Stand Up for Clean Air initiative encourages collective action to address public health threats of climate change and air pollution.
The Clean Air Act, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is responsible for reducing air pollution in much of the nation and saving hundreds of thousands of lives each year. Despite this public health success, climate change poses new challenges to protecting the nation’s air quality because it makes air pollution worse, placing the health of Florida at risk. Through the Stand Up for Clean Air initiative, the Lung Association asks Central Florida residents to pledge to take action on climate change and air pollution, including raising awareness about the need for clean air. Today, the Lung Association is announcing a new effort to encourage everyone to share why clean air matters to them through the #MyCleanAirStory social media campaign.
This campaign will also help raise awareness about the health impacts of climate change and air pollution faced by Central Florida residents, such as Karen Deitemeyer who lives with COPD and asthma.
“I have both COPD and asthma, making it hard for me to breathe when the air is polluted. I have to stay indoors on days when the air quality index is high, since breathing polluted air inevitably causes an exacerbation (flare up), further damaging my lungs.” said Deitemeyer.
Learn more about climate change and lung health, as well as simple steps to make a difference, and critical opportunities to hold leaders accountable at Lung.org/air.
“I also care about clean air because I have a grandson with asthma, who should be able to enjoy being outdoors with his friends without having to check the air quality index first. He often has to use his “rescue” inhaler before marching band practice in order to participate.”
Karen goes on to explain even more reasons why the Stand Up For Clean Air initiative is important to her from a patient perspective: it’s now become understood that COPD is not just a smoker’s disease – some 25 percent of people with COPD never smoked, but were exposed to pollutants in the air that damaged their lungs. Some of the most common sources of outdoor air pollution include motor vehicles, fires, and industrial facilities. She has come to recognize that something as simple as a fire pit in the yard may cause your neighbor to have a flareup of their respiratory disease.
Deitemeyer believes the Stand Up For Clean Air initiative is extremely important from an advocacy perspective. “Join initiatives to reduce air pollution from manufacturing plants and to make sure that any new plants meet strict standards,” Deitemeyer said. “Contact your representatives in Congress and ask them to commit to not weakening the Clean Air Act; any weakening of the Act increases climate change. Become involved with groups like the American Lung Association whose mission is to improve lung health and prevent lung disease”.
Everyone is encouraged to share their personal experiences and concerns with air pollution and climate change on social media with a selfie, photo or video with the #MyCleanAirStory hashtag. Whether you love to bike or run, live near a power plant or highway, or your child experiences asthma symptoms on bad air quality days – we all have reasons why we want and need clean air.
“Air pollution is not just an issue for those with underlying health issues like asthma, breathing air pollution is harmful for everyone. But some groups do face an even higher risk – including pregnant women, babies, children, teens, older adults and many communities of color,” said Janelle Hom, Executive Director, American Lung Association. “Through Stand Up For Clean Air, we hope to elevate conversations around the health impacts of air pollution and climate change and motivate people to take action. The reality is that climate change is not only a future threat but is harming the health of Americans today.”
Climate change is worsening our air quality through increased levels of wildfire smoke, increased formation of ozone pollution, and more extreme storms and frequent flooding, which leave behind mold, polluted floodwater residue and other damage, exposing people to indoor air pollution as they clean up and repair homes. Many sources of climate pollution – power plants, oil and gas operations, and cars and trucks – also produce air pollution that is directly harmful to lung health.
Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, and can cause coughing and wheezing, heart attacks and stroke, developmental and reproductive harm, and lung cancer. Air pollution can even be deadly.
“Most Americans support more clean air protections, but not all Americans know what action they can take,” Hom said. “From urging your elected officials to take action on the federal level to helping to reduce air pollution in your community, actions large and small can add up to make a significant impact.”
