Sunday night owls: Conservation group finds polluted air affects 96% of our National Parks
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«When people think of iconic parks like Joshua Tree or the Grand Canyon, they think of unspoiled landscapes and scenic views. I think they would be shocked to know that these are actually some of our most polluted national parks.» ~~Theresa PiernoSunday night owls: Conservation group finds polluted air affects 96% of our National Parks
«When people think of iconic parks like Joshua Tree or the Grand Canyon, they think of unspoiled landscapes and scenic views. I think they would be shocked to know that these are actually some of our most polluted national parks.» ~~Theresa Pierno, NPCA president and CEO. The National Parks Conservation Association published a 32-page report last week about air pollution in U.S. National Parks. Like so much environment-related news these days, the report is not a happy one. Here’s an excerpt from the Introduction of Polluted Parks—How America is Failing to Protect Our National Parks, People and Planet from Air Pollution: America’s national parks have a unique power to bring people together and bridge differences. Morethan a century ago, leaders in our nation recognized the importance of protecting our precious natural and cultural heritage for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. Today, national parks continue to preserve our stories and reflect our democracy,but they are being polluted. Air pollution is harming public health, obscuring views and degrading our nation’s most precious park sites, from Glacier National Park in Montana to the Natchez Trace Parkway in Tennessee to Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. Unfortunately, air pollution also drives the most serious problem of our time—climate change. While most air pollution doesn’t originate in national parks, it can travel hundreds of miles from its source,thereby affecting all parks—even remote ones—and distant communities. Much of this pollution begins with extracting fossil fuels, including oil, gas and coal, and burning them in power plants and vehicles. Additionally, industrial-scale agricultural operations harm the air, like in California’s Central Valley communities as well as in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and César E. Chávez National Monument. Pollution also harms community health, having effects on communities of color and people of lower socioeconomic status. It also undermines local economies, driving up healthcare costs and making it harder for kids to learn and play and adults to work. In Bakersfield, California, Gema Perez, a mom, urban activist and park lover, frets about the dirty air that chokes off views of the mountains and harms her family’s lungs when they are outside trying to enjoy the safe spaces her community has worked hard to create. Amy Roberts, CEO of the Outdoor IndustryAssociation, represents businesses that depend on our country’s natural resources to provide recreational opportunities, and whether it’s lower snowpack or intensified wildfires, she is keenly aware of the effects of air pollution and climate change on a daily basis. To address the challenges of air pollution, it’s critical we consider justice and equity while working to reduce emissions, transition to appropriately sited renewable energy, build smart infrastructure that uses clean energy, and conserve our natural landscapes. Some good individual stories can be found in the report. See, for instance, Akima Price’s on pp. 18-19. Some solutions are proposed too. Detaching ourselves from the burning of fossil fuels would be the best solution of all. TOP COMMENTS • HIGH IMPACT STORIES • THE WEEK’S HIGH IMPACT STORIES TWEET OF THE DAY xHappy MotherâÂÂs Day to all the women raising their boyfriends— Chantelle (@Chant_ella) May 12, 2019 BLAST FROM THE PAST On this date at Daily Kos in 2011—Barney Frank: Recess appointment likely for CFPB job: Republicans have made killing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau a primary goal in their efforts to undo everything President Obama and Democrats managed to accomplish in the first two years of his term. To that end, Senate Republicans have vowed to filibuster any candidate for the CFPB unless the agency is gutted and made essentially powerless. In the wake of that threat, Rep. Barney Frank, co-author of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform bill that became law last year, says it's likely President Obama will make a recess appointment to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Monday through Friday you can catch the Kagro in the Morning Show 9 AM ET by dropping in here, or you can download the Stitcher app (found in the app stores or at Stitcher.com), and find a live stream there, by searching for "Netroots Radio.” LINK TO DAILY KOS STORE Read more