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The Clean Air Act, originally passed in 1970, created restrictions on different kinds of harmful emissions and tasked the Environmental Protection Agency with making sure businesses complied. Between 1970 and 2014, emission levels of six common pollutants (particles, ozone, lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide) dropped about 69 percent in the U.S., according to the EPA. “Without these regulations, the air in U.S. cities could be as bad, if not worse, than that of Chinese cities,” the Save on Energy report states. “Rather than stretching up into a clear blue skyline, U.S. cities would be polluted with smog, limiting visibility and posing a public health risk to everyone exposed to it.” Still, more than half of Americans are breathing unhealthy air where they live, and there remain plenty of challenges to reducing air pollution. Last year, the EPA strengthened regulations limiting ground-level ozone pollution. The House of Representatives promptly passed a bill catering to business groups that would delay the change to EPA standards by a decade. Here’s what eight other U.S. cities might look like if their pollution levels matched Xingtai’s.

Los Angeles, California Credit: Save on Energy

Chicago, Illinois Credit: Save on Energy

Houston, Texas Credit: Save on Energy

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Credit: Save on Energy

San Jose, California Credit: Save on Energy

Phoenix, Arizona Credit Save on Energy

Dallas, Texas Credit Save on Energy

San Diego, California Credit: Save on Energy