We all breathe the same air... and pollutants

Re: “Record 2020 wildfires point to dangerous trends,” Sept. 27 news story

Thank you to the New York Times writers and The Denver Post for highlighting how the effects of the expanded wildfire season throughout the West Coast — and at home in Colorado — are here to stay. Smoke from wildfires is just yet another contributor of PM2.5 particle pollution to the city of Denver, a city branded in 2019 as a “serious” violator of air quality standards by the EPA.

Our health is inextricably linked to air quality. As someone who works in a respiratory hospital, I am inundated by stories of lives revolving around the pollution forecast: “I couldn’t take my dog for a walk because the air outside made me wheeze today.”

We cannot hope for this to be our future, but what can be done? Health is a bipartisan issue, and thus the solution must be as well. HR 763 is a bill sitting in Congress that intends to reduce our emissions by 40% in the first 12 years through a carbon tax, where the money collected is redistributed back into American’s pockets. Cosponsored by Republicans and Democrats, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act will aim at reducing the Front Range’s “Brown Cloud” while adding 2.1 million jobs to the U. S. economy. As wildfires persist, lawmakers must take action to protect citizens’ health, particularly respiratory health. Call or write to your representatives today to support HR 763, and let’s clean up our air together.

Emma Antall, Denver