This year, Aliso has a new club called the Air Quality Advocates. The club’s president is Rotem Dvir (11), who is very passionate about keeping the air quality safe and healthy for students and the community. 

Rotem shares, “The goal of the Air Quality Advocates is to install air quality monitors at schools to give students and teachers access to their localized air quality, research the effects of air quality on children and adults, and help our community be more informed and ready to manage the ever rising issue of air pollution.”

“We are currently raising funds to purchase an air quality monitor for our school and aim to purchase it in this upcoming month. We are also creating an informational brochure every month to spread information about air quality to our community, our first one will be distributed in the next two weeks and it deals with the short and long term health effects of air pollution.”

Students can find the brochure on a display table at the entrance of the school library. The brochure talks about particle pollutants and carbon monoxide levels and how it can affect people and their health. There is also an AQI (Air Quality Index) chart that shows who is most at risk with different levels of air quality. 

Rotem continues, “With increased amounts of wildfires, pollution from motor vehicles, and worsening air quality, our club can really help our schools take a step forward in managing air quality, as monitoring air quality in every school can help keep students safe from exposure to harmful conditions. Our mission is to keep everyone in our community aware and safe.”

Students can find their fundraisers during lunch and learn more information about the club through the flyers that are posted around the school. 

People who live in badly polluted environments experience coughing or itchy eyes, but it can also aggravate pre existing lung diseases. Some cases can lead to cancer or even be fatal. 

The Air Quality Advocates promotes students to educate themselves about the air quality in this community. They want people to consider others they know who might be at risk, such as young children or older adults. 

There are websites such as AIRNow and Purple Air that inform people about the air quality in a specific location. According to one of the charts on the brochure, dust and construction is the largest contributor to air pollution, with waste burning following behind. It may be surprising to some, but transport is third, even though there are so many gas-fueled cars.

According to inspirecleanair.org, Dr. Charles B. Sherman says, “We need aggressive local advocacy for clean air now before health systems, especially in low-resource countries, are overwhelmed by the burden of disease.”

Air pollution is a global issue that everyone is facing now. It is one of the leading environmental health risks in the world. 

Although this club is starting as a local school group, they are working hard to promote their cause so that change can be made. Maybe installing air quality monitors in Aliso and other local schools will allow more people to know the true dangers of air pollution.