Each bad-air day steals a piece of my body, steals a slice of my life, steals my independence. Each bad-air day steals my ability to have purpose in life. Each bad air-day undermines my strength and my spirit. Each bad-air day makes me angry; angry that no one cares enough to do the right thing.
Other things make me angry. The dithering done by officials while ignoring air-quality issues makes me angry. I am angry when disingenuous apologists repeat the mantra, "The air quality today is better than it was 30 years ago."
That statement is meant to stifle debate. It is misleading and self-serving. It attempts to justify inaction based on past accomplishments. It attempts to distract from the dereliction of duty by the federal Environmental Protection Agency the last few years.
Since 2001, environmental protection standards have been rolled back relentlessly - averaging two to three rules relaxed or dropped every week. More than 50 federal Clean Air Act violation lawsuits that were in the courts or in preparation were summarily stopped or canceled on George W. Bush's order when he became president. After six years of this reckless disregard of the environment, we are indeed lucky that the air still is cleaner than 30 years ago.
This country was founded on the concept "of the people, by the people and for the people." It has become "mislead the people, by the government, for the benefit of industry and corporations, paid for and subsidized by the people."
Far worse, this coordinated pursuit of profit creates serious sequellae with tremendous costs that also ravage the body - premature death, hospitalizations, illness, diminished quality of life and fighting for every breath. These are the unconsidered, unmentioned and unacknowledged consequential roadkill of that policy.
There is now a growing, diverse chorus - all with the same message. All across this state people are standing up and screaming "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more."
When the air we must breathe in order to live becomes the handmaiden of the Grim Reaper stealing life from bodies, it becomes a moral imperative to respond with appropriate action, not platitudes. We face a catastrophic health crisis that requires the courage of real leadership, not empty political rhetoric.
This is what I said at the public meeting of the air quality board last Wednesday following a presentation by the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment calling for action to remedy the deadly and toxic air pollution in Utah.
The heroic medical octet which founded UPHE is determined to raise awareness and create public debate designed to improve Utah's deadly air. Joining in that chorus is a new group; see them at utahmomsforcleanair.org.
It is unclear what the Utah Department of Environmental Quality recommended more than a year ago when Gov. Jon Huntsman charged the agency to respond to the state of Nevada regarding regulation of the Silver State's gold-mining industry, a major source of mercury pollution in Utah air and waters.
It is unclear how the air quality board will respond to this new clarion call for action. They seemed willing to consider the issue. Without doubt, as they hear from increasing numbers of citizens, the chances improve that action might trump rhetoric.
Without doubt, Utah simply must do much better.
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* DENNIS L. KAY is a retired physician and an active volunteer supporting Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment.
