Today’s Journal has an article on —-gasp— air quality in the Triad that is the usual mix of fear-mongering and journalistic naivete.
The best thing to do is just let it speak for itself. I’ll highlight the best parts, and note that the reporter totally takes her cues from the American Lung Association’s Linda Nolen:
In the short term, ozone levels above orange can irritate and inflame the lungs, causing coughing, wheezing and a tight chest. It’s almost like getting a sunburn on your lungs, or rubbing a raw wound on them with sandpaper, Nolen said.
…..Long-term exposure to ozone can be more serious, Nolen said, causing lung scaring, and even premature death.
….Nationally, there is an increase in emergency-room visits when the air quality’s poor, said Lorelei Elkins, the Triad air-awareness coordinator for the county’s department of environmental affairs.
Dr. Tad Lowdermilk, an emergency-room physician at Forsyth Medical Center, said he hasn’t noticed an uptick locally.
….Experts suggest carpooling, taking mass transit such as a bus to work, and eating lunch at the office as ways to help curb emissions, particularly when the weather is hot and sunny.
Don’t fill up your gas tank or mow your lawn until later in the day, because the volatile gases that escape from the pump can interact with the heat and light, contributing to poor air quality.
Just plain terrifying.
