2. Conduct an education campaign that teaches citizens about link between air quality and health. Purpose Teach people how to reduce their loved ones’ exposure to air pollution and to reduce air pollution through individual actions. Advocate policy change for cleaner air.

4. Why Is Air Quality Important? As important as water quality Knows no boundaries Affects everyone’s health children elderly those with existing lung and health ailments

5. What Do We Mean by “Air Quality?” EPA establishes limits for pollutants that are harmful to public health and the environment. Limits or “standards” are to protect public health, including sensitive populations. Pollutants regulated by EPA: Ozone, Particulate Matter, Carbon Monoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Lead. Pollutants of concern in GA: Ozone and Particulate Matter

7. Ground-level Ozone Formation Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Fuels, Paints, Solvents, & Vegetation Combustion Processes Ozone (O 3 ) Smog +

8. Only a problem in summer because sunlight and heat are required Causes asthma attacks Ozone Only a problem outside Reduces lung function even in healthy people

10. Particulate Matter (PM) Photo courtesy of SACE

11. Human Hair (70 µm diameter) Hair cross section (70 mm) PM 2.5 (2.5 µm) PM 10 (10µm) A complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets What is PM? M. Lipsett, California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

12. Particulate Matter (PM) Problem year round outside and indoors Increases mortality- causes lung cancer triggers asthma attacks heart disease

13. Living in a region that fails to meet PM 2.5 standard increases a person’s risk of dying of lung cancer by about the same amount as being frequently exposed to second-hand smoke. EPA estimates that achieving the federal standard for PM would save 23,000 lives a year. Studies by Brigham Young University, New York University, and the Environmental Protection Agency

14. PM from power plants in GA: shortens the lives of 946 Georgians each year causes 156,763 lost work days results in 837 hospitalizations causes 26,442 asthma attacks, 1,369 severe enough to require emergency room visits Studies by American Cancer Society, Harvard School of Public Health

16. What Does This Mean for Georgia? 11% of Georgia’s children have asthma 15% of Fulton county’s children have asthma Asthma is the #1 reason for school absences nationally #1 reason for admission to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta In 2003, 88,000 children missed 540,000 school days Atlanta is the 4 th most challenging city to live in with asthma Atlanta is the 4 th worst city in the country for soot pollution

17. How Can I Protect My Family? Sign up for Clean Air Campaign’s “Smog Alert Day” email at www.cleanaircampaign.com or call 404-362-4909 to get the current air quality report (Atlanta, Savannah, Athens, Columbus, Macon, Augusta) Obtain a copy of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s smog activity matrix available at www.choa.org/Menus/Documents/wellness/ozone.pdf Limit outdoor activities on bad air days

18. What Can I Do To Reduce Air Pollution? Drive less- carpool, take transit, walk, bike Combine errands into one trip Park and walk into fast food restaurants and banks instead of using drive-thrus During the summer, refuel between 7 PM and 7AM Conserve energy by turning off lights, computers, and appliances when not in use Buy Energy Star appliances and compact fluorescent light bulbs

19. What Can I Do At My Child’s School? Establish anti-idling rules for school buses and carpool lanes Encourage school system to become part of the Adopt-A-School Bus program and the Clean Air Campaign’s Better Air Schools Program Host a performance by the Better Air BAIR Empower students through environmental education

20. How Does Mothers & Others for Clean Air Fit In? Education: Making the link between air quality and health effects Learning how to protect your family Learning things you can do to improve air quality www.georgiaconservancy.org/mothers Advocacy: Mobilize you to affect policy by asking decision makers (principals to legislators) to implement better policies that will clean our air. Action: Practicing new actions to improve air quality

21. Network Coalition Partnership Council Partners How Do I Fit Into Mothers & Others for Clean Air?

22. Mothers & Others for Clean Air Pledge I pledge my support for cleaner air and healthier communities through education, voluntary action, and policy change. Felicia Davis: fdavis@gaconservancy.org or 404-876-2900 x 108 Sanders Moore: smoore@gaconservancy.org or 404-876-2900 x 109