IN YOUR BACKYARD: The People vs. Dirty Air (ft. Rep. Ro Khanna)

Polluters have less to worry about in the second term of the Trump administration.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently lifted carbon emissions limits on coal-fired power plants. And that’s just the latest in a series of dozens of policy shifts tearing down protections against air pollution.

Earlier this year, the administration reversed the landmark Endangerment Finding, the core tenant of the Clean Air Act and so many more pollution protections. Without it, the federal government is no longer obligated to combat the air pollution fueling the climate crisis and causing critical health concerns. If that weren’t enough, it’s now federal government policy to only consider effects on industry when setting pollution policy. The value of our health and lives is not part of the equation anymore when it comes to setting pollution standards.

The impacts on actual human lives, however, are enormous, with health impacts ranging from asthma to cancer and heart disease. Luke talked to two people who think about harmful air every day. One Pennsylvania resident confronts significant health challenges that keep her on a knife’s edge when she does daily checks for air quality. And a mother of a child with asthma in Michigan has to map out the nearest hospital any time her son joins outdoor activities.

How has dirty air impacted you in your backyard? What else has been changing how you’re living your daily life lately? We want to know as we shape the next installments of the show.