On World Asthma Day we are calling to attention the recent American Lung Association State of the Air report, which gave Ada County a D grade for air quality. Our families deserve better air.
Dirty fuels like coal and gas are endangering clean air and water with toxic pollution, harming our health, and putting entire communities at risk. Doctors, nurses, and scientists agree that pollution from fossil fuels is dangerous and that we must take action to protect public health.Physicians compare inhaling smog with getting a sunburn on your lungs.
According to the American Lung Association (ALA), ground-level ozone pollution, also known as smog, often results in immediate breathing trouble. Exposure to smog pollution is linked to asthma attacks, chronic respiratory diseases, reproductive and developmental harm, and even premature death.
The Idaho Chapter Sierra Club is advocating for a transition away from dirty fuels that pollute our air and endanger our kids and towards 100 percent clean, healthy, renewable energy like wind and solar. On World Asthma Day, it’s time for our community together to chart a course towards a healthier environment for everyone living in Boise. Our residents deserve better than a D grade for air quality. That’s why we need Mayor Bieter to champion clean air and public health by supporting a transition away from fossil fuels to 100 percent clean energy in Boise.
As of May 1st there are 27 cities that have committed to transition to 100 percent renewable energy and the dozens of mayors have endorsed the goal of 100 percent renewable energy. Boise can join these cities in driving a clean energy vision that will ensure a healthy environment for current and future generations.
Last week, mayors from across the United States joined with the Sierra Club’s Ready For 100 campaign to announce a new effort to engage and recruit mayors nation-wide to endorse a goal of transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy in cities throughout the country. Ahead of the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting in Miami Beach in June, the launch of Mayors For 100% Clean Energy intends to demonstrate bold local leadership and showcase the depth and breadth of support from city leaders all across the country for a transition to 100 percent renewable energy.
Casey Mattoon, Conservation Program Manager
For information about the American Lung Association in Idaho, visit their website and like them on Facebook.