Mom's Clean Air Force

By Ronnie Citron-Fink

Did you know?

1. Climate change gets us hot under the collar, making people around the globe more aggressive.
2. More hot days mean ripe conditions for ground-level ozone, or smog, which forms when pollutants from tailpipes and smokestacks mix in sunny, stagnant conditions.
3. With an average temperature of 77.6 degrees F in the contiguous U.S., the month of July surpassed the 20th century average by 3.3 degrees F and 2012  was the 10th hottest year ever.
4. Despite the fact that 97 percent of scientists agree that climate change is real, this legislator insists that it is “not science” and that environmentalists are missing the potential upsides.
5. Children, pregnant women, and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to heat because their bodies are not as good at regulating internal temperatures. Heat makes them sicker.
6. Smog triggers asthma attacks and worsens other breathing problems. The number of Americans with asthma has more than doubled over the past two decades to 20 million. Continued warming will only worsen the problem.
7. Children around the world are “deeply” concerned about climate change.
8. The health effect from extreme weather events caused by climate change contribute to mental health impacts such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
9. These 7 surprising climate change deniers think global warming more an inconvenience than a truth.
10. Our children will not forgive our inaction on climate change.

Hot enough for you? Arm yourself with the facts about climate change.

Cartoon: Danny Shanahan for Moms Clean Air Force

SUPPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

By Liza Donnelly

The effects of our warming world from burning fossil fuels is causing increased health-related illnesses and altering the natural world we cherish.

According to the EPA:

Heat-related illnesses are common, yet preventable on hot days. Children and pregnant women need to take extra precautions to avoid overheating on days of extreme heat. Dehydration, heat stroke, and other heat illnesses may affect a child or pregnant woman more severely than the average adult.

Why are children more susceptible to extreme heat?

Physical characteristics – Children have a smaller body mass to surface area ratio than adults, making them more vulnerable to heat-related morbidity and mortality. Children are more likely to become dehydrated than adults because they can lose more fluid quickly.

Behaviors – Children play outside more than adults, and they may be at greater risk of heat stroke and exhaustion because they may lack the judgment to limit exertion during hot weather and to rehydrate themselves after long periods of time in the heat. There are also regular reports of infants dying when left in unattended vehicles, which suggests a low awareness of the dangers of heat events.

How do I know if my child is dehydrated?

• Decreased physical activity
• Lack of tears when crying
• Dry mouth
• Irritability and fussiness

What should I do if my child has become dehydrated?

• Have the child or infant drink fluid replacement products.
• Allow for rehydration to take a few hours, over which children should stay in a cool, shaded area and sip fluids periodically.
• Call your doctor if symptoms do not improve or if they worsen.

How do I know if my child has suffered a heat stroke?

Heat stroke, a condition in which the body becomes overheated in a relatively short span of time, can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.

• Skin is flushed, red and dry
• Little or no sweating
• Deep breathing
• Dizziness, headache, and/or fatigue
• Less urine is produced, of a dark yellowish color
• Loss of consciousness

What should I do if my child has suffered a heat stroke?

• Immediately remove child from heat and place in a cool environment.
• Place child in bath of cool water and massage skin to increase circulation (do not use water colder than 60°F – may restrict blood vessels).
• Take child to hospital or doctor as soon as possible.

How can children be protected from the effects of extreme heat?

• Hydration – Make sure children are drinking plenty of fluids while playing outside, especially if they are participating in sports or rigorous physical activity. Fluids should be drunk before, during and after periods of time in extreme heat.
• Staying indoors – Ideally, children should avoid spending time outdoors during periods of extreme heat. Playing outside in the morning or evenings can protect children from dehydration or heat exhaustion. Never leave a child in a parked car, even if the windows are open.
• Light clothing – Children should be dressed in light, loose-fitting clothes on extremely hot days. Breathable fabrics such as cotton are ideal because sweat can evaporate and cool down the child’s body.

How do I care for my infant during hot weather?

• Check your baby’s diaper for concentrated urine, which can be a sign of dehydration.
• If your infant is sweating, he or she is too warm. Remove him or her from the sun immediately and find a place for the baby to cool down.
• Avoid using a fan on or near your baby; it dehydrates them faster.
• A hat traps an infant’s body heat and should only be worn in the sun to avoid sunburn.
• Never leave an infant in a parked car, even if the windows are open.
• Why are pregnant woman especially at risk during periods of extreme heat?
• An increase in the core body temperature of a pregnant woman may affect the fetus, especially during the first trimester.

How can pregnant women protect themselves from the effects of extreme heat?

• Wear light loose fitting clothing.
• Stay hydrated by drinking six to eight glasses of water a day.
• Avoid caffeine, salt, and alcohol.
• Balance fluids by drinking beverages with sodium and other electrolytes.
• Limit midday excursions when temperatures are at their highest.
• Call doctor or go to emergency room if woman feels dizzy, short of breath, or lightheaded.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAT AND EXTREME WEATHER

SUPPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

By Dominique Browning

We are incredibly lucky that Gina McCarthy was recently confirmed as the head of the EPA. But we are also privileged that a woman of her calibre, integrity and strength would make it her life’s work to protect our air. I want to use this letter to introduce you to her, in a personal way. We’ll be hearing a great deal about Administrator McCarthy’s work over the next year.

Only a few short years ago, I couldn’t have told you the name of the EPA Administrator — or even why her job was important. Like most of us, I just assumed that no one in their right mind would fight for the right to pollute our air, so that all the EPA had to do was enforce those good laws that came about way back in the 1970s. That’s when the Clean Air Act was passed, and the EPA was created — under President Richard Nixon, with bipartisan support.

The air sure looks cleaner now than it did then. But I didn’t know about the invisible pollutants that are highly toxic, like mercury. And I didn’t think of global warming as, basically, a simple air pollution problem: in other words, a problem we can do something about.

Please take a moment to read Gina McCarthy’s post on what inspires her to go to her very difficult job each and every day: her three children.

Gina McCarthy will be leading the charge against the excessive carbon emissions that amplify global warming. This is the single most urgent issue facing humankind. It is enormous in scale, and nearly unimaginable in duration–global warming is changing our climate in ways that will affect us thousands of years. We’re already seeing global warming’s affect on the searing drought in the nation’s breadbasket, in the raging Western wildfires bigger and faster than any ever recorded, and in the super storms flashing across the country.

