years has dropped significantly, from 201 in 1975 to 75 in 2005. There are large scale areas of the LA air basin where there have been no exceedances of the ozone standard for the last several years, meaning millions of residents have no exposure to high levels of ozone."

-- "In the Washington, D.C. area, not a single Code Red day for poor air quality was declared over the summer of 2005, despite the hot temperatures. Ozone levels are falling in 19 Eastern states where smog has been a recurring problem in the summer." -- "Automobile tailpipe emissions from carbon monoxide have been reduced by 96 percent since the 1950s. These emissions rates are per mile - not an average for the whole auto fleet. The frequently-heard claim that large SUVs 'pollute more' is a myth." -- "In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control reported declining amounts of chemicals in human blood and urine almost across the board." -- "The EPA found significant declines in high acidity in every region except New England, where there was no change from 1990 levels."

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