Advocacy Project: Letter and Fact Sheet

PART ONE:

December 6, 2010

Steve Kagen, Democrat.
700 E. Walnut Street
Green Bay, WI 54301
(920) 437-1954

Vote Yes on:  S575IS: Clean, Low-Emission, Affordable, New Transportation Efficiency Act (Introduced in Senate - IS)

Dear Mr. Kagen, 

The proposed funding of the Clean, Low-Emission, Affordable, New Transportation Efficiency Act is a very critical issue. We need this bill to be passed so we can get onto the right track of moving towards better modes of transportation to increase our air quality. If this bill were passed it would help to develop  plans and targets for States and metropolitan planning organizations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and for other purposes. This is a very serious issue due to the fact that more than half of the people in the U.S. live in areas that failed to meet federal air quality standards at least several days a year, and around 80 million Americans live in areas that continually fail to meet these standards.

If passed, these changes would improve the air quality all around us. Everyone would be affected because we all breathe in the air. The fossil fuel combustion associated with transportation results in emissions of pollutants that cause damage to human health, agriculture and sensitive ecosystems, and contribute to global climate change. CO₂ emissions from U.S. cars & trucks totaled 314 million metric tons in 2002. That's as much as would be released from burning all the coal in a train 50,000 miles long enough to circle around the world, twice. Transportation can also contribute to the degradation of urban environments, with loss of quality of life and economic productivity from the delays and frustration caused by congestion and stress from traffic noise. The opponents of this issue are those who don't feel they should have to pay extra taxes, but I think we can easily show them that the little amount they would be paying would help to make a huge difference to our environment. If we had funding for alternatives we could have employers providing transportation for employees to pool to work. This would be very beneficial to those workers who want to save money on parking, commuting, car maintenance, etc. This could be a step in the right direction for us to improve air quality and limit the amount of vehicles releasing these toxins into the environment. I appreciate your support on this very important issue.I hope you take into consideration all the information I have portrayed for you and vote yes to pass S575IS.

Thank you for your time,


Ashley

PART TWO: Facts about Improving Air Quality through alternative modes of transportation:

 Using alternate modes is less expensive:

• The average American who lives in an area that’s walkable and has transit, spends only 9% of their income on transportation, while a person living in an area that requires driving spends more than 25% of their income each month on transportation.

Using bicycles as a mode of transportation is much better for plants and animals in our environment:

• "A rider exhales about 250 cubic feet of slightly CO2 enriched air that is used by plants to complete the cycle that allows life to exist. A car going the same 100 miles, on the other hand, creates 13,000 cubic feet of exhaust, which is enough to fill the cabs of more than 150 cars and kill all the occupants."

 Air pollution from vehicles is dangerous. 

• According to a German study, people who breathe in the fumes of heavy traffic regularly have higher chances of getting hardening of the arteries, which is associated with the risk of heart attack.   

You should be careful where you're exercising:

• A Scottish study has shown that jogging with traffic around results in reduced blood flow to the heart. This is particularly dangerous for people with stable heart disease, because it can trigger off cardiac arrhythmia or even a heart attack.