We have the power to support the scientists and engineers and politicians who know exactly what must be done: cut greenhouse gas emissions. And lead the world in building a vibrant new energy economy that doesn’t foul the air we breathe–and harm our children’s health. You can read an important speech Administrator McCarthy gave at Harvard Law School on this very topic.

My two sons keep me going. But even if I weren’t a mom–my love of this incredibly gorgeous miracle of a planet we live on would give me the same charge.

So fight with your moms — about something important.

Photo via EPA

SUPPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

By Moms Clean Air Force

This was written by Dr.Frederica Perera for The Huffington Post: 

President Obama announced recently that, given Congress’s refusal to act, he will use his administrative power to reduce CO2 emissions from power plants and encourage renewable energy. As he said in his State of the Union Address in February, “For the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change.” The latest report that the average daily CO2 concentration exceeded 400 parts per million — a milestone signaling major climate change — should concentrate our collective mind on this issue and prompt wider action.

Here’s why children are key to winning the argument and why action is needed now. The developing fetus and child are more biologically and psychologically vulnerable to the many direct and indirect effects of climate change and fossil fuel combustion, its major human source. These effects include increased incidence of malnutrition and infectious disease, physical and psychological trauma from extreme weather-related disasters, heat stress, respiratory disease, reproductive and developmental disorders, and cancer. Early impairment and disease can affect the physical and psychological health and well-being of children over their entire life-course. Effects of in utero and postnatal exposure to both toxic and psychological stressors may be inherited transgenerationally, impacting the health of future generations.

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 88 percent of the existing global burden of disease due to climate change occurs in children less than five years of age. Although children everywhere are affected, most of the impact is felt in populations of low socioeconomic status, squarely raising the issue of environmental justice. The impacts will continue to grow under the projected trajectory of climate change and fossil fuel emissions.

While there are few quantitative estimates of the proportion of childhood morbidity and mortality due to human-induced climate change, there is scientific agreement that both direct and indirect effects of climate change have already taken a significant toll on children and are predicted to increase dramatically unless action is taken. WHO estimates climate change could be causing more than 150,000 deaths annually and approximately five million years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death every year as a result of increasing incidences of malnutrition and just a few diseases considered. These estimates could more than double by 2030 in the absence of meaningful action.

Malnutrition and infectious disease represent the largest share of the burden of childhood disease and death attributed to climate change. Children are more vulnerable than adults to famine and nutritional deprivation since they require three to four times the amount of food on a body weight basis than adults. Children’s immature immune systems make them more susceptible to infectious disease pathogens due to crop and water contamination from storms and floods, as well as to vector-borne diseases (e.g., malaria and dengue fever) which are increasing in certain regions due to climate change. Illnesses attributed to salmonella, a food-borne infectious disease, also have risen with higher temperatures across much of continental Europe.

Weather-related disasters (floods, droughts, cyclones, hurricanes), which have increased in frequency and intensity as a result of climate change, have directly affected an estimated 66.5 million children world-wide, 600,000 of whom died every year from 1990-2000. The number of children affected is predicted to more than double, rising to 175 million a year in the next decade. Children are highly vulnerable both to physical trauma, stress, drowning and displacement due to floods and to famines associated with drought. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina forced one million people in New Orleans from their homes and left 372,000 children without schools. Higher rates of anxiety and depression have been found among children affected by this disaster.

Direct effects of heat waves on infants and children include hyperthermia, heat stress, renal disease, and respiratory illness to which infants and children are especially vulnerable due to their immature regulatory systems.

Because of their higher respiratory rate and immature metabolic/detoxification, DNA repair, and immune systems, children are also more vulnerable to air pollutants released by fossil fuel burning (particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, mercury, sulfur and nitrogen oxides) as well as ozone and pollens that are increased by higher temperatures. We and other scientists have found that even relatively low levels of these pollutants are linked to lower birth weight, deficits in lung function, respiratory symptoms, childhood asthma, bronchitis, developmental disorders, and increased risk of cancer. Exposure to air pollution in childhood can result in a reduction in lung function and ultimately increased risk of chronic respiratory illness and greater susceptibility to cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

To be effective, prevention and adaptation strategies to climate change must be centered on the needs of our children — present and future. Reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, McKinsey, and researchers at Stanford University indicate that the cost of acting broadly to reduce emissions from power generation and transport, make buildings, and appliances more efficient, and invest in alternative fuels and technologies is modest compared with the benefits to our children and their future. We must do it “for their sake”.

SUPPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN

By Marcia G. Yerman

Last month, the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a full committee hearing on the topic, “Climate Change: It’s Happening Now.”

In Chairperson Sen. Barbara Boxer’s opening statement, she referenced previous testimony from a range of witnesses—including scientists—who have attested to weather extremes and their impact upon the nation. Examples included the $65 billion cost of Superstorm Sandy, the recent Arizona wildfire which caused the deaths of nineteen firefighters, and the loss of more than a third of total sea ice volume over the past ten years in the Arctic region—which has created vulnerability for indigenous villages. Clearly, the outlook is serious.

Ten individuals were present to drill down on the issues. The first person to speak, Dr. Heidi Cullen, presented an overview that gave a basic understanding of what is at hand.

Dr. Cullen is the Chief Climatologist at Climate Central, a Moms Clean Air Force partner, is an independent organization of scientists and journalists who are tasked with keeping the public apprised about current research on climate and energy. Dr. Cullen qualified that the impact of “human-caused” climate change was taking place “in our own backyards and neighborhoods.” Using visual aids to give a primer on the different elements needed to see “The Big Picture,” she began with an introduction on carbon dioxide (CO2). Cullen explained that the reason scientists focus on carbon dioxide is because “it is the most important long-lived global warming gas.”

Carbon dioxide is emitted by such “human activities” as the burning of fossil fuels, the production of cement, and deforestation, Cullen stated that an emitted molecule of CO2 could actually remain in the atmosphere for several centuries. Carbon dioxide, along with other greenhouse gases, warm the planet because they absorb the sun’s energy and “prevent heat from escaping back into space.” The 2012 global carbon dioxide reading was at 35.6 billion tons—a record high. Noting that with emissions remaining at the high end of the continuum, and without a substantial reduction of emissions, Cullen underscored that the planet’s “average temperature could climb as much as seven to nine degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.

