The air is one of Earth’s most valued resources, something every living being needs for survival. But today, it is no longer as clean as it once was, and no longer free because it comes with a toll on our health.
Over the years the air has become more and more dirty with fossil fuel emissions and ozone. Trying to maintain healthy lungs from all the toxins we breathe every day has become more challenging for some than others—especially those living in environmental justice communities. It can be a struggle just to breathe.
It is unfortunate that we as citizens should have to advocate and fight for something as simple as having clean air to breathe. After years of public outpouring, pleas, and advocacy we now have tools and resources to better help us plan our days outdoors and to determine what is a good air quality day versus a bad air quality day. Thank you, but why should that be necessary?
In roadway corridors, air monitors help us to see where pollutants are coming from and what type. That’s also great, but we already know the transportation sector is one of the largest pollution contributors, and the traffic congestion, especially in Northeastern New Jersey, just continues to get worse.
Many man-made pollutants such as PM 2.5 (particulate matter) are major sources of poor air quality. As a result, in New Jersey many children, elderly people, and those in frontline communities have elevated rates of asthma.
Our indoor air quality can be more toxic than outdoor air quality. People living below the poverty line and those in poor and substandard housing are more likely to have this problem. There are ways to improve indoor air quality, but first one must be educated to even know what’s in our environment that should not be there.
Educating oneself about the hazards and daily practices of our indoor living can help to improve better overall health and longevity. Once you know what to do you can put it into practice. It can be a disparaging and daunting task.
We spend most of our daily lives at work or school. One of the most vulnerable populations, children, can have lifelong negative impacts from poor air quality in schools. Their bodies are still developing. Some may be taught in old, lead-and-asbestos filled, insect-infested school buildings.
We need to have all school buildings brought up to code by investing in green building materials, modern heating and air conditioning systems, and electric school bus fleets. Not all school districts in the state have the money to invest in making necessary changes, but if such improvements become a federal and state mandate this would be a big step in the right direction.
Do you think about what you’re breathing every day at work, what your building is made of, how old it is, or the HVAC system? I do. I now think about what is in the air I breathe while at work, on my drive to work, and back home.
The reminders of poor air quality are everywhere: car traffic, truck traffic, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities–this list goes on. When did we become so indifferent to the basic need every human being has for clean air? We all have a responsibility to ensure our natural resources are preserved. Something so basic as clean air, over the years, has become a continuous struggle to keep and maintain. It should not be this hard. We know what to do, so why aren’t we doing it?
Here is a question to ask yourself: What am I doing to help?
Resources:
American Lung Association Report: shorturl.at/OkGjo
Healthy Housing Facts: