Cool City reductions will benefit kids
The following is a Counterpoint column.
By Deborah Leiner Fields
On Aug. 21, the Greensboro City Council adopted the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, joining more than 600 "Cool Cities" nationwide that have pledged to reduce their cities' greenhouse gas production to pre-1990 levels in five years. This progressive action will move our city toward a healthier future for our children.
The 2007 U.N. Intergovernmental Climate Change Report, a consensus opinion of more than 2,500 scientists, states that "warming of the climate system is unequivocal" and gases released from burning fossil fuel are a significant contributor. Global carbon dioxide emissions increased 80 percent from 1990 to 2005, with the United States leading the pack in both total and per capita emissions.
These changes are affecting human health. Since children are among those least able to adapt, they bear more burden from heat exposure and from waterborne diseases, tick- and mosquito-borne diseases and injury, death and disease resulting from extreme weather.
Ground-level ozone increases with rising temperatures. The American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Ambient Air Pollution links outdoor air pollution to more asthma attacks and lung infections, more pre-term births, higher infant mortality, permanent deficits in lung growth in healthy children and new onset asthma in children who regularly exercise outdoors. The air in the Southeast is getting dirtier faster than the air in any other part of the country.
Children worry about the world they will inherit. Sometimes they worry themselves sick, like the 13-year-old Greensboro girl with asthma who recently sought medical attention because she was having trouble breathing. She was not having the asthma attack she feared, but an anxiety attack, brought on by fear of the poor air-quality index.
Children feel more secure when they believe adults will protect them. Fortunately, Greensboro's leaders are doing just that. Environmental policy decisions today will have minimal effect on our lives, but far-reaching impact on the lives of our children and grandchildren.
I commend the city for the many energy-saving measures under way and for going a step further by adopting the mayors' agreement. It's going to take visionary leadership and all of us working together to meet the 2012 target. Imagine our academic, faith, health and business communities; our schoolchildren; and private citizens working with city government to create innovative solutions to the climate crisis and building a healthier, more environmentally and economically sustainable community.
The writer is a pediatrician who lives in Greensboro.
Comments (7)
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"Sometimes they worry themselves sick, like the 13-year-old Greensboro girl with asthma who recently sought medical attention because she was having trouble breathing. She was not having the asthma attack she feared, but an anxiety attack, brought on by fear of the poor air-quality index."
What 13 year old would have anxiety attacks brought on by fear of a poor air-quality index? Answer: A 13 year old that has been spoon fed "fear" by adults
Posted on September 5, 2007 6:28 AM
Oooops, phone rang and I accidentally hit post on this laptop sans mouse.
To continue, a person with asthma is going to be more aware of air quality issues, however I would sumise the constant barrage of threats of imminent doom due to global warming play their role in her anxiety attack.
I remember the heat wave of 1977, only a short two years after the publication of the 1975 Newsweek story threatening global cooling.
http://denisdutton.com/cooling_world.htm
One thing is certain about July, August, and early Sept. in the South; it's going to be hot, hazy, and humid.
No problem in saving energy and being mindful of our planet, I teach my children likewise at the young age they are. My problem lies with those who subscribe to the religion of global warming and perpetuate the doomsday scenarios upon the gullible populace, especially children.
Posted on September 5, 2007 7:18 AM
Dan, in the winter of '77 I watched it flurry in Dade County and hard freeze in most of South Florida.
Posted on September 5, 2007 7:23 AM
Dan, the best antidote for the faux-hysteria created by the global warmingmongers is the faux-solutions of programs like Cool Cities. Now that the Greensboro City Council has taken care of the problem, everybody--including the anxiety-riddled teenage contingent--can just RELAX and chill out.
Posted on September 5, 2007 2:14 PM
I agree brian444. Actions speak louder than words. I'll have to make a mental note to check their progress in 2012. Yeah, right.
Reminds me of a State of the Union Adress. Empty promises with dates so far in the horizon that nobody will be held accountable.
Posted on September 5, 2007 2:35 PM
Nitpicker, we can't let it get out that Cool Cities isn't really going to solve the "problem." That would just throw the 13-year olds into further delusions, as well as destroying their trust in us as protector figures. Let's just keep it between us, and let on that Cool Cities has taken care of everything.
Posted on September 5, 2007 2:41 PM
Just visited the Cool Cities website, it's basically a division of the Sierra Club.
http://coolcities.us/
Also visited participating NC cities. Several are listed, however Charlotte, Winston and Wilmington are the only three that actually have a contact person. The Charlotte contact has a Sierra Club email address. By God even Chapel Hill and Carrboro don't have contact people!!
http://coolcities.us/state.php?state=NC
BTW, Greensboro isn't listed, I guess they haven't officially signed on yet.
There is a "milestones completed" list. Some of them state they have signed the "US Mayors Agreement" but none have implemented any of the other milestones. I guess it's early.
Again I have no problem with energy conservation. It will be interesting to see if NC and other cities actually follow through with this program or if it's another useless "feel good" program that accomplishes little or nothing.
It will also be interesting to see how much money taxpayers will have to pay for this program.
Posted on September 5, 2007 8:22 PM