Thank you for the excellent coverage by Jim Glynn of the 4th National Climate Assessment which documents the grave health consequences of inaction on climate change.
The report finds that climate change will likely increase ozone levels over most of the United States, particularly over already-polluted areas such as the Central Valley. These trends are evident in the American Lung Association’s recent State of the Air (stateoftheair.org) reports, which show worsened ozone pollution and short-term particle pollution in certain areas as a result of higher temperatures and worsening wildfires.
Madera County, with more than 3,700 children and 8,700 adults living with asthma, improved in its levels of pollution in the most recent report, but still received an F grade for both ozone and particle pollution. Right now, local residents are at risk of adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health impacts, including early death, from air pollution, and these impacts will worsen with climate change.
We must do more to reduce pollution to protect our children and our communities. The American Lung Association and health organizations throughout California are urging President Trump and his administration to heed the dire warnings in this report and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, vehicles and others sources to save lives. Will you join us? To get involved, visit lung.org/volunteer.
— Will Barrett,
director of advocacy,
American Lung Association in California