5 Reasons to Run for Clean Air
Clean Air Council’s Run for Clean Air presented by Toyota Hybrids has been a favorite spring race for runners since 1981. Whether you’ve raced with the Council for years or you’re just looking for another piece of race bling, 2017 is a critical year to support the Run for Clean Air. Our environment is under attack and every day the news seems worse. Instead of despair, we need you to do what you do best…run with us.
Here’s why:
FUTURE RUNNERS DEPEND ON YOU
As Barack Obama said in his moving farewell speech, “Without bolder action, our children won’t have time to debate the existence of climate change. They’ll be busy dealing with its effects: more environmental disasters, more economic disruptions, waves of climate refugees seeking sanctuary.” (1) Run for the kids.
THE WETTER IT GETS, THE SLOWER YOU RUN
A major impact of changing climate in the Northeast is more rain. Between 1958 and 2012, the Northeast saw more than a 70% increase in the amount of rainfall measured during heavy precipitation events, more than in any other region in the United States. (2) Rainy conditions affect your performance and can be downright dangerous.
THE HOTTER IT GETS, THE SLOWER YOU RUN
Climate change is real, it is caused by human activity, and it can’t* be denied. Most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years, with 15 of the 16 warmest years on record occurring since 2001. (3) Heat is another condition that is dangerous to runners. Not only does it slow you down, it can threaten your health.
YOU CAN’T RUN WITHOUT CLEAN AIR
Standards to reduce soot and smog pollution are under attack. These standards are projected to prevent up to 15,000 non-fatal heart attacks, 34,000 premature deaths, and 400,000 asthma attacks every year. (4) Have you seen the smog masks they have to wear when running in other countries? That could be you in the next couple years if environmental regulations are rolled back.
THE ENVIRONMENT NEEDS YOU
The EPA has a fossil-fuel industry ally at the helm. The interests of polluters are contaminating decisions that our elected officials make. That means that the green spaces you run in, the water you drink, and (again) the air you breathe need to be protected on the local level by city and state agencies and local non-profits like Clean Air Council.
Clean Air Council is hard at work on all of these issues and needs your help. The Run for Clean Air raises funds for Clean Air Council to work on regional air quality issues no longer supported by the federal government. In 2017, support the Council, the environment, your health, and future generations. Take action and register for the Run for Clean Air.
You might want to check out the footnotes now in case they disappear.
*Shouldn’t. Some people still do. For our purposes, it can’t be denied…at least not with facts.
**Most of us.
1: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/farewell
2: https://www.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-northeast
3: http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
4: https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/ecas/docs/ria/transport_ria_final-csapr_2011-06.pdf
