Environmental activists have renewed their efforts to make Atlanta’s schools a cleaner place to learn with the Clean Air Schools campaign. The organization heading the effort, Clean Air Campaign, is encouraging schools to take simple steps like encouraging carpooling, asking people to take the bus, and discouraging idling cars on school grounds.
A spokesperson for the campaign pointed out that children are among the most vulnerable to lung damage from poor air quality since they are still growing and developing.
As many are already aware, the Atlanta area is in need of some environmental cleanup efforts to make the air and water safer for residents. While encouraging car pooling might seem like one small step in this effort, it can make a big impact if a lot of people join in. During last year’s Clean Air Schools campaign, about 300 schools in the area participated.
Atlanta residents who suffer from health problems as a result of pollution may have some legal recourse, whether it is against a specific entity that is responsible for the pollution, or against the government for failing to enforce laws that protect residents from exposure to harmful substances.
Here in Georgia, about 12 percent of children 17 years old and younger have asthma, which is aggrevated by poor air quality.
Schools that participate in the Clean Air Schools program will be rated in terms of their efforts to protect kids from air pollution. To gain a higher rating, schools must offer things like smog alerts and education about air quality issues.
Source: Atlanta In Town Paper, “Clean Air Schools campaign back in action,” Aug. 14, 2013.