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Comment 131 for General Comments for the GHG Scoping Plan (sp-general-ws) - 1st Workshop.
First Name: James
Last Name: Stevenson, Ph.D.
Email Address: jimstevensonphd@yahoo.com
Affiliation: American Lung Association
Subject: Reduction of airborne pollutants & locally developed sustainable energy
Comment:
I have had asthma for 60 years and regularly use a nebulizer, inhalers and an emergency inhaler to keep breathing. So far I have not needed oxygen, however I am anxious for California to develop a strong plan of action achieve immediate reductions in smog and other dangerous air pollutants. We must reverse the trend to increasing asthma frequenty in our population, particularly among our children. I urge the California Air Resources Board to include a stronger focus on measures to reduce emissions from driving that contribute the largest percentage of greenhouse gases in California. We must have an aggressive statewide goal for reducing vehicle trips and measures to promote progressive action by local governments to help with this effort. In Europe public land is available to community cooperatives for the placing of windmills and solar panels. We have no comparable movement in this country because of the absence of leadership to achieve a strong base of sustainable energy production. A community based plan should also include additional strong regulatory measures on industrial sources to reduce emissions form petroleum refineries, power plants, cement manufacturers, and others sources. Air quality in California is a public health crisis. We have about 14,000 to 24,000 premature deaths from air pollution yearly, 350,000 asthma attacks and millions of missed school days from children suffering asthma attacks, thousands of hospitalizations and emergency room visits, and reduced lung function changes in children. It is vitally important that your agency demonstrate leadership to develop the variety of measures will not only make move us toward reducing greenhouse gases, but will also provide local benefits to communities in terms of improved air quality and public health while also providing locally developed sustainable energy. Thank you for your consideration of my concerns to strengthen these key strategies in the AB 32 draft scoping plan.
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Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2008-07-31 11:40:48
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