It was well publicized that in May 2013, for the first time in a minimum of 800,000 years, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air exceeded 400 parts per million (ppm). Why is this a problem? Because as Dr. Cullen pointed out, it demonstrates the “steady increase of human-caused carbon dioxide over the past century.” In addition, Cullen said, “Human induced warming is superimposed on a backdrop of natural climate variations.”

A series of stats that Dr. Cullen submitted highlighted the following:

• 2012 was the tenth warmest year globally since record keeping began in 1880 (NOAA)
• Nationally, average temperatures have increased by approximately 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1895, when documentation began
• The period from 2000 to 2011 was the country’s warmest on record
• The average temperature in the United States (lower 48) for 2012 was 3.2 Fahrenheit above the 20th century average (NOAA)
• Arctic sea ice extent has continued to decrease and is consistent with human-induced climate change
• There were eleven incidents of extreme weather and climate devastation in 2012, with each individual occurrence costing over one billion dollars

Cullen then broke down “extreme weather” into categories, summarizing each. They were:

• Heat Waves/Cold Waves: Extreme heat is the top “weather-related” killer in America
• Wildfires: Earlier snow melts and hotter/drier weather, combined with “land use changes” and other trends, will lead to wildfires occurring in the west starting earlier and lasting later into the fall season
• Heavy Downpours/Floods/Droughts: Dry regions will become drier and wet regions will become wetter. Infrastructure for flood management is not prepared to handle 21st century rainstorms.
• Sea Level Rise: Sea level has risen about eight inches around the world since 1880. It will continue to rise. New York City residents witnessed Sandy flooding an area that was 25 square miles larger than it would have been in 1880—putting Manhattan subways under 10.5 feet of water.
• Hurricanes: Superstorm Sandy was the second most damaging hurricane to hit the Atlantic coast on record.
• Tornadoes: Still being studied within the larger framework of global warming.

Dr. Cullen delivered the bad news that even if carbon dioxide emissions were cut to zero, what has transpired is irreversible. Her closing comment on continued procrastination was, “The longer we wait, the greater the risks we will face and the greater the costs will be to respond.”

Hopefully, for the sake of our children and future children, our elected officials—from both parties—who attended the hearing were listening.

SUPPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

By Molly Rauch

Last week the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee convened a six-hour hearing on toxic chemicals. The committee discussed our current chemicals law, known as TSCA, as well as a bill, proposed in May by Senators David Vitter and the late Frank Lautenberg, aimed at reforming TSCA.

It was an important day in the fight to protect families from toxic chemical exposure.

One thing all 19 (!) witnesses agreed on: TSCA isn’t working. New chemicals are not tested for safety before they are registered for sale, which means that we can buy toxic chemicals right off the shelves, without even knowing it. Even chemicals that we KNOW cause harm – such as carcinogenic asbestos – can’t be banned under the toothless TSCA. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of this massive regulatory debacle, now 37 years old.

Will the new Lautenberg-Vitter bill fix these problems? Most of the panelists at the hearing expressed serious concerns with the bill as drafted, including witnesses from Moms Clean Air Force partners Breast Cancer Fund and WEACT for Environmental Justice. In their words:

“Congress has a moral imperative to pass legislation strengthening the way chemicals are regulated to provide the public real protection from dangerous chemicals. TSCA does not meet that goal. CSIA in its current form [the Lautenberg-Vitter bill] does not meet that goal. But creating workable and health protective legislation is doable. While we understand that compromise is always part of the legislative process, we must not compromise public health.” ~ Nancy Buermeyer, Breast Cancer Fund

“So why is a guy from Harlem, New York before you today to talk about the Toxic Substances Control Act? The answer is simple. Chemicals have impacted my health, the health of my family members and some of my neighbors.” ~ Cecil Corbin-Mark, WEACT for Environmental Justice

Over and over, witnesses asked for the following changes to the Vitter-Lautenberg bill:

1. Ensure adequate protections for vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, children and hot spot communities
2. Preserve the authority of state governments to act on toxic chemicals.
3. Require adequate data on chemical safety, so the EPA can properly prioritize chemicals.
4. Include deadlines and timetables to ensure the EPA is meeting appropriate benchmarks.
5. Remove red tape on the EPA before restricting the use of dangerous chemicals (learning from the lessons of existing TSCA and asbestos).

Daniel Rosenberg, with the Natural Resources Defense Council, presented an excellent summary of what’s wrong with the bill and why it needs to be fixed. In his words:

“The bill as currently drafted has fundamental weaknesses that would prevent it from enhancing chemical safety. [But] we are willing to work to improve the bill. The CSIA has opened the door to developing an effective bill that could garner broad support. [We do] not want to walk by that door or slam it.” ~ Daniel Rosenberg, Natural Resources Defense Council

Senator Barbara Boxer is chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee and presided over the hearing. Her overriding concern, expressed throughout the marathon of a day, was whether the Lautenberg-Vitter bill would effectively dismantle California’s unique and stringent Proposition 65, a program that labels toxic chemicals in consumer products sold in California.

Senator Vitter made it clear that he had no intention of undermining Proposition 65 and committed to addressing that concern in subsequent drafts of the bill.

It wasn’t all pure, harmonious bipartisanship, though. Several witnesses praised the Lautenberg-Vitter bill as it currently stands, and encouraged its passage without changes. These included a representative from Dow, a Toy Industry Association guy, and a couple of corporate lawyers. In other words, the chemical industry and its allies want the Lautenberg-Vitter bill passed without revisions.

It was exciting to listen to this historic hearing (and tweet about it too). The Senate has moved from the question of whether TSCA needs to be replaced – we all can agree that it does! – to how to replace it. The groundwork has been laid for protecting our children from toxic chemical exposures.

The brilliant and passionate, Linda Reinstein, whose husband died of cancer from asbestos exposure, reminded the Senate what’s at stake with her heartbreaking description of her husband’s death. Then she told Senators Boxer, Vitter, and others:

“The tons of asbestos that have been mined in and imported to the U.S. have created a public health crisis. Asbestos remains in our homes, schools, and
buildings, and even on consumer shelves…Do you know where these nearly invisible, deadly fibers are in your home, in your car, on consumer shelves, or here on The Hill?” ~ Linda Reinstein, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

The answer is that we don’t know where they are, because our federal law does not require it. That’s unacceptable. We need a law that can identify and eliminate this and other toxic hazards for breathers everywhere.

SUPPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CLIMATE PLAN

By Judith A. Ross

Proof that climate change is everybody’s business was in plain sight at the recent New England Environmental Justice Summit. On a hot, airless, Saturday morning, teens, young adults, baby boomers, and an octogenarian or two gathered in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Summit attracted close to 100 concerned citizens from four New England states, all involved in work related to climate change.

According to the panel leading the opening session, environmental justice is a combination of human and civil rights relating to our environment, and it looks different in every community.

“Suburbs don’t need subsistence fishing, for example, like a native community does,” Dr. Elizabeth Hoover, assistant professor of American Studies at Brown University explained. In other communities, she noted, environmental justice would ensure that children from low income and minority communities don’t attend schools located on toxic sites.

“It has a lot to do with how natural resources are used and abused: who benefits, and who pays in terms of pollution and other costs,” added the Reverend Robert Murphy.

“It means we plan and think about our world in a different way. We value people and our natural resources differently and eliminate false choices over jobs,” said Kalila Barnett of the Alternatives for Community & Environment.

A session entitled, Creating Resilient Communities in the Face of Climate Change, delved into the nuts and bolts of how communities can prepare for the heat waves, power failures, flooding, and wildfires currently resulting from climate change.

Elderly, disabled, and low-income residents are not only the most vulnerable to these extreme weather events, they also lack resources, such as a family car, to evacuate danger zones. Helping people connect with their neighbors and mapping those who are in immediate peril during a weather emergency is one way that community groups can help.

Participants in the session also discussed fostering environmental stewardship in local communities through education. For example, Genea Foster, a fellow at Northeastern University’s Marine Science Center, is developing the Beach Sister Program in partnership with Girls, Inc. in the coastal city of Lynn, Massachusetts.

“We’re building a relationship between youth and the local marine environment. Fifty-eight percent of Lynn residents are people of color, and 19 percent live below the poverty level. Climate change puts their community directly at risk,” Foster said.

Through a series of activities, Foster is helping her students understand how an ocean warmed by climate change will diminish the nearby shoreline, and why those warmer waters are causing smaller catches for local fisherman and hurting Lynn’s economy.

The group also spends time debunking common myths and illuminating the truth about climate change — dispelling doubts that it results from human activity, for example. “We talk about why they believe what they do, and the facts behind climate change,” Foster explained.

The wisest question of the day— which cut right to the heart of why, in spite of decades of research and warnings, climate change is still happening —was posed by Abe, a 15-year-old high school sophomore from Providence, Rhode Island.

How can people like us win against the polluters in this country, who have both money and power on their side?

You get loud, he was told, you keep the pressure on, you don’t give up — and you don’t stop until you’ve made halting climate change everybody’s business.

SUPPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN

By Moms Clean Air Force

This was reposted from EPA Connect. It was written by EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy, July 31, 2013:

Yesterday I had the honor and privilege of speaking at Harvard Law School about the future of EPA – our challenges, and our incredible opportunities. The highlight of my day, however, wasn’t the fact that I got to speak about issues that I care very deeply about. About how working to fight climate change can serve as an economic driver, helping create new jobs, new industries and new innovation. It wasn’t even that I got to stand in front of many of the environmental heroes who have paved the way before me. The highlight for me came when one my children – my daughter, Maggie – got behind the podium and introduced me before my first speech as the new EPA Administrator, in front of my younger daughter, Julie, who was all smiles in the front row.

I think about all of my children – Maggie, Julie and Dan – when I go to work every morning. Because after all, the work we do is about the generations that will come after us, and the planet that we will leave behind. As I mentioned yesterday, I have a lot of hope for the next generation. And it’s my goal to make sure that we get out of the way and let them do what we know they will do – which is to ensure that we have a sustainable economy and a protected environment.

We have challenges ahead, there’s no doubt about that. And it’s a pivotal moment for all of us to address those challenges. As parents – as Americans – it’s our job to face the challenges of a changing climate, of carbon pollution, of aging water infrastructure, of toxic chemicals head on. It is our responsibility to leave behind an environment that Maggie, Julie and Dan will be proud of. That’s what the goal is here.

SUPPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN

By Marcia G. Yerman

On July 30, Gina McCarthy gave her first public speech as head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), at Harvard’s Environmental Law Program building.

Described by the New York Times as an “earthy, tough talking New Englander,” McCarthy didn’t disappoint her audience. With ties to many in attendance and clearly invigorated by being back on her Massachusetts home turf, she took the podium after an introduction by her daughter, Maggie — who is involved in the clean energy field.

One of three children, her daughter conveyed that she was excited to share her role model with the country. With tears in her eyes, McCarthy said,

“This is why we do the work that we do. It’s all about the children and the future generations.”

That theme was prevalent throughout her remarks.

With a streak of mischievous wit, McCarthy said,

“Getting confirmed was the honor of a lifetime—and it took two lifetimes!” (136 days) She mentioned the 1,000 questions that had been posed to her, and thanked the President for nominating her—especially since she hadn’t been a “wallflower” at the EPA. McCarthy underscored that in selecting her, Obama had sent “a message to the public about his goals and legacy.”

McCarthy described her work at her previous position at the EPA, acknowledging that certain actions were “fraught with controversy.” She referenced Obama’s speech on climate change saying, “He called upon all of us to take action.” It was the first of many times McCarthy would put out a call to a full range of sectors to get involved—from industry to faith based organizations.

“I believe in grassroots organizing. Expanding the conversation. Thinking collaboratively.”

Stating that the President is set in his goal to drive “greenhouse gases down,” she pronounced, “The climate is changing.” McCarthy asked those in the room to join her as “stewards of the environment,” saying enthusiastically, “We have challenges ahead.”

McCarthy didn’t shy away from the fact that most of the voices against the EPA and its regulations have been partisan. For those lacking the historical back story, she highlighted that President Nixon was the “one to give an executive order to create the EPA.” She drove home that air pollution emissions have dropped in the past forty years, and that the Clean Air Act has helped prevent “premature deaths, asthma, and respiratory diseases in huge numbers…And jobs grew! And that’s the truth!”

Reflecting on what has been a string of differences with those claiming the EPA has operated without transparency—and is anti-jobs—she riffed on the well-known quote from the movie Cool Hand Luke: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

McCarthy stated plainly, “Economic development is not at odds with a clean environment.” Rather, she believes the EPA is about getting environmental improvement tied together with an economic agenda.

If anyone had doubts about McCarthy’s stand on climate change, she dispelled that by commenting,

“We’re not going to stop looking at the science. Climate change is real…For too long we have been focused on a false choice. We have to cut carbon pollution to spark jobs. Too many lifetimes are at stake.”

