It’s no secret that the air around here is bad. All we have to do to realize this is look outside at those clear-as-mud brown skies as we grab our gas masks and head out for the day. But the effects we can’t see are the ones that ultimately may kill us – or at least leave us gasping for a breath – unless we do something about the problem.
According to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, our bad air causes a host of health problems in children and the elderly. It causes diseases like bronchitis, and it aggravates existing heart problems and lung conditions, like asthma. In fact, at least 18 percent of asthma cases among children in the valley are linked to pollution, said Janelle Schneider, an educational representative with the pollution control district.
And those are only the effects felt by people.
Schneider said that pollution harms plants and animals, too, noting that it causes the valley $150 million per year in damage to crops.
We can sit back and call for more rules and regulations, but the truth is, the road to cleaner air starts with each one of us.
Schneider said emissions from vehicles are responsible for 60 percent of the valley’s ozone problem. By car-pooling, she said, we can help curb some of that. She also suggested avoiding the use lighter fluid in our backyard grills and the use of oil-based paints and solvents.
We are all responsible for the air we breathe. Let’s do what we can to turn those brown skies blue again. If you want to contribute to cleaner air, visit the pollution control district’s at Web site at www.valleyair.org for some more ideas.