1. Strategies for Progress: Healthy Air and Climate Change
Lyndsay Moseley Alexander
Assistant Vice President and Director, Healthy Air Campaign
American Lung Association
Mission: To save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease
Vision: A world free of lung disease
Strategic Imperative: Reduce air pollution so that it does not cause or worsen lung disease.

2. 2017 “State of the Air” Report

3. Climate Change and Air Quality

4. Pivotal Moment: Challenge and Opportunity
“Climate change is a significant threat to the health of the American people.”
U.S. Climate and Health Assessment, 2016
“Tackling climate change could be the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century.”
Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change, 2015

6. The Clean Air Act – A Key Part of the Strategy for Progress
Estimated Benefits of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amdts.
Health Effect Reductions (Ozone and PM only)
2010
2020
Adult Mortality - particles
160,000
230,000
Infant Mortality - particles
230
280
Mortality - ozone
4,300
7,100
Chronic Bronchitis
54,000
75,000
Heart Disease - Acute Myocardial Infarction
130,000
200,000
Asthma Exacerbation
1,700,000
2,400,000
Emergency Room Visits
86,000
120,000
School Loss Days
3,200,000
5,400,000
Lost Work Days
13,000,000
17,000,000
US EPA. The Benefits and Costs of the Clean Air Act from 1990 to 2020: Summary Report. Feb 2011

7. The Clean Air Act – A Key Part of the Strategy for Progress
2011 – EPA adopted the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards limiting toxic air pollution from power plants and preventing an estimated 13,000 premature deaths annually.*
2012 – EPA Strengthened PM 2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard
2012 – EPA/NHTSA Greenhouse Gas Standards for Cars adopted*
2015 – EPA Adopted the Clean Power Plan, first national limits on power plant carbon pollution*
2015 – EPA Strengthened the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard*

8. Making the Switch to Clean Energy – Good for climate, Good for health
Graphic source:

9. Questions?

10. A Preview of the “Ask” for Tomorrow’s Congressional Visits
Senator/Representative:
Will you support measures to reduce pollution from dirty forms of energy and switch to clean, renewable energy?

11. Mobilizing Health Professionals
If you cannot join the hill day tomorrow, I would like to invite you to make your voice heard in another way, by joining a Health Professionals’ Declaration on Climate Change. You can join online or give your initialed business card to one of the Lung Association staffers here today or tomorrow and we will add you to the declaration. We share this with media and decision-makers on an ongoing basis.
This declaration has been signed by 1000s of health professionals lays out the main ways that climate change harms health, and calls for action to address climate change.
Read more at Lung.org/Climate-Declaration