Using the post-Sandy clean up as an example, McCarthy said, “Climate change is a fundamental economic challenge.” Reframing a response to climate change as a potential opportunity for innovation, McCarthy pressed “industry, as well as other businesses to step up.”

Acknowledging her predecessor, Lisa P. Jackson, McCarthy promised not to drop the ball on Jackson’s commitment to environmental justice and the communities hit hardest by the effects of pollution and ensuing neglect.

McCarthy made it clear that she would not be stymied by end runs from political players. “We will act!” she pronounced.

The question and answer period covered expected topics. On fracking, McCarthy supported regulating emissions and “bringing smart solutions to the gas world.” She responded to a query on air pollution in China by citing sit-downs she and Secretary of State John Kerry had conducted with representatives of China on technology and environmental challenges. She qualified that in dealing with the environment, “We are running a marathon, not a sprint.”

Regarding the proposed budget cuts to the EPA (33 percent), McCarthy answered,

“We have to build collaborations. We have to stand up for our kids’ futures.”

Addressing regional haze and the impact of coal factory closings on Native American lands, McCarthy explained that there was a conversation taking place. “Proposals to tribes for other opportunities have been put forth,” she said.

It was no surprise that a question was posed about the Keystone Pipeline. McCarthy said,

“The administration is carefully looking at this. The EPA must be honest on this. It’s my obligation to hear all the voices and to keep peace in the EPA family.”

For her closing thoughts, McCarthy pronounced succinctly,

“Climate change will not be solved over the next three years, but it will be engaged. That I can tell you.”

SUPPORT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN

By Ronnie Citron-Fink

I’ve run the “Mothership” around here for years, and have lived through a litany of complaints from my kids about the rising heat and the need for air conditioning.

“Why don’t we put in a pool like Rebecca’s family?” Not.
“It’s too hot to go out, we’ll just watch TV all day.” Not.
“We can’t sleep upstairs, the walls are melting. We’re sleeping downstairs on the couch.” OK.

And like all parents, I pulled the generational “before you were born” thing with my kids:

“When we were young, we ran through the sprinkler…A little sweat didn’t kill us…Have you ever heard of a fan?” 

Then came my final stand, “Did you know, Americans use twice as much energy air-conditioning our homes than we did 20 years ago…and more than the rest of the world’s nations combined?” 

Although I live in what is considered to be a cooler Northeast climate, the rising temperature in my neck of the woods has left me sweltering.

I threw eco-caution to the wind and started my own winey campaign to bring air conditioning into my home. Come hell or high water, and both seemed to be happening, I needed cool air to think straight. I tried rationalizing my case to my ultra-conservationist husband.

Me: “Do you know how much extra laundry I’m doing cleaning sweat-soaked sheets, tee-shirts and towels? Running the dryer day and night will kill the environment. An air conditioner could help!”

Husband: “You’re exaggerating, my dear. And the electricity generated to power air conditioning carries a larger environmental consequence. In burning fossil fuels such as coal and gas to supply electricity to homes and workplaces, power plants discharge clouds of soot and other pollutants into the atmosphere. Among these are mercury and carbon dioxide. Did you know air conditioner use in the U.S. results in an average of about 100 million tons of CO2 emissions from power plants every year ? Also, you emailed me this blog post, 10 Design Tips To Help You Live Without (Or Use Less) Air Conditioning“

Me: “Pleeeze, don’t throw posts back at me, I’m a blogger. Bloggers can make anything sound sexy. I can’t work. My keyboard is damp…sticky. I’m sure the Apple manual clearly states, moisture on the keyboard will not be covered under warranty.”

Husband: “Don’t you dare get the keyboards wet just to prove a point. Air conditioning is a twisted way to stay cool. If you want to stop warming the planet why would you want artificial cooling? There’s nothing natural about that.”

At this point, guilt got the better of me and I gave up, realizing it was just too damn hot to bicker.

Then it happened. After hours of pushing a hand mower (4 acres of grass and no riding mower – of course) in the latest brutal heat wave, my sweet husband’s defensive brain fried, and he ran to the hardware store and bought one of those portable air conditioners.

Kidding aside, in the age of climate change, can we possibly put air conditioners into the deep freeze? Probably not. My family held out as long as we could, but bucking a culture that is not making the connection that what we’re sending up into our atmosphere is reigning down on us in the form of hot and hazardous weather, is a daunting prospect. But if we adjust our ethos, and take serious measures to power our homes (and air conditioners), using clean renewable energy – wind and solar, and stand with President Obama’s ambitious climate action plan to stop global warming, we have a fighting chance.

Will our leaders compromise and put an end to the warming trend? Or will our kids have to sweat it out hugging air conditioners instead of trees?

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By Danny Shanahan

According to Moms Clean Air Force partner, Climate Central:

“Global warming has raised global sea level about 8 inches since 1880, and the rate of rise is accelerating. Rising seas dramatically increase the odds of damaging floods from storm surges. A Climate Central analysis finds the odds of “century” or worse floods occurring by 2030 are on track to double or more, over widespread areas of the U.S. These increases threaten an enormous amount of damage. Across the country, nearly 5 million people live in 2.6 million homes at less than 4 feet above high tide — a level lower than the century flood line for most locations analyzed. And compounding this risk, scientists expect roughly 2 to 7 more feet of sea level rise this century — a lot depending upon how much more heat-trapping pollution humanity puts into the sky.”

Climate Central provides an interactive map tool that shows different amounts of sea level rise and storm surge flooding to all 3000+ coastal towns, cities, counties and states in the Lower 48.

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By Ronnie Citron-Fink

Like mothers all over the world, I watched with joy as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge emerged from a London hospital with their newborn baby boy. Offering a glimpse of their little treasure, Kate said she felt, “very emotional…any parent will know what this feels like.” With a gushing grin, William called the baby “marvelous.”

SO SWEET…and Kate’s right. All parents know that tender, fragile feeling when all your hopes and dreams come true and you carry the most precious creature alive in your arms – your baby.

You may feel your children have nothing in common with the newborn Prince, but they share something with every other child on this planet. Whether our children live in a palatial palace in England, a ramshackle shack in Bangladesh, or near a coal mine in Kentucky, they DID NOT create the climate problem.

WE DID…and now we have a royal problem.

