Fayetteville Observer
May 2, 2015
Letter to the Editor: Written by Alison Jones, North Carolina project manager, M&O
View the original here: http://www.fayobserver.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-clean-air-vital-for-health-safety/article_6450032c-f09f-5266-b4ed-3989af40e892.html?mode=jqm
Good news for the 20,301 adults and 7,455 children with asthma in Cumberland County: The American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report finds ozone pollution levels have dropped in our community. That means we can breathe more easily – literally.
But regardless of the progress made, we can’t take our eyes off the goal. We must ensure every American can work, exercise or play outside without the threat of dangerous health consequences caused by inhaling dirty air.
That will be challenging, because climate change threatens the progress we’ve made. Warmer temperatures increase the risk of ozone pollution. Without limits on the carbon pollution that coal-fired power plants pump into our air, we will have a much harder time protecting our health.
Children, seniors and people with lung and heart disease suffer most from the continued threat of asthma attacks and even premature death. We can do better.To continue to reap the benefits of our hard-earned progress, we must urge the Environmental Protection Agency to finalize a strong, enforceable Clean Power Plan that will provide reliable public health protection for years to come.
Alison Lawrence Jones, N.C. project manager, Mothers & Others for Clean Air
