An avid hiker, I climbed Ojos del Saldo in Chile in 2007. Climbing above 20,000 feet made me keenly aware of my need for clean air. I am now more sensitive to individuals with disorders such as asthma, COPD, emphysema and cystic fibrosis, people who struggle to breathe every day.

Air pollution can worsen these conditions and trigger asthma attacks, and can even affect healthy people.

According to the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report, nearly half of the people in Maine live in areas with unhealthy air. In the United States, our best protection against deadly air pollution is the Clean Air Act. Last month, the Hallowell City Council unanimously passed a proclamation declaring their support for this important law. I’d like to thank our mayor and council for publicly taking a stand against air pollution.

We are all linked by our individual needs for breathable, healthy air. By calling on Congress to protect the Clean Air Act, we can achieve what each of us wants: clean air for ourselves and our grandchildren. Our hope should be a shared goal of achieving clean, healthy air for all Americans.

There may be economic costs and disagreements about the right course of action, but our commitment to achieving healthy air that is safe to breathe should not waiver.

Martin Spahn

Hallowell

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