Human activities from burning fossil fuels to produce energy have released massive amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, blanketing the warming world our children inhabit. And, as we’ve seen, small changes in the average temperature of the planet translates to potentially dangerous shifts in the climate and weather conditions our children will endure.

Kate and William also share something with parents around the globe. They will adjust their lives to do everything in their power to protect their precious infant. Of course, in their case, this will require countless bodyguards and nannies, but being parents will guide the way they rule their lives and one day, their country. While their Prince grows, Kate and William will do their parental job to make decisions that will shape his world.

Can you imagine a parent ignoring their baby when it cries out? Is she hungry? Is she wet? Does she need a hug? This is a parent’s job.

We cannot deny the facts. The generations that preceded our children, our generation, created a world that is unsustainable. And it’s up to us to attend to its needs now, so our children don’t suffer its worst consequences.

Moms Clean Air Force welcomes the tiny Prince and will continue to fight for a clean, just and sustainable world for all our children. JOIN US.

Photo via Slate

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By Moms Clean Air Force

This was written by Dr. Yadira Caraveo for the White House Champions of Change Blog:

Growing up in Colorado, you learn to appreciate clear blue skies and fresh mountain air – until the smog settles into the bowl-shaped Denver metro area, and suddenly the view isn’t so pretty. During our training medical professionals like me don’t receive much education on the potential health effects of what humans put into the air. We learn about bioterrorism, the negative effects of the food we put into our bodies, and the lung diseases affected by things as varied as keeping pigeons to popping too much popcorn. But we never really learn about the cloud of “smog” sitting over Denver and how it will affect our patients.

Upon graduating from medical school, I moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to complete my training in pediatrics. Albuquerque is another bowl-shaped city flanked by mountains, where bad air can settle and linger for days. Living near the extinct volcanoes on the city’s west side, I could see the occasional cloud of smog settled over the city as I would drive into work. On those days I knew what I would see all day at my shift in the emergency department, the children’s ward, or the urgent care clinic: asthma exacerbations. On days where a brown blanket covered the desert city, I knew I’d be ordering a lot of albuterol, a medicine to help people breathe easier, putting kids on oxygen, and speaking to respiratory therapists. It would be a day of seeing children struggle just to breathe.

The focus on child advocacy drew me to residency in New Mexico. I was interested in learning about how to interact with politicians and candidates, advocate for increased healthcare access in a poor state, and protect the public programs my patients relied on. I was selected as a resident leader by the National Hispanic Medical Association and an intern in legislative affairs by the American Academy of Pediatrics. I spent time in Washington with both groups and connected with members of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Voces Verdes. I participated in a conference on the public health concerns caused by emissions from coal-fired power plants and finally learned what I hadn’t been taught in medical school.

As a Latina, I am naturally drawn to Latino health issues. Nearly 50 percent of Latinos live in counties that regularly violate the ground level ozone, or smog, standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency, even though our standards for clean and safe air should be even stronger. EPA estimated that further lowering the level of ozone considered safe would prevent thousands of asthma exacerbations, heart attacks, missed days of school, and hospital visits and deaths. Obviously clean air affects everyone, but children are at a higher risk of these health effects than the adults who have the power to control pollution. Due to young children’s size, faster heart rates, and immature systems, their lungs and brains are particularly vulnerable to toxins in our air, water, and environment. Exposure at an early age could spell years of chronic illness and an impaired ability to learn, play, and work. Through UCS and Voces Verdes, I advocated for tightening emission standards for coal-fired power plants, and I continue to raise awareness about the health effects of climate change and air pollution.

Since leaving residency and starting private practice in Colorado, my advocacy efforts have shifted in part to local healthcare access issues in my hometown county and streamlining the referral system for children at risk of physical and cognitive delays due to various issues. But every time I drive down the hill into Denver and see the brown cloud hanging over the city, I worry for my patients and think of what else we can do to ensure that our children are not just eating healthy, growing, and learning but breathing safe air.

Dr. Yadira Caraveo is a General Pediatrician, who is being honored as a Champion of Change for her work on the front lines to protect public health in a changing climate.

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By Marcia G. Yerman

In the widening post-Obama “Climate Plan speech” conversation, small business owners are becoming vocal on what their needs and beliefs are. I was on two press calls this month about the intersection of the environment and the economy.

The first call was to alert the media that the American Sustainable Business Council Action Fund had launched a television ad campaign in support of Gina McCarthy’s nomination to the EPA. They targeted the states of New Hampshire, Maine, and Ohio.

Why those locales? For the reason that they want those states’ constituents to call their Senators: Ayotte, Collins, and Portman respectively. All three have been supporters of small business.

The ASBC Action Fund defines itself as an “independent, nonpartisan organization, which works to pass legislation that supports business and builds sustainable economy.” The CEO, David Levine, said, “Gina McCarthy has spent her career making sure environmental protection and economic interest work together. That’s why a recent poll showed that 62 percent of small businesses support her for EPA administrator.”

Having commissioned Lake Research to do a series of polls, another finding evidenced that “large majorities of small business owners support clean energy policies.” Additionally, small businesses want to see the use of safer chemicals and robust government involvement.

Christine Hughes, the owner of a bakery in Athens, Ohio, has been operating for eleven years. She features a complete menu from the produce of local farmers. Hughes described herself as “energy conscious.” She noted, “Businesses have a greater responsibility than the individual.” Hughes added, “The voice of big business is heard everyday.”

The second dialogue featured Celia Canfield, Chair of the Board of Directors of Small Business Majority, and David Foster, Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance. They spoke about a new climate analysis that was done for NRDC by Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. The findings showed that the country could “significantly cut carbon pollution from power plants while adding thousands of new jobs and saving families on the cost of the electric bills.” The projection date of 2020 showed a national addition of 210,000 new jobs, with a reduced average monthly bill of -$0.90. Fourteen states were chosen for deeper analytics. They comprised nearly every region—in order to represent different energy mixes. Included were states that rely significantly on coal-fired power (Ohio, Pennsylvania) to those that have a more diverse energy mix (New Hampshire, Oregon, Maine).

Florida had the highest increase in jobs—14,000. Their utility bill reduction was -$0.31. Virginia had the greatest utility bill reduction, – $4.35. Their total net gain in jobs was an additional 5,000 jobs.

Canfield, whose organization represents small businesses across the United States, emphasized that these enterprises are “eager for pragmatic, innovative energy policies that can help them develop new technologies and increase business opportunities.” She referenced solutions via “continued government investments in clean energy and the enforcement of standards that reduce harmful emissions in their communities.”

