My petition is about making a change to reduce air pollution released by our very own cars. This matters because it affects our health. It is going to build up in the air we breathe which affects the amount of smog, soot, air pollutants, and carbon monoxide which are released into the air whenever you simply drive your own car.  Whenever you go outside for a walk, ride a bike, or go on a run you are breathing that air. Our air is so critical to our lives and we must be doing all we can to protect it and save ourselves from getting sick and potentially dying. 

As places become more urbanized that means more congestion for traffic which leads to the air becoming more polluted.Do you know what smog is? Smog is a hazy brown soup of pollution that is right over the skyline, especially on warmer days. It is formed when pollution gets released from power plants, factories, and cars. Smog can be extremely harmful when inhaled. It can cause irritation to the airway and potential heart and lung disease. It can also be extremely harmful to people who have already been diagnosed with asthma and other underlying health conditions. This past year, the pollen was so bad. Do you remember seeing clouds of pollen in the air? Do you wonder why? Air pollution has contributed and caused more abundance of pollen. Lab and field studies, especially ragweed,  have shown to grow larger and produce more pollen when you increase the amount of carbon dioxide. Researchers say that ragweed is going to become a more potent allergy and more people will suffer from itchy eyes, runny noses, fevers, and other symptoms. We are breathing this air right now! Thinking about all of these harmful effects air pollution has on us….doesn't this make you want to see a change? 

What can we do to make a change? First - we need to start making people realize how important and serious air pollution is to all of us. There is not enough education behind this issue. People need to be informed about how their health is affected and how it could potentially worsen if not taken seriously and no action and therefore change occurs.   In order to do this, we need to have schools mandate an environmental course for students to learn about the harmful effects air pollution has on them now and in the future. There should be an educational campaign developed that would include commercials to create public awareness of our health and air pollution which is having such a negative effect on our lives.  We also need to encourage non-pollutant transportation such as scooters, bikes, walking, skateboarding, and even rollerblading.  The more educated all of us are on alternative transportation and the impact it has on their health and staying fit… It is also helping to prevent major health conditions from occurring with our lungs and other major organs that are all due to the silent killer - air pollution! The last solution I would recommend to help in the effort to reduce air pollution is to make electric cars affordable. Electric vehicles are charged with renewable energy and emit 0lbs of CO2. According to an article from treehugger they state, “A 2020 study over 59 different regions found that driving an electric car is better for the environment than driving a gasoline-powered car in 95% of the world(Gallagher 1).”If electric vehicles are the answer to stop polluting the air we breathe then why are they so expensive. They should be affordable for everyone because in the long run, what is more important? Having a nice expensive electric car or having good health? The answer would be having good health.   We need to push for change and make electric cars affordable. 

Air pollution needs to be addressed immediately!  We can no longer sit back and accept anything less than action on this life-threatening issue for all of us -  we can help make this change if we work together. Let's make a difference!