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Working for Wildlife: Follow NWF Activities All Over the Country
Field Highlights: Hot Hot Heat (Advisory)
It’s officially summer, and while we’re all enjoying some fun in the sun there are a few reasons to stay indoors this July: ozone alert days. Last week in Holyoke, Massachusetts where they have already experienced 24 orange alert days, and 4 red alert days, the National Wildlife Federation partnered with Sierra Club, Neighbor to Neighbor, and Nuestras Raices to call attention to the staggering rate (24%) of asthma in youth; that’s 1 in 4 kids within the community (10% is the state average).
The event took place in one of Nuestras Raices’ community gardens where elders and children work together to build a stronger community and work on projects that benefit Holyoke residents. The event was attended by Virgenmina Perez & her grandson, a 2 year old boy, Juniel, who suffers from asthma. Virgenmina also shared the story of her 6 month year old great-grandson, who was hopsitalized for 3 months because his asthma was so bad. Find out how ozone pollution affects your health.
Virgenmina Perez described how it felt to have 5 of her family members suffer from asthma:
“It is tough for me, it’s tough for all of my family, it is tough to see somebody who cannot breathe.”
These residents were rallying for cleaner air, a problem they attribute to the Mount Tom Coal Plant. This local power plant emits so much pollution through particulate matter that it has resulted in higher rates of asthma.
“Clean up what they’re doing, and if they want to do business go ahead, but clean up what you’re doing, stop polluting the people stop putting toxic pollution out into the air and stop making the people of Holyoke sick,” said Drew Grande of the Sierra Club.
Hot Off the Press:
This piece written by the Commissioner of District 18 in Oakland County, David Woodward, shows how all Americans–Democrats, Republicans and Independents– want cleaner, greener cars and trucks.
“Keeping our auto companies competitive is crucial to our economy, and if we don’t build on progress we’ve made and get even more fuel efficient, we’re going to fall behind.”–David Woodward, Commissioner Oakland County district 18.
What You Can Do:
- Request postcards! Would you rather send a postcard to the EPA? Let us know if you want to sign a postcard– and recruit 20 others concerned about mercury in fish to do the same! Contact kordickj@nwf.org
- Submit a comment to the EPA letting them know you want stricter regulations on mercury emissions. It is SO easy and takes seconds.
- Help protect river otters by sending a message to the EPA asking them to restore the Clean Water Act protections!