Underscored by Canfield was the crucial statistic that after extreme weather incidents like Hurricane Sandy, 40 percent of small businesses do not reopen.

Foster’s alliance is a combination of fourteen unions and environmental groups. They have the tagline, “Good Jobs, Clean Environment, Green Economy.” He said, “Congress isn’t ready to act. We need to address transition.” Foster mentioned how moving against climate change could add news jobs to the economy though employment of machinists, carpenters, and workers to clean up existing plants. These jobs cannot be outsourced.

Dr. Laurie Johnson, who worked on the report, pointed to the 70 percent reduction in pollution that has occurred since the Clean Air Act was enacted forty years ago.

One of the repeated talking points coming from those opposing Obama’s initiatives is that using the Clean Air Act to make major reductions in carbon pollution will be a small business and jobs killer.

Those in small business are making it clear that they agree with the President that the country has an obligation to our children, and the next generations, to act against climate change.

By Moms Clean Air Force

Just like our kids, the 150,000 Moms Clean Air Force members come in all ages, races and political persuasions. From pregnant moms-to-be who follow us for up-to-the-minute information about how mercury poisoning affects their unborn baby, to parents and grandparents who demand that our leaders move forward on President Obama’s climate action plan, we share a similar mission in protecting children’s health.

From July 22nd  to July 27th, grandparents, parents and young people have joined a 100-mile, eight-day trek from Camp David to the White House for the The Walk for Our Grandchildren. United by their sweat and determination to confront the growing crisis of climate change, marchers are calling on President Obama to reject the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline and to take further steps to leave fossil fuels in the ground.

MCAF is walking in spirit with this pro-active (and hot) group of individuals. What to take back the future and join this powerful group of individuals across the country marching against the fossil fuel industry?

Sign up here and watch the inspiring video below:

Photo via Walk for Our Grandchildren

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By Katy Farber

Oh, sweet summer. That fleeting season, sometimes unbearably hot (and increasingly so, in many parts of the country) and delightful in its simplicity, freedom, and fruit. Before you know it, kids will be heading back to school and the leaves will be falling.

Beat the heat with these 10 tips for a safe, non-toxic summer!

1. Eat the harvest!

Eat as seasonally as possible. Because it is so hot, I try to have fresh fruit smoothies each day and a big salad each night. This is the season to eat like Michael Pollan says: eat food that has its own packaging (peaches, berries, spinach). You can thank me later for the health benefits of this kind of eating.

2. Walk, bike, share a ride!

Use the car less. This is the perfect season to walk or bike to your errands — and simply to stay home and play in the yard. Have a drink on the porch. Live simple, and drive less. Your pocketbook and the climate will thank you!

3. Open the windows!

Indoor air can be 3 times more polluted than outdoor air. Inside our homes we have flame retardant chemicals, heavy metals from outside, and other household toxins from dust. Open the windows as much as possible to circulate out polluted air and refresh your home.

4. Purge!

There’s so much to purge in a busy household with growing kids! Take some time in the good weather to pass along items that are no longer useful in your home. Recycle old electronics that might contain toxic chemicals to reduce exposures throughout your house. You’ll feel good making room — and simplifying your surroundings (I really need to do this one– now!).

5. Clean with non-toxic cleaning supplies!

After moving along many items and organizing, a cool summer day is a good time to give the inside a good cleaning with safer cleaning products without chemicals, or you can make your own.

6. Hang the laundry!

Use that sunshine! Take laundry outside to dry and save energy and emissions from using your dryer. It smells so much better, doesn’t it?

7. Take your reusable water bottles everywhere!

Avoid buying bottled water which is bad for the earth and bad for our health. Instead, pack your water bottles everywhere you go this summer, and avoid throw away cups and containers, and plastic!

8. Don’t let your kids drink from the garden hose!

I know, I remember doing this and I am fine (somewhat). But most hoses are made with toxic PVC, lead, BPA and  expose kids (and workers) to harmful chemicals. Head inside and drink from a glass or stainless steel water bottle.

 9. Go barefoot inside!

Many toxins are brought inside on shoes. Summer is the perfect time to forget the shoes and slippers and go barefoot in your house all summer long.

10. Learn more about heat and extreme weather!

Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable to our warming planet. Know the facts about how hot summer weather impacts your family’s health.

So live in the now! What are your tips for having a safe, healthy and non-toxic summer? Share your summer tips in the comment section below.

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By Liza Donnelly

The guys over at Car Talk tell me:

“Burning one gallon of gas creates 20 pounds of carbon dioxide, and the average car emits about six tons of carbon dioxide every year.”

Could this be why electric car sales are picking up across the country?

“Public officials and environmentalists see electric cars as a way to cut air pollution and reduce dependence on foreign oil.”

In my state, New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, an electric car proponent, wants the number of plug-in cars to increase to 40,000 in five years. He has proposed spending $50 million on charging stations.

Green cars use alternative fuel sources to run. They emit less carbon chemicals and are fuel and cost efficient because they consume less.

4 Types of Green Cars

1. Hybrid Car – Gas engine with an electric motor.
2. Electric Car – Uses an electric-powered motor and a battery.
3. Biodiesel Car – Uses biodegradable biodiesel fuel.
4. Hydrogen Car – Burns hydrogen to fuel the motor.

Some green car owners feel this way. Do you?

“It’s not a decision to save money, it’s a decision to save the environment,” ~ Bill Rosenthal, Chevrolet Volt driver

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By Dominique Browning

Tens of thousands of Moms Clean Air Force members like you sent messages to your Senators urging them to confirm President Obama’s nominee to lead the EPA.

Today, the U.S. Senate has acted and Gina McCarthy is now the head of the EPA.

Find out how your Senators voted here, and thank those that stood up for our public health and a livable climate.

It couldn’t have come at a more important time.

President Obama has directed the EPA to put an end to the limitless dumping of carbon pollution from our power plants — our nation’s single largest source. This will be Administrator Gina McCarthy’s top priority.

Overwhelming majorities of Americans support the EPA’s action. But, polluters and their allies in the Senate are already lining up to block and delay these long awaited industrial carbon pollution standards.

Will you send your Senators a message saying thanks for confirming Gina McCarthy and let them know that now is the time to act on climate?

Ask your Senators to publicly support the President’s climate action plan. Let them know that we have a moral obligation to future generations to leave them a planet that’s not polluted and damaged.

