Smoking in the nursery: America's Energy Choices

By Linda E. Small

Your child's health and energy choices. PA is the world's 18th largest economy, our energy policies matter.

America's energy policy parallels the tobacco story. Oil, gas and coal corporations rely on keeping parents unaware of the harmful health problems caused by pollution from burning their products for energy. Over 35,000 deaths a year and 1.4 million cases of asthma are caused by soot pollution alone. Children exposed to high levels of pollution suffer drops in lung function similar to those in homes with smoking parents. Air pollution is linked to loss of mental capacity, depression, strokes, heart disease, and cancer. The oil, gas and coal corporations have bought politicians to help keep the truth from American parents so that the corporations can continue to profit. If a child dies from asthma triggered by their air pollution, it makes no difference to their bottom line and no difference to them.

Loving parents who wouldn't dream of smoking in the baby's nursery don't even consider air pollution when they start the car or crank up the heat in the house. Yet the toll of the pollution we create must be remembered: over 35,000 deaths a year from soot pollution alone, 1.4 million cases of asthma, and children with lung function as bad as if the parents smoked in the home, loss of mental capacity, depression, strokes, heart disease and cancer.

The oil, gas and coal corporations don't want parents to think about the real costs of their products. Like the cigarette corporations, big oil and coal buy politicians to help them avoid responsibility, and use commercials to spin a happy picture that cuts out the human deaths and sickness caused each time we turn on their products. It's time that parents truly understand the implications of America's energy choices for the health of their children. Like smoking in the baby's nursery in days past, parents are unknowingly hurting their children.

When parents use oil, gas and coal, remember the toll: over 35,000 deaths and 1.4 million cases of asthma from soot pollution alone. High levels of air pollution which harms young lungs the same as if their parents smoked in the house, and helps trigger depression, lost mental capacity, increased strokes heart disease and cancer.

Fortunately, parents can turn to clean renewable energy and efficiency. They can demand that politicians get off the corporate payrolls and end the subsidies to the oil, coal and gas corporations who have us doing the equivalent of smoking in the baby's nursery. Parents can give their children the right to clean air by insisting on making the move to a 21st century renewable energy policy for America starting today.

The first step for Pennsylvania is to end all fossil fuel subsidies. Pennslvania subsidizes fossil fuels by $3 billion a year. We can use that money to restore funding for education and lower property taxes.

One last note for parents: Renewable energy and efficiency creates great jobs and lowers energy costs. It addresses global warming, which the oil companies have quietly admitted is manmade and a problem for our children's future. 98% of climate scientists agree, manmade global warming is here and it is a problem.

References: http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/why-clean-cars/air-pollution-and-health/

http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/chs/chs.htm Children participating in sports in high pollution areas have MORE asthma than those not participating. Children moving away from highly polluted areas improve their breathing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/14/childhood-asthma-air-pollution-epa-regulations_n_1342024.html

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june202012/nrdc-costs.php http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865560535/Clearing-the-air-That-air-youre-breathing-may-be-slowly-killing-you.html?pg=1 http://www.stateoftheair.org/2012/health-risks/ up to 35,700 deaths could be avoided with EPA soot rule http://www.stateoftheair.org/2012/health-risks/health-risks-childrens.html impact of pollution similar to growing up in home where parents smoke http://www.stateoftheair.org/2012/health-risks/health-risks-particle.html http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june202012/nrdc-costs.php https://secure2.convio.net/penn/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=891