This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
How many kids will I see today in clinic gasping for air with an asthma attack? How many parents will be gasping for reassurance that their child will be okay? How many children will I admit to the hospital causing a sleepless night and missed work for parents? These are the questions I would ask myself as I drove into work on the many red, yellow and orange air days along the Wasatch Front.
What is causing the air pollution that makes us cough and wheeze-making us all feel like we are gasping for air? We hear about the high ozone and the high particulates in our polluted air, but rarely do we hear about another important contributor to air pollution—the burning of fossil fuels resulting in global warming CO2 emissions.
At Stanford, Mark Jacobsen observed in his studies that the increase in temperature caused by CO2 emissions increases the rate of ozone production in urban areas. Jacobsen says, "Ozone is a very corrosive gas; it erodes rubber and statues. It cracks tires. So you can imagine what it does to your lungs in high enough concentrations."
According to Jacobsen, for each increase of 1 degree Celsius caused by CO2, the resulting air pollution will lead to 2.5 million to 4 million more deaths worldwide, including 50,000 deaths in the U.S. yearly. The incidence of respiratory illness and asthma will continue to spiral.
There are many ways we as citizens can help in the effort to clean up our air and prevent the devastating effects of a warming climate. We know the typical ways — driving less, using LED light bulbs, recycle and reuse. In an effort to do more, I have joined the local chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL), one of 347 chapters worldwide. CCL supports policy imposing a fee on all fossil fuels at the point where they first enter the economy. Of course, the energy you and I use would go up in price, which is why CCL also supports returning 100 percent of net revenues back in monthly dividends to our households. This dividend would offset our of pocket expenses like the $200 needed for an asthma inhaler, or gas for our car.
As the price of fossil fuels goes up, businesses and consumers would be incentivized to begin using renewable energy sources. For example, while the initial price of our solar panels seemed expensive, there is no fuel cost to run them, so the panels pay for themselves. Our family now has no electric bill and in fact our power company sends us a check for the excess power produced.
The 2014 study by Regional Economic Models Inc (REMI) shows that this economic model of fee and dividend would have a strong positive impact on the nation's health and prosperity. Jobs would be created in the renewable energy sector, the economy would grow, lives would be saved, quality of life would be preserved and CO2 emissions would be 50 percent lower than 1990 levels by the year 2035.
We have the resources available to make educated choices and policy about how we care for the air and the earth, our common home. So I remain hopeful that we can enjoy more clean air days. I envision a future in which our children can play outside without the fear of ending up in a clinic or hospital. When that happens, we will all breathe a little easier.
Karen Jackson is a pediatric nurse practitioner who lives in Salt Lake City.