What we can do for the world

As another hazy day obscures the sparkling blue of the bay, I’m reminded of how important the upcoming election is.

Our all-too-brief “Up North” summers are increasingly disrupted by smoke from Canadian forest fires, intensified by a warming climate.

Driven by our continued reliance on fossil fuels, wildfire smoke is becoming the “new normal” forcing the cancellation of events across the region while also threatening the health of our communities.

The data are clear.

When wildfire smoke pollutes, our emergency departments become busier, delaying treatment for anyone seeking urgent care.

Wildfire smoke can trigger acute asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, and preterm deliveries, while repeated long term exposure to poor air quality increases the incidence of dementia, and exacerbates many other chronic health conditions.

While breathing wildfire smoke poses serious health risks for older adults and people with underlying health conditions, young children are also at great risk. Children’s lungs are still developing. They breathe more rapidly, increasing their exposure to harmful pollutants.

Repeated exposure to air pollution can impair lung development, increasing the risk of asthma while potentially limiting lung capacity and physical performance later in life.

The health effects of today’s polluted air can follow our children for years to come.

It is tragic to realize that this is the future we are leaving our children.

From repeated bouts of summer wildfire smoke to devastating spring floods and winter ice storms, the fingerprints of a destabilized climate are everywhere.

Yet, despite mounting evidence and growing public concern, our elected policy-makers, often beholden to special interests that fund their campaigns, choose to look away.

The current administration has manufactured an “energy emergency” to justify extending the life of aging coal plants (e.g.

JH Campbell power plant) despite financial costs to rate payors and health risks to nearby communities. Meanwhile, it has weakened EPA safeguards and eliminated clean energy incentives that would reduce our dependence on volatile foreign oil markets, increase energy security, and protect human health.

Closer to home, Gov.

Gretchen Whitmer reversed her campaign promise to “shut down Line 5” by allowing EGLE to approve permits for Enbridge to build a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac. This costly project threatens fragile ecosystems while allowing a 73-year-old pipeline — already beyond its intended 50-year lifespan — to continue transporting oil through our irreplaceable Great Lakes.

Most outrageous, U.S.

Rep. Jack Bergman and his colleagues have once again blamed Canadian forest management for worsening wildfires, distorting the truth while avoiding meaningful action that would address the root cause.

To leave our children the rich, vibrant world they deserve, we must accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner, more affordable energy like wind and solar.

There has never been a more important election and the choices are clear!

Vote for candidates who do not accept corporate donations and are committed to protecting healthcare, shutting down Line 5, and advancing a clean energy future.

At this critical moment in history, there is no more important action we can take to protect the people we love.

About the author:

Elizabeth (Lisa) Del Buono, M.D., is a retired diagnostic pathologist who practiced at Munson and now is a full-time volunteer advocate, founder, and board chair of Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action (MiCCA).