Smog decision puts lives at risk

Smog decision puts lives at risk

Letter to the Editor
Daily Herald newspaper-Arlington Hts, Illinois
September 26, 2011

For too long, smog pollution has left our children gasping for breath. Unfortunately, rather than acting decisively to protect our kids from this dangerous air pollution, on Sept. 2 President Obama announced that he will not update critical air quality standards for smog pollution until 2013. This decision was made despite a unanimous recommendation by the independent board of air experts and scientists created under the Clean Air Act to ensure that the standards be sufficiently strong to protect public health.

Exposure to smog triggers asthma attacks, causes permanent lung damage, and can even lead to premature death. In Illinois alone, almost 250,000 children and over 700,000 adults experience asthma attacks every year. Environment Illinois deeply disappointed with Obama’s decision to delay cleaning up smog pollution, and calls on the president and Congress to do more to protect Illinoisans’ health in the coming weeks and months.
Advertisement

Bruce Ratain
Environment Illinois
Chicago, Illinois USA

Source: Daily Herald Newspaper
Arlington Heights, Illinois USA
September 26, 2011


Webmaster...
About a week ago, woodsmoke from a wildfire in the State of Minnesota, drifted over Chicago, Illinois, and the suburban area. This harmful and deadly air saturated the area and caused many to become severely ill, and suffer dangerous breathing problems.

Unbelievably, all suburban communities, including Chicago, still permit people to burn wood indoors and outdoors and thus add to the "F" (failed) rating of the area air for small particle pollution (PM2.5) as stated in the State of the Air Report-2011 by the American Lung Association.

It's time now to prohibit ALL wood burning in Chicago and all suburban communities by our elected officials.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Comment received from Supporter to the above letter to the editor.....

The lack of action taken by government leaders and elected officials regarding the quality of the air we breathe and particulate pollution, is leaving millions literally gasping for breath.

Sadly the repercussions of toxic air filled with residential Woodsmoke pollution, added to reality and deadly brew of industrial pollution means that the repercussions of such neglect have also become the suffering stories of millions who are desperately seeking help to end this horror they live with in their respective communities, Nations and States.

People are suffering! People are ill. People are dying from the increasing rate in which Particulate Pollution is on the rise. It cannot be denied or disputed. When levels of pollution rise, the death toll rises.

For whom does the bell toll? It tolls for you, for our families everywhere. It tolls for the young, the fragile elderly, those with pre-existing heart and lung conditions and yes Mr. President, it also tolls for you and your family and sadly for generations to come.

How will the millions of sick children of the future look back and view the actions of our leaders today? Is this the legacy of your Presidential term that you will leave your Nation Mr. President? When you have grandchildren and reflect on this decision you have made, will you be proud of what you failed to do to protect millions from the grave harm of Particulate Pollution?

What will the future generations say about leaders who deprived them of a basic human right and necessity, fresh clean air to breathe? How do children comprehend suffering and wheezing and gasping for each breath while our leaders turn away and neglect the true toxic issues that face millions?

The time is now to take immediate pro-active action to end all forms of particulate pollution, including all residential woodsmoke and wood burning.

Linda Baker Beaudin
Founder, Air Is Precious