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Executive Summary cont'd
About 46 million Americans -- nearly 16% -- live in 48 counties with unhealthy levels of all three: ozone and short-term and year-round particle pollution.
With the risks from airborne pollution so great, the American Lung Association eeks to inform people who may be in danger. Many groups are at greater risk because of their age or the presence of a chronic lung or cardiovascular disease. Those groups include:
Adult and Pediatric Asthma -- Nearly 7.5 million adults and nearly 3 million children with asthma live in parts of the United States with very high levels of ozone. Nearly 4.5 million adults and 1.8 million children with asthma live in areas with high levels of short-term particle pollution. Three and a half million adults and nearly one and a half million children with asthma live in counties with unhealthful levels of year-round particle pollution.
Older and Younger -- Over 15 million adults 65 and over and 29 million children age 14 and under live in counties with unhealthful ozone levels. Over 9.3 million seniors and over 17.8 million children live in counties, that have unhealthful shortterm levels of particle pollution. Close to 7.6 million seniors and over 14 million children live in counties with unhealthful levels of year-round particle pollution.
Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema -- Over 4.4 million people with chronic bronchitis and 1.5 million with emphysema live in counties with unhealthful ozone levels. Some 2.6 million people with chronic bronchitis and 888,000 with emphysema live in counties with unhealthful levels of short-term particle pollution. Over 2 million people with chronic bronchitis and nearly three quarters of a million (720,000) with emphysema live in counties with unhealthful year-round levels of particle pollution.
Cardiovascular Disease -- Over 16.7 million Americans with cardiovascular diseases live in areas with unhealthful levels of short-term particle pollution; 13.6 million live in counties with unhealthful levels of year-round particle pollution. Cardiovascular diseases include heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
In addition to providing specific grades for each county with ozone and particle pollution monitor, the American Lung Association State of the Air: 2004 also discusses key steps needed to improve the air we all breathe. Those steps include:
Protect the Clean Air Act. The American Lung Association is greatly concerned about threats to one of the most effective public health laws ever passed, the Clean Air Act. Threats come from two areas: legislative and regulatory proposals to roll back key provisions of the law, and continued delays in putting into place what the science tells us is needed to clean up air pollution. The American Lung Association has taken legal action to protect this valuable clean air tool, and encourages everyone to tell his or her members of Congress to protect the Clean Air Act.
Clean Up Dirty Power Plants. Old coal-fired power plants have become some of the biggest industrial contributors to our unhealthy air, especially to the level of particle pollution in the eastern United States. The toll of death, disease and environmental destruction caused by coal-fired power plant pollution continues to mount. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued proposed rules in 2003 that would give states the tools to clean up these plants. The rules need to be stronger and, most of all, made final so work can begin.
Clean Up Dirty Diesel. While new rules to regulate emissions of diesel truck and buses will make a great deal of difference in the quality of our air, these rules alone will not be enough. EPA also must take steps to control heavy equipment and other nonroad diesel engines and fuel to the same degree as diesel buses and trucks. In fact, heavy equipment diesel engines (such as bulldozers, excavators, tractors, electric generators and forklifts) are a larger source of emissions than diesel trucks and buses.
Individuals can do a great deal to help reduce air pollution outdoors as well. Here are some simple, but effective ways:
 Reduce driving
. Combine trips, walk, bike, carpool or vanpool and use buses, subways or other alternatives to driving. Vehicle emissions are a major source of air pollution. Support community plans that provide ways to get around that don't require a car, such as more sidewalks, bike trails and transit systems.
Fill up cars after dark . Gasoline emissions evaporating while you fill up your gas tank contribute to forming ozone. Filling up after dark helps prevents the sun from turning those gases into ozone.
Don't burn wood or trash . Burning firewood and trash are some of the largest sources of particles in many parts of the country. Convert your woodstoves into natural gas, which has far fewer emissions. Dispose of trash properly.
Get involved in your community?s review of the air pollution plans and support state and local efforts to clean up air pollution.
Send an e-mail or fax to tell your member of Congress to protect the Clean Air Act. Log on at http://www.lungusa.org/ to see how easy that can be.
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