A Bad Grade for Orange County

It seems that Orange County (where we live) is one of the worst polluted in the nation. It's not surprising, but nonetheless it really begs the question, "What can we do about this?" Obviously, if we all drive less it would help, but lets face it we need bigger change to really counteract the level of pollution we've reached. So what's the answer?

As a mother of two school age kids I'm concerned about the affects of pollution on their growing bodies. I know from first hand experience how air quality has affected my own health. When I moved down to Orange County (from Northern California) about six years ago I had my usual allergies to everything except dogs and most other furry creatures and my asthma was very mild. After living here for six years I am now allergic to anything with fur--including most dogs and I have to take a steroid inhaler in order to stay on top of my asthma. I guess it could just be age, but since I haven't cracked 30 yet, I'm doubtful.

The bottom line for me is that I'm not moving any time soon and I also care about the other children and families in my community. So I've decided to do a little research on some things we can do to help improve the air quality in Orange County. So far I did find one website that offers some local resources, you can even send free faxes to Orange County's top polluting companies (Kraft Foods being one of them) to express your opinion on their contribution to the problem. I keep you posted as I find more resources. In the meantime, check out these websites:

1. OC Register: O.C. fails smog tests (again)
American Lung Association says county's ozone and particle pollution among worst.

2. Orange County Pollution Scorecard www.scorecard.org