Pima air pollution problem calls for no on HB2017

Cutting pollution is a moral responsibility

UPDATE, 5/12: The Arizona House of Reps today passed HB2017. Time for the Gov to get out her big red VETO stamp.

TUCSON -- Recently we've been breathing some pretty bad air.

In my daily view from the downtown area, the Rincon Mountains/Saguaro National Park and Santa Rita Mountains at times have been barely visible through the pollution haze, and you can smell the pollution in the air all over town.

The million-plus Tucson area has suffered many days recently of high ground-level ozone pollution, which is harmful to our health -- especially children and older folks -- and hurts our economy due to higher health care costs and lost productivity. Watch a time-lapse map of the formation of harmful air pollution in eastern Pima County on Monday, April 21.

As Tucson's air pollution continues to worsen, due in large part to urban sprawl, lack of good public transit, and dominant 'one person, one car' driving habits, Tim Bee and too many in the Legislature unethically fight even modest efforts to cut pollution. Dirty utility corporations such as APS and Unisource Energy's Tucson Electric Power have been busy shamefully lobbying against pollution limits.

We all need clean air. No one can breathe money. Governor Napolitano should hold firm and keep Arizona in the Western Climate Initiative by vetoing HB2017 if it passes the House.

When I'm in the State House, I will help build a majority to support public health and clean air, and fight against the greedy pollution lobbyists who threaten our future.

In the face of such corruption at the capitol in Phoenix, there is a solution. Please drive less, and walk or bike more to help our quality of life and health. With fuel at record prices, driving less will also help you save a lot of money, and reduce global warming and related harmful climate change.

As a daily cyclist, ecologist and father of a young child, I think about and try to minimize my air pollution, and so should you.

I love Tucson, but if you want clean air don't move here, and metro Phoenix is even worse.