Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Issue/ Bill
The issue that I am addressing is outdoor air quality. Our air is becoming more polluted in several different ways. What I am specifically addressing is the use of motor vehicles and how it is impacting the air we breathe. Enhancing Livability of All Americans Act of 2011 (H.R. 2609) is a bill that has been proposed to help address this issue.

Who is affected by the issue?
We as a society are affected the most. If nothing is done with the amount of gases that are released into the environment from motor vehicles then our society will have many problems. Global warming and not having clean air to breathe are the major problems. If this act is not passed then we loose. Although limiting the use of our cars (as it seems to be a major part of our lives) would seem like we are loosing, in fact it is the opposite. If this act is passed then we will gain from this because it is helping to protect the air we breathe. Car companies might be loosing if the bill is passed because it could lead to lower sales or there could be another bill about car companies having to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that their cars produce.

Consequences 
Society is most effected especially if nothing is done to help solve the issue of air quality. Sometimes it is hard to understand or imagine a world where clean air is scarce because as of right now we don't 'see' it. It is the generations to come that we need to start standing up for. At the rate in which we are polluting our world, it could be our kids or grandchildren that are affected by the actions we choose today.

Economic/Social Impact
If the bill is not passed the economic costs would be that global warming and poor air quality would increase and society would be the one's paying. If this bill is passed, this will help reduce global warming and the amount of carbon dioxide that is released. This will reduce the costs of trying to clean our air in the future, and now. Another costs is the bill is passed would be providing more public transportation and ensuring that all biking and walking trails are safe and updated. If the bill passes the social benefits would be that there would be less money spent on gas and oil each year. We would also benefit from having cleaner air and becoming a healthier society because we would need to find other means of transportation. At the same time the social costs are oil and gas companies as they would loose money as well as car companies.

Barriers 
The barriers to addressing the issue is that car companies, and oil and gas companies would be loosing substantial amounts of money. Another barrier is that we as society are used to driving our cars everywhere we go and this would be a huge adjustment. Another barrier might be that cities and towns would argue that it will cost them to provide more public transportation as well as having to provide sustainable modes of transportation. These barriers can be overcome through education. Maybe car companies can start to produce more environmentally friendly vehicles (I know this is something that has already started) to help reduce the amount of money lost. Educating city and town officials about how this is really a benefit to us, I believe would help overcome the barriers.

Resources
The resources that are needed are car companies to get on board and start producing more environmentally friendly vehicles. Also more buses for public transportation are needed. Another resource is paving trails for walkers and bikers and making sure they are well lit. Money is always a recourse that is needed to help educate society.

History
Air quality is not something that is new. There have been concerns about our air quality for some time now, and bills have been created to try and protect our environment. The Clean Air Act was created in 1963. The EPA, Environmental Protection agency was founded in 1970 and is dedicated to helping protect our environment and our health. There have been many strides to help protect our air quality and many more need to be made.

Allies and Opponents 
Society as a whole should support this issue but I know this would not be the case. I think those who live in urban areas would be more in support of this issue because I know that sitting in traffic is a concern that many have and this could be a solution. I also know that many people who live in the city are sick of looking up and always seeing this haze above them. I think that those who are more educated would support this issue because they better understand the impact we are making on our environment. I think gas, oil, and car companies would oppose this issue. For them it is all about making money and with this bill they could see a major drop in sales. I think I could create an environment where everyone wants to get on board by first educating them. Then I would show the companies what they can do so that they won't loose as much money (producing environmentally friendly vehicles).

My Recommendation 
I vote yes for this bill. Air quality is something we should all be concerned about and this bill is trying to ensure that not only will we have clean air to breathe, but also our children and generations to come.