*[Enwl-eng] Climate Reality: Air pollution and COVID-19

[ENWLine]

 

Take action now: join us in telling Congress COVID-19 is not an excuse to pollute.

Most Americans have spent the past few weeks focused on staying safe and protecting their families during the coronavirus pandemic. But the Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been working to give fossil fuel companies a free pass to pollute – all at a time when we’re learning that the quality of the air we breathe might be the difference between life and death. In fact, a recent national study from Harvard University found that COVID-19 patients with long-term exposure to air pollution have significantly higher death rates than do those with less consistent exposure to dirty air. While the outcomes of this study are likely to be examined closely in the weeks and months to come, it underlines two things we know to be true: Exposure to fossil fuel pollution has been linked to several serious respiratory and cardiac diseases. Existing respiratory and cardiac illness are among the leading conditions tied to the worst health outcomes for patients with COVID-19. What’s also becoming clear is that many of the same communities that routinely experience the impacts of the climate crisis first and worst are also seeing disproportionate levels of severe coronavirus infections and higher rates of death at its hands. Take Action Now   The EPA has announced in just the past week that it would not enforce pollution regulations for fossil fuel plants and other facilities, nor will it seek penalties for noncompliance with routine monitoring and reporting obligations.   And along with the National Highway Transit Safety Administration, EPA also finalized its undermining of the fuel efficiency standards.    We know what comes next. Higher levels of air pollution, which more and more experts agree is increasing the amount of severe illness and death from COVID-19, particularly among low-income families and communities of color.    It’s injustice, plain and simple.    If EPA won’t honor its own mission to protect human health and the environment, we call on Congress to act and stop EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler from putting our health in danger. Join us in telling Congress that COVID-19 is not an excuse to pollute. Take action now. - Your friends at Climate Reality    PS. Interested in learning more about the connection between air pollution and COVID-19? Check out our latest blog post.     Contact Us | Join Reality     DONATE     Privacy Policy       © 2020 The Climate Reality Project       From: The Climate Reality Project Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2020 3:21 AM Subject: Air pollution and COVID-19

                           

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