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The world’s biggest pollution problem may also be its greatest opportunity. For years, China symbolized everything wrong with industrial pollution. Smog-filled cities. Toxic air. Massive coal dependence. But something remarkable happened. China didn’t just acknowledge the problem — it attacked it. Through aggressive vehicle standards, electric mobility, and public investment, China became the world’s largest producer of electric vehicles almost overnight. The lesson is simple but profound:Global problems require global leadership. While the United States and Europe pioneered environmental policy, China now leads in clean technology scale. If China succeeds, global emissions will fall. If it fails, nothing else will matter. The future of clean air will not be decided in one country. It will be written across continents — and faster than most people expect.

Behind every climate policy is a human being — tired, hopeful, grieving, determined. Climate work is often presented as charts, models, and targets. But the real story is human. For me, the hardest part wasn’t negotiating regulations — it was learning how to stop. After losing my wife of 50 years, I found myself asking who I was without the work that defined me. Many people in environmental careers burn out quietly. They carry the weight of urgency while knowing that results take decades. That is why My Journey is not just about clean air — it’s about identity, grief, love, and the cost of caring deeply about the world. Because saving the planet should not require losing yourself.

In the 1970s, cities like New York and Los Angeles were choking on smog. Breathing clean air was not a given — it was a battle. Today, thanks to decades of policy, science, and persistence, millions of lives have been saved. When I began my career in 1970, air pollution was visible. You could see it, smell it, and feel it in your lungs. Cars belched smoke. Rivers burned. Children grew up with chronic respiratory problems. The creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air Act marked a turning point. For the first time, governments had real tools to regulate pollution and hold industries accountable. What many people don’t realize is that these changes didn’t happen overnight. They took years of political battles, lawsuits, scientific studies, and public pressure. Every regulation was contested. Every standard was attacked. Yet the results speak for themselves: This progress proves something powerful: environmental protection works. It saves lives, strengthens economies, and creates a better future — if we are willing to fight for it.