I am an environmentalist. ... I am for clean air. ... I know Teddy Kennedy had fun at the Democratic convention when he said that I said that trees and vegetation caused 80 percent of the air pollution in this country. Well, now he was a little wrong about what I said. I didn't say 80 percent. I said 92 percent - 93 percent, pardon me. And I didn't say air pollution, I said oxides of nitrogen. Growing and decaying vegetation in this land are responsible for 93 percent of the oxides of nitrogen.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Reagan clarifies his stance on environmental issues while correcting a misquote about pollution sources.
- In plain terms
- I support clean air but clarify what I said about vegetation and pollution.
- What can you take from it?
- Correcting factual errors matters in policy debates.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we balance natural vs human pollution?
- Why does precision matter in debate?
Another view
It minimizes human industrial impact on air quality.
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