We Have a Long Way to Go
Living in Los Angeles it’s easy to complain about air pollution when smog muddies the horizon and asthma, cancer, and heart and lung disease are more common than not. As an endurance athlete and avid outdoors-person, I often worry about the danger of exercising in a place with such high levels of particulate matter and ozone.
I recently traveled to Central America where the inside of my nose became covered in grey soot, I coughed regularly, and every afternoon was plagued with a headache. At first, I didn’t get it. The countryside was lush and beautiful and the daily downpour of sacred (to this Californian) rain seemed to flush the skies of any dirty smog lines.
But not all air pollution is visible and in a Country where old diesel school buses are used extensively for public transportation, where trash (including plastics and Styrofoam) is burned as a form of waste disposal, and manufacturing is on the rise, it’s no wonder that my health took a hit.
Give Thanks for California Air Progress
If my trip taught me anything, it’s that we are on the right track. Clearly California has a long way to go, with over 30 million people (more than three quarters of the population) still breathing unhealthy air, but I am more confident than ever that our clean air laws and regulations do make a difference.
Let’s bridge the gap together and ensure healthy air for all Californians! Take action today.
