Breathe Healthy Air in the One Place You Can Control

At least 186 million Americans’ health are in danger from polluted air according to a report issued last month by the American Lung Association.

In fact, “ 60 Percent of Americans Live In Areas Where Air is Dirty Enough to Endanger Lives.”

This is especially bad news for those with respiratory conditions like asthma, emphysema and bronchitis. Some research shows that this level of air pollution also increases risk of heart attacks and strokes.

So it behooves us to ensure that we get clean air in the on place we can control – inside our homes. If you have young children, work at home or are older (lungs have reduced capacity with age) or have respiratory or allergy problems take action.

With the affordable, newer whole home air cleaning systems, you can avoid time-consuming and messy maintenance (just 1 – 2 filter changes a year for a total of no more than 10 minutes). More importantly, unlike room-only air cleaners (who lives in a closed room after all?) and the older air cleaning units, you can now get a continuously high-performing system bolted right onto your hvac system. I recommend a new, non-metallic (no rust, etc.) technology that cam out about 4 years ago called AspenAir Inside.

The key is to remove the tiny, airborne particles that go deep into the lungs, the so-called RSPs.

BTW, “Visalia and Fresno, two mid-size towns in central California ranked high for short-term and year-round particle pollution. Birmingham, Ala., and Cincinnati were listed in the top 10 of metro areas with unhealthy levels of year-round particle pollution. In the Southwest, the Houston, Dallas and Phoenix metro areas had high ozone levels.

“…the missed opportunity means that thousands will suffer ...

...more and die sooner than they should,” said Bernadette Toomey, President and CEO of the American Lung Association (ALA). She was speaking about the EPA chief’s efforts to “weaken and undermine the Clean Air Act itself.”

In March, 2008, the EPA announced a tightening of the health-based National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone pollution. The lung association criticized it as falling, “far short of the requirements of the Clean Air Act—and of what EPA’s own scientific advisors had recommended.

Two to three times as many people could have been protected from an early death from their exposure to ozone if EPA had followed the scientists’ recommendations, according to the EPA’s own estimates.”

Ozone is another word for smog. (Ironically, some indoor air cleaners actually emit it as they operate.)

EPA did not live up to the law it was intended to enforce.

In 2006, a federal appeals court struck down an attempt by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to weaken national rules limiting smog linked to asthma attacks, increased hospitalizations, and that puts millions of Americans at risk for respiratory problems. In a unanimous ruling, the court held that EPA violated the Clean Air Act in relaxing limits on smog-forming pollution from large power plants, factories, and other sources in cities violating health standards. Earthjustice brought the court challenge on behalf of the American Lung Association, Environmental Defense, Sierra Club, and Natural Resources Defense Council.”

Despite that ruling and the scientists’ stand for stronger ozone reduction, read what happened this year.