o in many parts of America.
More than 7 million American children have asthma — including nearly 28,000 in Delaware — and childhood asthma rates are still rising.
In fact, in Delaware alone, each of our three counties received a failing grade from the American Lung Association for the number of high pollution days they have experienced. That’s more than disappointing to me. It’s almost heartbreaking.
I’m not too old to remember that one of the great things about being a kid is getting to run and play outside. In fact, I still love to run distances with my oldest son who’s now 22 years old. Few things in life are better.
But kids with asthma get left behind on poor air quality days. Frequently, they have to give up fun as well as healthy exercise. They often have to restrict their most basic daily activities. Moreover, those kids may have to miss school. Their parents may have to miss work. And, all the while, health care costs in America – already the highest in the world – continue to rise. Those costs add up, too, to trillions of dollars lost every year in this country. That’s not millions. It’s not billions. It’s “trillions” with a “t.”
The Environmental Protection Agency is now considering sensible rules to reduce smog-causing pollution, as well as particle pollution, mercury pollution and other harmful air toxics.
For example, recent air toxic regulations for utilities would limit emissions of known toxics that affect the development of a child’s brain or nervous system or affect the way a child’s body develops.
These rules can give us all cleaner air, while reducing these pollutants will help prevent a wide variety of serious health threats to our children. And, in the end, we stand to achieve better health care results for less money. That’s right. Better results for less money.
The time to act on protecting our children’s health is overdue. Congress needs to take a hard, serious look at what the federal government is doing well – and not doing well – so we can enhance the quality our nation’s air and protect the health and welfare of our citizens, especially our nation’s children.
— Tom Carper, in a Mom’s Clean Air Force cross-post.
From the Moms Clean Air Force:
Now that you’ve read Senator Carper’s blog post, are you fired up? Are you ready to take action to support the EPA? It’s easy! Write the EPA and show your support for the new Mercury and Air Toxics Rule, which will prevent thousands of deaths every year. Join us and send this letter today!
Want to stay involved with the Moms Clean Air Force? Take action against polluters and fight for your kids’ right to clean air by combining forces with other moms. Join the force here!