Did you know climate change and COVID-19 share a number of similarities? Certainly both are bringing unwanted changes to our communities.
As we watch pandemic statistics, we see the deadly impact on families of COVID-19. Our daily routines have disappeared and we're reassessing our lifestyles, wondering when we can emerge from our homes. Individuals, businesses and countries question if and how they will survive these unprecedented financial challenges.
Damage to the climate has similar characteristics but is more insidious. We don't have the WHO or the CDC raising the alert, giving advice for self-care. There are no stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders to protect us from our changing environment. Now the Environmental Protection Agency has suspended its enforcement of environmental laws during the coronavirus outbreak, signaling to companies they won't face penalties for polluting the air or water of Americans.
A recent BYU study found the life expectancy of one of four Utahns is reduced by five or more years due to pollution. Eighty-five percent of pollutants causing health and economic harm are fossil fuel combustion products. Now reports are surfacing that areas with higher pollution are experiencing higher death rates from COVID-19. Reducing air pollution, therefore, is a good strategy for reducing pandemic fatalities.
For COVID-19 control we need more testing. To assess our part of global warming pollution we need to reopen Utah's Division of Air Quality stations. Congress can also accelerate the transition to clean energy and clean up our air by putting a price on carbon. By doing so we can reduce the risk of damage to our climate and the potential impact of future pandemics.
Tom Laabs-Johnson, Sandy