August 01, 2007 08:51 PM UTC

The Costs of Not Reducing Ozone Pollution

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• by: EnvironmentColorado

In the Denver Post today, Zach Fox asked, “Who will pay the tab for the ozone solution?”  What he didn’t ask was who will pay the tab if we don’t clean up our air quality.  Ozone pollution can have very negative effects on both our health and our environment.

According to the American Lung Association, ozone pollution has very negative health consequences.  Ozone acts as a powerful respiratory irritant, causing symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing and coughing.  Ozone can also exaggerate asthma. 

Prolonged exposure (6 ½ hours) to even relatively low levels of ozone have found reductions in lung function, biological evidence of inflammation of the lung lining and respiratory discomfort. 

A study conducted in Los Angeles, which has repeatedly had the worst ozone levels in the country, showed the effects of long term repeated exposure to ozone.  The results showed that long-term residents of Los Angeles had higher than expected loss of lung function over time. 

The American Lung Associations cites people with pre-existing respiratory disease, and individuals who exercise outdoors as particularly vulnerable to ozone pollution. 

Children are especially affected by ozone pollution because their respiratory defenses are not fully developed.  Their airways are smaller and a more likely to become blocked when irritated.  Since children breathe more rapidly, they take in more ozone pollution than adults. 

Ozone is also detrimental to the environment.  Ozone pollution affects leaves on trees and plants as well as affecting certain plants’ ability to store food, making them more susceptible to disease and insects.  It can be harmful to agriculture, reducing crop yield. 

Solutions to reducing ozone pollution, such as adoption Clean Cars Program, have an array of benefits.  Hybrid-electric cars save consumers money in fuel and have been shown to retain their value better than conventional cars.  The Clean Cars program will spur the economy and reduce US dependence on foreign oil.  The Clean Cars Program will also significantly cut global warming pollution. 

The benefits to cleaning up our air and cutting pollution from vehicle emissions far outweigh the costs.  The Regional Air Quality Council in Denver advises that the best way to protect one’s health from ozone is avoiding exposure and staying inside on days when ozone is high.  Is the cost to clean up the air too high of a price to pay, if we fear the outdoors for the effect it may have on our health?  Is it fair to our children to keep them indoors on a summer day?

To read Zach Fox’s article visit: http://www.denverpos…