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Smart growth is a Public Health Priority 

Next week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will meet to
consider progress in planning for sustainable communities under SB
375, the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act. CARB
will soon be releasing draft targets for each region in the state
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles through
improved land use and transportation planning under this law. In
September, CARB will finalize these targets and move the state one
step closer to meeting our clean air and climate goals. Help us
send a message that California must adopt strong targets to
challenge each region to depart from business-as-usual sprawl in
favor of healthier, sustainable communities.

Sustainable communities are key in the fight against air
pollution, climate change and chronic illness

California is home to some of the worst air pollution in America
largely because so many of our communities have been built for cars
and offer few safe and practical pedestrian, bicycle or transit
alternatives to driving, even for the shortest trips. Our
dependence on driving worsens our air pollution health crisis,
global warming, and robs us of opportunities to incorporate
physical activity into our daily lives. Improving options for more
physically active transportation will help to reduce a wide range
of chronic illnesses like asthma, obesity, diabetes, depression and
heart disease (read more in our “Land Use, Climate Change and
Public Health Issue Brief”).

Support healthier, more livable communities throughout California

Please take a moment to write to Mary Nichols, Chairman of
California Air Resources Board to voice your support for strong
targets and healthier communities.

Copy and paste the following message into the Message field on the
Air Board web site by Wednesday, June 22 at noon.

Dear Chairman Nichols,

I am writing to thank you for your leadership on climate change
policy and to encourage the California Air Resources Board to
support public health by establishing the most ambitious regional
greenhouse gas reduction targets possible under SB375.

Establishing strong targets will clearly signal the need for a
departure from business as usual sprawl and support more
sustainable communities throughout California where residents have
healthier, physically active walking, biking or transit
alternatives to driving.

Improving California’s land use and transportation planning
processes to reduce our dependency on driving offers a wide range
of benefits to our communities. Along with reducing our ongoing air
pollution-related public health crisis and cutting our
contributions to climate change, promoting opportunities for daily
physical activity will reduce the burdens faced by our children,
the elderly and others living with chronic illnesses like asthma,
obesity, diabetes and depression.

Please continue to support public health by establishing strong
regional greenhouse gas targets.