The Healthy Air Campaign is the American Lung Association's third major public health intervention, following our successful efforts in tuberculosis control and tobacco.
We believe that everyone in New England has a right to healthy air, both indoors and outside. While New England's outdoor air generally regarded as pristine, that unfortunately is not the case.
We now know that exposure to air pollution, even at very low levels that were previously considered safe, can aggravate lung and heart diseases and affect lung development.
Our strategy to improve the quality of air involves a coordinated approach of research, education and communication, community building and mobilization, and policy development.
This strategy rests upon planning foundation based on an ongoing needs assessment and a set of tangible indicators to guide our evaluation process and determine our success.
We cannot do this alone. We rely on the people of New England to be our volunteers, collaborators, and financial donors. Together, we can continually improve the quality of air, creating a healthy present for ourselves and a healthy future for our children.
Indoor Air
Indoors, the most critical factors influencing air pollution concern our ability to eliminate or reduce specific sources (such as environmental tobacco smoke, radon, chemical irritants, and pesticides) and to control moisture (leading to the growth of mold and bacteria). Ideally, it would be best to prevent these pollutants from being released in the first place, but that is not always possible or practical. Consequently, ventilation can play a critical role in determining whether an indoor environment is healthy or not.
Outdoor Air
While there are many sources that contribute to air pollution in New England, the major sources are associated with our energy and transportation systems. The most important factors influencing levels of outdoor air pollution concern the extent to which we can prevent the pollution from occurring in the first place through energy conservation and energy efficiency, and by purchasing clean forms of energy.
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