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Sierra Club Currents -- Study Shows Pollution Prevention is Economic Plus Quote of Note: "The fact that men and women are ill and not being helped here is a national disgrace. We are the wealthiest nation on earth; the least we can do is provide health care for the men and women who were there on 9/11. They were here for us. We need to be here for them." - Rep. Carolyn Maloney, (D-NY) on the need for health care for those exposed to dust at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attack (1) Take Action: Flip the Switch: Bring America's New Energy Future to Life (2) Take Action: Speak Up for Clean Air! (3) 9/11: Forgotten Heroes (4) New Study: Preventing Pollution Better Than Cleaning It Up (1) Take Action: Flip the Switch: Bring America's New Energy Future to Life The House and Senate already put everything in place, now it's time to finish what they started, flip the switch and turn this new energy future on. Urge your Representative and Senators to pass sound energy legislation this fall! Congress must include both CAFE and RES in their final upcoming energy bill to reduce our dependence on oil and cut greenhouse gases. Without both measures, the U.S. will continue down a polluting fossil fuel path instead of putting us on the path toward energy independence. Photo courtesy NREL (2) Take Action Speak Up for Clean Air! Smog pollution, or ozone, can cause a wide range of health problems including shortness of breath, increased risk of asthma attacks, and even premature death. The EPA has acknowledged that current smog standards do not protect public health and the agency is considering tightening the standards. EPA recently held five public hearings in major US cities and is currently accepting public comment on the standard. Now is the time to speak up for clean air. Please let EPA Administrator Johnson know you want an ozone standard that truly protects public health, not one cooked up by industry. (3) 9/11: Forgotten Heroes The terrorist attack of September 11 was one of our country's most horrific moments. Six years later the attack continues to devastate and even end lives. Hundreds of rescue workers are now suffering from serious illnesses as a result of their exposure to toxic smoke and dust at Ground Zero. With a growing number of firefighters, police and volunteers needing care for 9/11 related illnesses, the amount of aid offered by the federal government is woefully inadequate. See the stories of Ground Zero heroes still suffering from the attack. (4) New Study: Preventing Pollution Better Than Cleaning It Up A new study released by the National Academy of Sciences has concluded that it makes more sense to try to prevent pollution than to clean it up afterward. The study, which compared two of the world's biggest polluters -- the U.S. and China, found that the economic costs of air pollution were high, resulting in premature death, decreased productivity and lower crop yields. Reducing emissions on the other hand can provide significant economic benefits, according to the study. Learn what the Sierra Club is doing to prevent air pollution through the Clean Air Campaign. |
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Currents is the Sierra Club's weekly e-mail update providing you with facts, stories, quotes, and "take action" features. |