Thanks for standing up for clean air and our children’s health!

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By Danny Shanahan

*For reasons of privacy, name and species have been changed and/or generalized for this interview:

Danny Shanahan for Moms Clean Air Force: First, Carl, I’d like to thank you for taking time out of your busy evolving schedule to answer a few questions for our readers.

Carl “The Fish”: “Hey, no problem…this whole Darwin thing is going to take a while, anyway, so…

DS: You got that right, sure won’t be easy. How do the first couple steps feel?

Not bad – hell of a lot less humid.

DS: Great, great. So, let me ask you this, our first question, the elephant-in-the-swamp, so to speak: Why now? What’s the rush?

CTF: Well, my wife has been after me for years to grow a pair…Lungs, man, lungs!! Just a little primordial humor there, dude. Seriously, I’ve been able to put up with quite a lot over the years. From sewage and mine tailings to fertilizer and pesticide runoff, I’ve hung in there.

DS: Wow, no fun.

CTF: Tell me about it. PCBs, flushed and discarded OTCs and prescription drugs, rising temperatures – this water’s seen it all. And I’m right smack in the middle of all of it. But what finally got my fins in gear is the mercury.

DS: Mercury? That can’t be good.

CTF: Believe me, it’s not. I didn’t realize that all of that runoff, the waste, the industrial spills and discharge, the leaks, all of that contamination contributes to the buildup of mercury in my soft tissue. Also in my, ahem, rockfish hard abs.

DS: And this was the last straw?

CTF: Absolutely. And far too many Congressmen constantly threaten to scuttle basic environmental laws. I’ve heard that one bill, H. R. 2354, could leave about 20% of the wetlands in the continental United States without Clean Water Act protection!

DS: So you’re making your stand, or your crawl, or whatever.

CTF: Exactly. Out of the water, into the air!

DS: Carl, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the air might not be all that much better for you.

CTF: You’re kidding me.

DS: I wish I were, but with the amount of carbon pollution being pumped into the air, the daily buildup of greenhouse gases…I don’t know. A hell of a lot of people are fighting the good fight for clean air and water, but it’s just possible that your mercury levels will continue to rise until…

CTF: Aw, Jeez Louise…why don’t you just wrap me up in newspaper and get it over with?

DS: Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such a downer.

CTF: That’s okay, I’m getting used to bad news. Worst case scenario, there’s always revenge.

DS: Revenge?

CTF: Yeah, revenge. Know any good restaurants?

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By Moms Clean Air Force

This was written By Tiffany Esshaki for C & G News:

Now that summer is in full, steamy swing, many around southeast Michigan are heading outside to enjoy some fun in the sun. But that seasonal heat so many of us enjoy could also pose a threat to people at risk of breathing difficulties.

According to Dr. Marc Rosenthal, an emergency room physician with Detroit Medical Center’s Siani Grace Hospital, summer always brings with it increased complications for those with chronic bronchitis, asthma and emphysema, among other conditions.

“The high temperatures and high humidity can cause more difficulty in breathing. For most people, they’re fine. But if they run to the corner with the kids, they might find they’re a little bit short of breath,” said Rosenthal. “People with mild (respiratory) disease probably won’t see much difference. But people with more severe disease might have symptoms.”

Lynn Fielder is the assistant division chief of the Air Quality Division of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. She explained that there are a number of factors taken into consideration when determining the quality of the air in a community, from pollutants and allergens in the air, to the level of ozone, which can fluctuate based on a number of factors, including heat and humidity.

Fielder noted that over the past several years, southeast Michigan has seen a “significant reduction in air emissions and resulting impacts,” with the exception of 2012, when we saw an especially hot summer, and in turn, a slight uptick in ozone levels. On summer days when the mercury is high and pollutants are out in abundance, the public is alerted with Ozone Action Days, when residents are advised to keep outdoor activity restricted to early morning and late evening hours, as well as refrain from filling up the gas tank or using machinery that emits exhaust, to keep pollutants at a minimum.

“The Ozone Action Days are an alert for people with compromised respiratory systems,” said Fielder. “You need to pay a lot of attention on those days.”

She added that when in doubt, Michiganders can check up-to-date air-quality ratings and find out about Ozone Action Days by visiting www.deqmiair.org. On days when the ozone and pollutants are measured higher than normal, Rosenthal said, precautions should be taken for “at-risk” groups, such as young children, the elderly and people with chronic respiratory conditions.

It can seem a bit contradictory that being outside in the fresh air during the summer can lead to breathing problems. But it’s not the air so much as what’s floating around in it that could make us sick, according to Wibke Heymach, of Moms Clean Air Force.

“The air quality in Michigan has been improving; that’s the good news. The bad news is we’re still looking at some very bad grades in some key counties,” said Heymach. “Last year, Ozone Action Days in Michigan were at a high.”

Moms Clean Air Force has more than 130,000 members nationally, with about 5,600 right here in Michigan fighting to bring awareness to the effects of air quality on children and other groups. Heymach is the field organizer for Michigan’s volunteers, and she said the cause is an important one because it’s not often at the forefront of people’s minds.

“With more data coming out, we find out a lot more about which particles are most harmful, how they’re generated, where they’re coming from. Unless air is really toxic, we don’t see what’s going on and it’s a lot harder to draw attention to those issues because it’s not something you can immediately see,” she said.

Despite the fact that air quality is a health threat often invisible to the naked eye, there are precautions families can take to breathe easier.

“We’re not trying to keep our children from going outside to play. That’s the last thing we want to do. But, overall, keep your kid hydrated as much as possible. On our website, momscleanairforce.org, we have information on things to help, from cleaning products we use, to what we can do in our schools, like cleaning air vents,” she said.

Most importantly, she said, the best thing parents can do for children with respiratory problems is to check air-quality levels and monitor outdoor play closely when levels are rated high. Members of Moms Clean Air Force use the American Lung Association’s air monitoring site, www.stateoftheair.org.

Rosenthal agreed, and said a little extra attention to environmental conditions could be the difference between safe summer fun and serious danger.

“Asthma kills. COPD kills. Even in well-controlled patients, people die. It’s not something to be taken lightly,” he said. “People just need to pay attention to their environment, take their medications as directed, and pay attention to their bodies. If you feel you’re developing more symptoms, get into a cooler, dryer place and take more of your medication. If that’s not helping, seek more advanced care at the emergency room.”

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