and as far as your... maine has trees comment -
In total, more than half of Maine residents experienced nearly a month or more of days with unclean air in 2016, an increase from previous years.
In a statement following the report, Madeleine Fenderson, an organizer with Environment Maine Research and Policy Center said that “even one day with polluted air is too many.”
“Right at the beginning of the summer it is often a time of year temperatures increase that we see an increase in smog pollution,” Leavitt said. “So it's particularly timely as we head into the summer.”
“We definitely have had great improvements to where our air was in the early 1970’s, but it's still too much polluted air,” said Leavitt. “One of the things that's happening on the federal level is that the Trump administration is weakening current air quality standards and global warming standards.” Fenderson expressed worries about Maine specifically which, because of its location, is sometimes called the “tailpipe of the nation.”
“This is really important because Maine actually has the third highest asthma rate in the country, which is honestly pretty unacceptable for a state that really doesn't have any big cities as well as we have hundreds of miles of undeveloped land,” said Fenderson. Public health officials have warned that this pollution and poor air quality can lead to several adverse health risks, especially for children, the elderly and those who already have trouble breathing.
“It can increase asthma attacks, it can lead to premature deaths,” said Leavitt. “That's not necessarily on one day, but over time the accumulated air pollution can lead to a premature death. It also can lead to cardiovascular problems.
“Smog, or ground level ozone, produces inflammation similar to a sunburn in the lungs, causes respiratory problems from coughing and throat irritation to asthma and permanent damage to lung tissue,” said Fenderson. “Particulate pollution consists of extremely small particles that contain toxic chemicals, and these particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream, causing repertory and cardiovascular problems.”
Fenderson said the main culprit for this contamination is emissions are entering the system through the transportation industry,” she said. “So again this goes right back to cars.”
Currently the Environmental Protection Agency, under Administrator Scott Pruitt, is considering a move to make clean car standards more lax. These standards regulate the fuel efficiency and carbon emissions of automobiles sold in the United States. Fenderson said that regulations on the national level are necessary in keeping Mainers healthy.
“Even if we had really great emission standards in Maine, the way that the air currents work in the country, we're getting so much from the Midwest anyway,” she said. “In order for us to really see the results in our air quality it needs to be a federal mandate.”
Groups like Environment Maine are pushing politicians to keep the clean car standards as they are. Additionally, both both Ford and Honda have shown support for maintaining the current standards. “We're really urging our elected officials to support the clean car standards as they are today because air quality is very much a bipartisan issue.”
I will leave my car running extra long to pollute more air but, that isn't true. I turn the car off sometimes before it even stops.
There isn't enough money to fix roads. there is a pollution problem, but cars aren't the enemy.
that's what I thought. Amish are very hard workers and kind of funny and very brave to ride buggy's with so little protection, no air bags, no seat belts and no lights. I don't thick they use smart phones either. It not my problem what they do- Famous saying from Spiderman.
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