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Every year we hear the dismal forecast from the United Nations on the dangers of climate change and its impact on public health. We’re seeing this is in our communities firsthand. Communities in the Southern California South Coast Air Basin, where Yassi lives, have already experienced over 90 smog air days this year, according to air monitoring data from the California Air Resources Board. This means more hospital visits, more sick days, and worsened chronic illness for vulnerable populations like children and the elderly. One major source of this air pollution is diesel trucks and other fossil-fueled vehicles, which account for more than half of all air pollution in the nation.
Chicago, where Erica lives, is rated as the 16th most polluted city in the country for ozone pollution (the main ingredient in smog), and vehicle emissions are responsible for the bulk of it. The south suburb of Chicago – Elwood, in Will County – is home to the largest inland port, hosting tens of thousands of diesel trucks daily. This has had a dramatic impact on the air quality and health of residents, landing Will County in the 98th percentile of diesel-related health effects in the nation.
Today, September 7, marks the UN’s second International Clean Air Day. “The Air We Share” is this year’s focus, which reminds us that air pollution knows no borders and stresses the need for collective accountability and action.
Air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to human health and one of the main avoidable causes of death and disease globally, according to the UN. In the US every year, diesel pollutants are responsible for over 8,800 deaths, 3,700 heart attacks, and hundreds of thousands of respiratory illnesses, and costs one trillion dollars annually. Air quality in the US is a major public health crisis, especially in warmer climates as sunlight cooks pollution into smog. Millions of people globally face preventable death, chronic illness, and other lasting health effects due to bad air quality – and this can and must be prevented.
The Sierra Club is proud to join international efforts to stop pollution from large mobile sources, pollution that has only increased as the pandemic exacerbated the movement of goods. As campaign representatives and organizers working on this issue, we believe that no community should be treated as disposable and burdened with air pollution because of where they live — so many communities living next to a warehouse, or a rail yard, or a busy highway, are suffering.
Today, we join the Clean Mobility Collective in working towards a world where corporations respect our streets and stop contributing to climate change and local air quality issues. We urge local decision makers to prioritize clean air and healthy communities. Regulations to ensure cleaner technologies are critical for climate justice. Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency is working on a clean truck rule to protect communities from this pollution. And though it’s a good start and sorely needed, it must be strengthened to truly protect communities and hold manufacturers accountable to investing in the technology that will benefit people and the planet.
As zero emission technology continues to develop, communities across the country will feel much needed reprieve from diesel and gas exhaust. To mark International Clean Air Day, we are working towards zero emission deliveries and clean urban mobility by 2030.
Share your reason for wanting clean air in your neighborhood using the hashtags #WorldCleanAirDay, #Streets4People and #AirWeShare!