Saturday, May 19, 2018 | 2 a.m.
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In February, we went to Washington, D.C., to discuss proposed rollbacks on fuel emission standards.
We met with Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Dean Heller, as well as staff members for Reps. Mark Amodei and Jacky Rosen. We told our stories of being working mothers of young children who have asthma, and nurses to a vulnerable Las Vegas oncology population. The response we received was encouraging. It felt so empowering to speak to members of Nevada’s congressional delegation about clean air, something very important to us, and we left the Capitol feeling as if we had been heard.
It’s easy to say clean air is a basic right and to assume our congressional representatives will do everything in their power to protect this right. In the words of Heller, “It’s a no-brainer.” During our meeting, he joked that his own kids drive electric cars and it’s all they want to talk about. Heller reassured us that no one wants to roll back these standards on Capitol Hill. I left his office feeling uplifted.
However, as I’ve come to find out, nothing is as it seems in the political sphere, and somehow the Environmental Protection Agency has advanced its agenda to do exactly what we feared it would. Under the leadership of Scott Pruitt, the EPA would like to challenge the current fuel emissions standards as being unsafe, and dismantle the goal of having car manufacturers meet a 50 mpg requirement by 2025.
These standards have been championed by California, a state with terrible air pollution that has led the way in environmental activism and legislation. And it makes sense. California has a lot to lose. We all do. Lack of clean air is a huge problem in large metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
We know greenhouse gas emissions contribute to climate change and pollution contributes to a number of public health issues.
Asthma, allergies, lung cancer and other lung disease, mental health disorders and substance abuse are some of the serious illnesses made worse by the warming planet. Air pollution affects our quality of life and our economy.
One of the most sensible and economically feasible solutions to these issues is to regulate emissions. Studies show that thousands of lives and millions of dollars are saved as a result of these standards being in place. Not only that, but the standards are spurring innovation in the auto industry, and innovation leads to more jobs and more job security.
It’s unlikely this will reach the desk of the EPA, but our collective voice might. As concerned citizens and members of the Las Vegas community, we have a duty to protect our most vulnerable populations and future generations. Without some regulation, greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels will continue to pollute our environment, disproportionately affecting the young, elderly and poor.
Resilient communities and strong communities are healthy communities. Clean car standards need to remain in place for us to survive. Climate change is not coming far off at a future date, it is already here. And our responsibility is to do whatever we can to mitigate the damage today and in the upcoming weeks, months and years.
Call your congressional delegates and let them know that you oppose any weakening of these clean car safeguards. Generations of Nevadans will thank you for your concern and work in protecting the air we breath.
Lisa Abrahime, RN, BSN, OCN, has eight years of nursing experience. Laura Beauregard, RN, OCN, has five years of experience.
