Clean air is essential to health, yet nearly half of Americans are still breathing unhealthy air, and climate change is making our air quality worse. We all have a reason why we want and need clean air. And while air pollution isn’t always visible, the risks it poses to lung health are very real. That’s why we asked people to share why clean air matters to them. Through sharing their #MyCleanAirStory posts, we are highlighting why clean air matters to Americans.
As part of our Stand Up For Clean Air initiative, the Lung Association is driving conversations around air quality, climate and health. Everyone needs clean air, but some people are more at risk of the impacts of air pollution, such as children and teens, older Americans, pregnant women, people of color, low-income communities and people living with lung or heart disease. These stories are powerful, and when people realize climate and air quality are impacting the health of their neighbors, friends and loved ones – they are more willing to act.
We are so thankful to all who shared their #MyCleanAirStory, and want to thank our partner Aprilaire whose mission is to enhance people’s health by improving the air in their homes. Ten lucky people who entered their story in our #MyCleanAirStory contest won healthy air prizes, including one grand prize of an Aprilaire Whole-Home Indoor Air Quality upgrade and nine individuals who won Aprilaire Allergy True HEPA Air Purifiers. We are proud to recognize contestants who expressed why clean air matters to them. Here are a few stories shared through this contest with Aprilaire:
Andrea cares about clean air because she lives in Los Angeles, the city with the worst ozone air population in the U.S. As someone who cares about fitness, Andrea wants to be able to enjoy exercising outdoors without worrying about compromising her health due to poor air quality.
Congratulations to our GRAND PRIZE winner, Brittany, who shared a phenomenal post about why she cares about clean air and how she addresses climate change in her daily life. Because of how much she cares about the world that her daughter and all future generations will live in, Brittany and her husband take steps toward making our environment safer like driving electric cars to help achieve cleaner air and fewer greenhouse gases. Brittany was awarded a whole-home indoor air quality upgrade of the Aprilaire Healthy Air SystemTM!
Climate change also affects Rohan, who shared that environmental justice is also an intersectional challenge for minority communities, especially for individuals with asthma like his father.
We all have a reason why healthy air is important to us, and we want to thank everyone who made their voices heard and shared posts about why they care about clean air.
Join the growing chorus! Share your own reason why you care about clean air on your social media handle with #MyCleanAirStory and stand up for clean air by taking our pledge at Lung.org.
Blog last updated: August 29, 2023
