By Phil Compton and The Sierra Club
Where does smog (ozone) come from? Utilities like Duke and FPL do their share, but mostly, it’s from you and me, driving our cars. The good news is, you can DO something right now to cut smog down to healthier levels. Florida is getting $166 million from the VW diesel scandal settlement for clean transportation. We say it should all go for zero emission electric vehicles.
But to put a scandal on top of a scandal, Florida could put its $166 million share of the multi-billion dollar VW diesel scandal settlement back into … MORE DIESEL!
If you could make our air healthier to breathe for kids with asthma, would you? How about for seniors with COPD? It only takes 5 minutes to vote for clean air! But you only have until 5pm this Friday, May 11, to help.
This time of the year in Florida, our abundant sunshine and lack of rain turns tailpipe emissions into harmful levels of smog (ozone) that burn the inside of your lungs. You can’t taste, smell, or see it as it’s hurting you. If you have asthma or COPD, you may be suffering today and not realize it.
Yesterday and today are bad days for smog all over the Tampa Bay–Suncoast region (see ozone advisory and map on the right, orange areas = harmful ozone levels). Where does smog (ozone) come from? Utilities like Duke and FPL do their share, but mostly, it’s from you and me, driving our cars.
The good news is, you can do something right now to cut smog down to healthier levels. Florida is getting $166 million from the VW diesel scandal settlement for clean transportation. We say it should all go for zero emission electric vehicles. The Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection is conducting a public survey through this Friday, May 11. Sierra Club and our allies in the Drive Electric Florida coalition ask that you take 5 minutes before 5pm Friday to tell FDEP our money should go for clean, quiet, zero-emission electric buses and EV charging stations.
Take 5 minutes today to vote for clean air. If you already have, thanks! Regardless, tell a friend and ask them to help, too. Clean air won’t happen here unless we ask for it!
P.S. Reducing smog also reduces carbon emissions.
Phil Compton is Senior Organizing Representative of Sierra Club’s FL Healthy Air & Ready for 100 Campaigns. He’s also picture below (the one in the suit).
Related Stories:
- US Justice Department Files Criminal Charges Against Former Volkswagen CEO
- Diesel Emissions Scandal archives
- St. Petersburg (Florida) Gets 2 Electric Buses
- Children Need Zero-Emissions, Electric School Buses
- Traffic Air Pollution Directly Damages DNA In Children, Research Finds
- Study: “Low” Levels Of Air Pollution Still Damage Children’s Lung Functions
- UNICEF: ~17 Million Babies Live In Areas With Outdoor Air Pollution 6 Times Above Recommended Limits, Brain Development Being Affected
- “Electric Car” — My Granddaughter’s Favorite Song & Video
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