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Local moms campaign for clean air

by Kate Daly

A group of local moms is mobilizing to get other mothers to join a bipartisan movement to protect their children's right to breathe clean air.

At a recent luncheon in Menlo Park hosted by three Environmental Defense Fund trustees from Woodside — Ann Doerr, Susan Ford Dorsey and Signe Ostby — dozens of women learned about a new online community that is campaigning under the name of Moms Clean Air Force.

Writer/editor Dominique Browning co-founded the effort, launching a website. EDF is supporting it.

"Air pollution is a children's health issue ... an emerging social justice issue," Ms. Browning said in remarks to the group.

A presentation focused on facts: every year over 400,000 newborns are affected by mercury pollution, it can get into breast milk; asthma afflicts 10 percent of children in the U.S.; over the past 20 years, asthma rates have doubled among children under age 4.

"Politicians have power and money, mothers have love," Ms. Browning said, urging her audience to "help us sign up a million moms" on the website to increase awareness and put pressure on politicians to protect the Clean Air Act. More than 37,000 have signed up so far.

The website has form letters that can be electronically submitted to members of Congress. It also features blogs on related topics, and suggests using social media such as Facebook and Twitter to help spread the word, or more traditional routes such as inviting organizations like garden clubs to get involved.

Visit momscleanairforce.org to see the website.