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Purpose. Conduct an education campaign that teaches citizens about link between air quality and health. Teach people how to reduce their loved ones’ exposure to air pollution and to reduce air pollution through individual actions. Advocate policy change for cleaner air. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Conduct an education campaign that teaches citizens about link between air quality and health.
Purpose
Teach people how to reduce their loved ones’ exposure to air pollution and to reduce air pollution through individual actions.
Advocate policy change for cleaner air.
Why Is Air Quality Important?
As important as water quality
Knows no boundaries
Affects everyone’s healthchildren elderlythose with existing lung and health ailments
What Do We Mean by “Air Quality?”
EPA establishes limits for pollutants that are harmful to public health and the environment.
Limits or “standards” are to protect public health, including sensitive populations.
Pollutants regulated by EPA: Ozone, Particulate Matter, Carbon Monoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Lead.
Pollutants of concern in GA: Ozone and Particulate Matter
Ground-level OzoneFormation
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
Fuels, Paints, Solvents, &
Vegetation
Combustion Processes
Ozone (O3)Smog+
Only a problem in summer because sunlight and heat are required
Causes asthma attacks
Ozone
Only a problem outside
Reduces lung function even in healthy people
Particulate Matter (PM)
Photo courtesy of SACEPhoto courtesy of SACE
Human Hair (70 µm diameter)
Hair cross section (70 mm)
PM2.5
(2.5 µm)PM10
(10µm)
A complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets
What is PM?
M. Lipsett, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
Particulate Matter (PM)
Problem year round outside and indoors
Increases mortality-causes lung cancertriggers asthma attacksheart disease
Living in a region that fails to meet PM 2.5 standard increases a person’s risk of dying of lung cancer by about the same amount as being frequently exposed to second-hand smoke.
EPA estimates that achieving the federal standard for PM would save 23,000 lives a year.
Studies by Brigham Young University, New York University, and the Environmental Protection Agency
PM from power plants in GA:
shortens the lives of 946 Georgians each year causes 156,763 lost work days results in 837 hospitalizations causes 26,442 asthma attacks, 1,369 severe enough to require emergency room visits
Studies by American Cancer Society, Harvard School of Public Health
What Does This Mean for Georgia?
11% of Georgia’s children have asthma
15% of Fulton county’s children have asthma
Asthma is the #1 reason for school absences nationally
#1 reason for admission to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
In 2003, 88,000 children missed 540,000 school days
Atlanta is the 4th most challenging city to live in with asthma
Atlanta is the 4th worst city in the country for soot pollution
How Can I Protect My Family?
Sign up for Clean Air Campaign’s “Smog Alert Day” email at www.cleanaircampaign.com or call 404-362-4909 to get the current air quality report (Atlanta, Savannah, Athens, Columbus, Macon, Augusta)
Obtain a copy of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s smog activity matrix available at www.choa.org/Menus/Documents/wellness/ozone.pdf
Limit outdoor activities on bad air days
What Can I Do To Reduce Air Pollution?
Drive less- carpool, take transit, walk, bike
Combine errands into one trip Park and walk into fast food
restaurants and banks instead of using drive-thrus
During the summer, refuel between 7 PM and 7AM
Conserve energy by turning off lights, computers, and appliances when not in use
Buy Energy Star appliances and compact fluorescent light bulbs
What Can I Do At My Child’s School?
Establish anti-idling rules for school buses and carpool lanes
Encourage school system to become part of the Adopt-A-School Bus program and the Clean Air Campaign’s Better Air Schools Program
Host a performance by the Better Air BAIR
Empower students through environmental education
How Does Mothers & Others for Clean Air Fit In?
Education: Making the link between air quality and health effects Learning how to protect your family Learning things you can do to improve air quality www.georgiaconservancy.org/mothers
Advocacy: Mobilize you to affect policy by asking
decision makers (principals to legislators) to implement better policies that will clean our air.
Action: Practicing new actions to improve air quality
Network
Coalition
Partnership Council
Partners
How Do I Fit Into Mothers & Others for Clean Air?
Mothers & Others for Clean Air Pledge
I pledge my support for cleaner air and healthier communities
through education,
voluntary action,
and policy change.
Felicia Davis: [email protected] 404-876-2900 x 108Sanders Moore: [email protected] 404-876-2900 x 109