Hello KIRC fam~
Many of you have often heard me say that caregiving is much more than having the responsibility of caring for a loved one. The term I use is ‘Connect the Dots’ between our individual circumstances and larger issues: finance, housing, medical systems, transportation, health equity, and yes… the environment - our air, water, public lands, and species which also call this world home.
It has long been my stance that CARING must extend to all of these areas. For when we overlook or ignore how we are all connected, the outcomes can be devastating in ways many may not fully realize. The term, ‘history repeats’ comes to mind. Because when individuals do not know or understand history, they are likely doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Sadly, I fear many individuals do not embrace this concept, and thus make political choices based on party rather than policy.
This story was produced by WRAL-TV in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. It offers a real-life ‘Connect the Dots’ moment that I hope can enlighten any individual, that for whatever reasons believe ‘regulations’ are bad. If we don’t CARE for our air, water, environment, and each other… where does that leave us?
The EPA has repealed a key climate finding and changed how it weighs pollution’s health impacts. Experts and patients say the shift could affect air quality and public health.
By Liz McLaughlin, WRAL climate change reporter
Bonita Green plans her days around the air.
Before stepping outside, the Durham resident checks an app connected to an air quality monitor in her home. The numbers help determine how far she can walk, how long she can stay outside and whether errands will have to wait.
“It is more challenging to breathe, even just walking short distances,” Green said.
Green, who has severe asthma and received a double lung transplant in 2020, is watching closely after the Environmental Protection Agency repealed the “endangerment finding,” a scientific determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health. The decision removes the legal foundation for regulating climate pollution under the Clean Air Act and is expected to face court challenges.
Green described the rollback as “saddening.”
“I feel that we’re placing corporate dollars over the health of individuals,” Green said.
The move is one of the most significant federal climate policy changes in years and part of a broader shift in how the EPA evaluates pollution rules and public health.
Read the full article and watch the video
The family caregiver turned community leader featured here understands these concepts perhaps better than most. I am so incredibly proud of Bonita Green for her dedication to those around her. You’ve seen her featured here on KIRC in the past. I hope she inspires you to consider how our actions and choices impact others.
I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who follows and reads Keeping It REAL Caregiving and a MASSIVE nod of appreciation for those of you supporting this work with a paid subscription. There are moments when I wonder - is anyone at all paying attention to this content? Then I’ll see a new subscriber, or read a message, and I am reminded that every little bit does help to educate, inform, or simply lend support to someone.
Additional Resources for Environment, Equity, Advocacy & Historical Awareness
How EPA Rollbacks Will Cost Us—in Dollars and Lives
Niagra Falls: Case Study in Placing Value on Nature
Until next time~
Julia
