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Donald Trump wins US presidency and the GOP flips the Senate; UT electric provider taps into the potential of 'virtual' power plants; Ohio State course bridges science and faith in polarized times; MI mayor prioritizes health, climate with 'health-in-all-policies' plan.

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Trump wins the White House. Republicans will take over the Senate after flipping several seats, and seem to be on track to hold the House. In spite of bomb threats and charges of fraud, a very high-turnout election mostly went smoothly.

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A Cambodian poultry farmer who lost his livelihood could be a hero for others, rural Montanans are anxiously awaiting a court ruling over a climate lawsuit brought by young people, and Northeast states say more housing for working families could boost jobs.

Spikes in emergency visits during CO bad air days cost $1.14 billion in 2019

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Tuesday, October 1, 2024   

Colorado lawmakers are digging into the health and economic impacts of the state's poor air quality from wildfire smoke and ozone pollution created by oil and gas operations and tailpipes.

Sen. Lisa Cutter, D-Lakewood, pointed to a new study showing bad air days are sending more Coloradans to the emergency room.

"Air pollutants have a really significant impact on the health of Coloradans, and we have the data to back it up," Cutter emphasized. "We also learned that our most vulnerable populations were impacted the most, and that's children under 18 and adults over 65."

In 2019, three quarters of counties affected by wildfire smoke saw an increase in emergency room visits. More people also sought emergency care during high ozone pollution days. The price tag for these ER visits: $1.4 billion.

Colorado has failed to meet Environmental Protection Agency ozone pollution standards for years and this past summer, the state violated ozone limits on 40 days, a near record. Wildfire seasons are projected to get longer in coming years and Cutter argued it is important to understand what's at stake for public health.

"We do know that there are increasing wildfires, in number and in intensity," Cutter noted. "It's largely because of climate change."

Recommendations from the Center for Improving Value in Health Care report included beefing up resources for emergency rooms in high-risk areas and making sure the state's most vulnerable residents can stay safe on bad air days. Cutter recently introduced legislation aiming to improve wildfire prevention and mitigation strategies. She stressed it is important to create policies to help build resiliency.

"Let's try to mitigate the impacts, with all the health issues and the poor air quality," Cutter urged. "But at the same time, let's prepare to deal with the things that we really know are going to keep happening."


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