Arizona decision-makers can no longer delay clean air action.
Our summers are getting hotter and longer, prolonged drought conditions are more common, and we’ve seen the impact of more frequent and intense wildfires.
As health professionals, we’ve seen firsthand that these climate events are worsening air pollution and causing severe health consequences, especially in those with heart and lung diseases and in other vulnerable Arizonans.
The American Lung Association just released its 25th annual “State of the Air” report, which found 84% of Arizona residents live in counties with at least one failing air quality grade.
And Phoenix again appeared on the 25 most polluted cities list for ozone, short-term and annual particle pollution.
The report looked at air quality data from 2020-2022, and Phoenix experienced more smoggy and unhealthy days of soot pollution compared to last year’s report.
Poor air quality can cause children to develop a cough, experience shortness of breath or trigger asthma attacks. In extreme cases the emergency room can have an influx of patients experiencing difficulty breathing, heart attacks and strokes.
Breathing in air pollution can worsen heart and lung diseases, and particle pollution, in particular, can cause lung cancer.
Exposure to particulate pollution can make you sick with symptoms including wheezing, shortness of breath, sore throat, cough and phlegm. In extreme cases, it can even cause early death.
Particle pollution comes from the consumption of fossil fuels. Sources in Arizona include power plants and diesel trucks used to move goods and transportation.
Maricopa and Pinal counties are two of 30 U.S. counties with failing grades for all three pollution categories, including falling short of the updated annual standard for particle pollution.
New actions to protect Arizonans from the health harms of fine particles are especially important for the 82,000 children in Maricopa County who have asthma.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency recently finalized several rules to clean up harmful pollution and safeguard human health, including updating the annual limit on particle pollution and creating new, cleaner car and truck standards.
These rules will dramatically improve air quality and pave the way toward a zero-emission future.
Research from the American Lung Association has found that cleaning up the transportation and energy sectors could generate $15.1 billion in health benefits for Arizona from now through 2050.
Recent polling also shows 77% of Arizona voters believe a transition to pollution-free vehicles will have a positive impact on air quality.
And seven in 10 Arizona voters want our policymakers to do more to combat the climate crisis.
Cars and trucks are major contributors to air pollution, emitting pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds. These emissions degrade air quality, resulting in longer allergy seasons and more extreme heat days in Arizona.
The federal government has set the example on important clean air protections.
New emissions standards for cars and trucks will help limit pollution from new vehicles beginning in model year 2027 and spearhead innovation toward a zero-emission future.
We strongly encourage state and federal decisionmakers to guard against any attempts to weaken or eliminate these new safeguards.
Arizona decision-makers can follow suit by completing local climate action planning and making investments that steer us toward a zero-emission future.
That includes pursuing federal funding for more pollution-free school buses and expanded infrastructure to support electric vehicles.
Our health — and our climate — can’t wait. We must continue this progress to eliminate harmful vehicle pollution and invest in a clean energy future to further cut health risks for Arizonans.
Brian Drummond is an emergency physician, a Navy veteran, and co-founder and chair of Arizona Health Professionals for Climate Action. Pat VanMaanen is a registered nurse and chair of AzNA Climate Change & Health Workgroup. Reach them at azhpca2022@gmail.com and AzNACCHWorkgroup@gmail.com, respectively.
Arizona has filthy air. We see its impact all the time
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17.06.2024
Arizona decision-makers can no longer delay clean air action.
Our summers are getting hotter and longer, prolonged drought conditions are more common, and we’ve seen the impact of more frequent and intense wildfires.
As health professionals, we’ve seen firsthand that these climate events are worsening air pollution and causing severe health consequences, especially in those with heart and lung diseases and in other vulnerable Arizonans.
The American Lung Association just released its 25th annual “State of the Air” report, which found 84% of Arizona residents live in counties with at least one failing air quality grade.
And Phoenix again appeared on the 25 most polluted cities list for ozone, short-term and annual particle pollution.
The report looked at air quality data from 2020-2022, and Phoenix experienced more smoggy and unhealthy days of soot pollution compared to last year’s report.
Poor air quality can cause children to develop a cough, experience shortness of breath or trigger asthma attacks. In extreme cases the........
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