In Our View: It’s Clear Air Quality is Bad

We would like to (cough!) write an editorial (gag!) about our region’s pristine environment (wheeze!). About our clean air and clear views. About how this part of the country is a little slice of paradise (choke!).

We would like to extol all of that, but the past week has left us breathless. As anybody who has ventured outside or simply looked out a window can tell you, the area has been covered in a haze. No views of the mountains in the distance. No deep breaths of fresh air. No long runs without a risk to the throat and lungs.

Vancouver and surrounding areas have been impersonating 1970s Los Angeles or modern Beijing, with air pollution so thick you can see and taste it.

The primary reason is wildfires throughout the western United States and Canada. Our little paradise is surrounded by them, from British Columbia down to California. With warm weather making the air stagnant and with normal air pollution exacerbating the conditions, the smog has been discomforting for all and dangerous for many. As the National Institutes of Health explains: “Over the past 30 years, researchers have unearthed a wide array of health effects which are believed to be associated with air pollution exposure. Among them are respiratory diseases (including asthma and changes in lung function), cardiovascular diseases, adverse pregnancy outcomes (such as pre-term birth) and even death.”

Phew! We get choked up just thinking about it. The smog has been enough to make us want to stay inside, and Vancouver’s air by the middle of last week was deemed unhealthy for sensitive groups. That includes people with conditions such as asthma, heart and lung diseases, children younger than 18 and adults older than 65, pregnant women, and cigarette smokers. We could point out the incongruity of warning cigarette smokers about poor air quality — but who are we to judge?

Meanwhile, in Portland, air quality has been considered unhealthy for everybody.

The American Lung Association lists several tips for dealing with poor air quality. Among them:

• Check daily air pollution forecasts for the area;

• Avoid exercising outdoors;

• Reduce automobile use;

• And use less energy in your home.

Advocates also note that air pollution can adversely affect pets, as well. If possible, keep your animals inside during times of poor air quality.

The good news is that we can confidently say this all will pass. At one time, American cities were persistently engulfed in industrial pollution that wafted over the populace. A 1966 smog event in New York City led President Lyndon Baines Johnson to note: ” ‘Ordinary’ air in New York, as in most large cities, is filled with tons of pollutants: carbon monoxide from gasoline, diesel and jet engines, sulfur oxides from factories, apartment houses, and power plants; nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and a broad variety of other compounds.”

Congress passed the 1967 Air Quality Act and strengthened that legislation through the 1970 Clean Air Act. Since then, urban areas have become ever more livable, contributing to improved health for citizens.

Eventually, we trust, the wildfires will subside, the wind will disperse the pollutants, and a clear view of Mount Hood will re-emerge. Until then (cough!) we hope Clark County residents stay safe and heed the health dangers presented by poor air quality.