I Can't Breathe!

I have asthma. 

Earlier this year, I had pneumonia. 

My lungs are weak. 

There are days I find it hard to breathe.

Which is why it makes me mad that the air quality in the Phoenix Metro area is abysmal. There are days like today, which hurt. There are days where I need to use my rescue inhaler several times.  There are days where I hesitate to leave my house because the air is so bad. All of this makes me angry because, as a born and raised Phoenician, I can remember a time when I didn't have these problems. Only ten years ago, the frequency of breathing issues was lower for me and many Arizonans. So what changed??  

People! 

The population of Arizona has skyrocketed in the thirty years I've been here.

More people means more cars, more cars means more pollution, this coupled with industry in Maricopa country, dust from a drought climate, and pollen from non-native plant species has created the perfect storm for those of us with breathing problems.

I think we have a responsibility to the living world to improve our air quality and reduce toxins and particulates in the air. The chemicals we put into the air make others lives more difficult or even deadly. In Phoenix, this is especially evident during the summer months when smog and dust linger over the city center. Ground level O-zone, can inflame and even cause damage to the lungs and airways; reducing over all respiratory function.

We all share the atmosphere and we all, as global citizens, have an obligation to make choices that ensure air and atmospheric quality for everyone. The Clean Air Act was an attempt to create standards for air we breathe. This was a significant move in the realm of public policy to ensure everyone's air is clean. However, more than 50 years after the legislation was introduced, some people (myself and lungs included) do not think the laws go far enough to reduce emissions. Technological innovation and evolving human needs mean we can not only meet the standards set forth by the policy, but we can improve upon them. All the more reason attempts to chip away at the EPA regulations are so horrifying.

I would like to have everyday be a good lung day, to go on a bike ride or a hike without worrying about the air particulate count, to breathe clean chemical and smog free air.
K thanks Bye!