It leads to questions worth our attention: Have we talked about poor air quality so long that most of us aren't listening anymore? Or is the problem that we've talked a lot, but not persuasively enough to convince industry and government to take action?
The hard truth is that many people don't care about air pollution and they probably won't no matter what is said. We don't need more research to prove that polluted air is bad for us; the point has been made for a long time. Of course, it's good that we are at least still talking about air quality, as the following recent examples make clear.
Oregon
Governor Kate Brown launched the "Cleaner Air Oregon" project this week, which is an effort to improve air quality in the state. What led to the initiative? It has been revealed that two Oregon glass companies have released high levels of toxins in the air. Predictably, the governor has received both praise for the effort, and scorn for not doing something sooner.
Colorado
The state legislature is currently fighting it out over whether state workers should be paid to work on an air-quality plan. Split along party lines, the state continues to struggle with whether they should implement their own air quality plan, or simply use the Clean Power Plan sponsored by President Barack Obama. The federal plan is currently in judicial limbo since the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a stay of implementation.
Washington, D. C.
The EPA has announced $8.5 million in funding for university research on protecting air quality from the impacts of a changing climate. Investigations will be conducted to ascertain the impact of wildfires, and increased particle pollution and its effects on human health and visibility. Air pollution chemistry and the effect of drought and land use will also be studied.
Is It Enough?
Is it good that we're spending time, energy, and money to plan for and study the effects of air quality? Yes. Is that enough? No. We've been talking about air pollution for many years now. The Clean Air Act became law in 1963. That's 53 years ago, and while certain aspects of air pollution have improved, others have worsened.
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| Let's keep it clean! |
Talking is good. But doing something is better. What can we do as individuals?
- Don't tune out. When you hear about air pollution, take it as a reminder to improve your attitude and lifestyle toward the environment.
- If you own or manage a business that could contribute to air pollution, step up to the plate and do something about it. A wide variety of dust, mist, and fume control systems are available, and many of them can actually save you money in the long run.
- If you work at a plant or facility, make it your business to stay informed about improving air quality. The air we breathe is a worker safety issue, and if you're in an environment where your health is at risk due to pollutants in the air, you owe it to yourself, your family, and the environment to speak to your manager about what can be done to improve your workplace.
So let's keep talking about how to keep the air clean. But let's also start doing something to make that happen.
