Big polluters vs. our children

(Sierra Club) – Far too often, big polluters feed us the lie that we have to choose between clean air or a healthy economy. Last week, the Biden-Harris administration made a big move that shows Americans do not have to choose. The Environmental Protection Agency’s released updated protective air quality standards that will save both lives and money. Simply put, if you work outdoors, have a child with asthma, or an elderly family member with a cardiopulmonary disease, this new standard will make it easier to breathe. Related Stories The new National Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particulate matter, or soot, are a big deal. Soot is one of the most dangerous and prevalent air pollutants. It enters the deepest parts of our lungs and bloodstream where it causes asthma, heart attacks and premature death. Moms Clean Air Force, a self-described “Mompartisan” group founded to protect children from air pollution and climate impacts, notes that “air pollution can lead to premature births, lower birth weight, and neurocognitive impacts as particulate matter can reach the developing fetal brain.” Soot is created by coal plants, diesel vehicles and factories. And this new rule is expected to clean up the air for...