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Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012 | 2:03 a.m.
Another view?
View more of the Las Vegas Sun's opinion section:
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Air pollution is a real danger that we live with every day. This is especially true for Hispanics.
About 90 percent of Hispanics in the United States live in urban areas. These are areas where pollution from cars and trucks and major transportation arteries contaminate our air with smog, soot, carbon, mercury, lead and other toxic substances. It is estimated that 80 percent of Hispanics live in areas that fail to meet all U.S. EPA air quality standards, compared with 65 percent of blacks and 57 percent of Caucasians.
Many are surprised to learn that Hispanic children are much more likely to have asthma or other serious lung diseases than non-Hispanic white children. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, in 2010, about 3.6 million Hispanics reported that they currently have asthma. Additionally, Hispanic children are 40 percent more likely to die from asthma, as compared with non-Hispanic whites.
Regardless of skin color, any parent who has seen a son or daughter in the throes of an uncontrolled asthma attack knows how scary they are and just how powerless you feel when it’s happening.
There is no doubt pollution from fossil fuels is dangerous for all of our families, our children and our communities. This is an especially big concern for Hispanic families because as a demographic, we are less likely to have health insurance to treat chronic problems than other ethnic groups. Hispanics in this country are aware of these threats to the health of our families and our communities, and as we look to ways to lessen the impact of pollution on our community, we will find solutions that benefit everyone’s health in our community.
One part of the solution is to work with companies and industries that can help reduce all forms of pollution. To that end, we have one of the most accomplished utilities in the nation when it comes to developing renewable energy. We need to continue to encourage NV Energy to invest in more renewable energy and energy efficiency so that Nevada will continue to be a leader nationally in the development of clean energy.
We also need to support our elected leaders, such as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who is putting the health and safety of our families front and center by advocating for the development of clean energy and for his support of constructing the super speed train from California. His leadership in these areas should help all of us to breathe a little easier.
Here is my commitment: Next year in Carson City, I will work with my colleagues to ensure that Nevada’s abundant, clean, renewable energy resources are developed in a responsible manner, and importantly, stabilize our energy rates while ensuring the vitality of our community by protecting public health. With your help, we can create clean energy jobs to help struggling Nevadans take care of their families. That will help all of us.
Mo Denis is a state senator who represents Las Vegas.
We receive requests for help from many Hispanic people who work in restaurants with wood fired grills. They breathe the soot and toxins in the wood smoke for many hours every day. Their situation is similar to when flight attendants and others were exposed to cigarette smoke daily before smoking was banned on airplanes. A terrible truth is that wood smoke is 12 times more carcinogenic. For more information re: the health hazards of wood smoke, go to http://www.familiesforcleanair.org
"Hispanics in this country are aware of these threats to the health of our families and our communities, and as we look to ways to lessen the impact of pollution on our community, we will find solutions that benefit everyone's health in our community."
I live in what has now become an Hispanic neighborhood. The background air is bad enough here in Los Angeles, but the most serious toxic air pollution I am exposed to comes from my Hispanic neighbors themselves. I am totally surrounded by neighbors who cook almost every day with wood and charcoal, even though every apartment and home has electricity and natural gas. They believe that food cooked with charcoal and wood is more healthy to eat than regular food and they are not willing to change their cooking habits just to provide their neighbors with toxin free breathing air.
In Los Angeles and beyond there are hundreds of thousands of Hispanics and others who cook with wood and charcoal on a regular almost daily basis.
So, if you were really serious about providing Hispanics with healthy breathing air (which you are not) you would start by eliminating the common backyard charcoal and wood barbecue.
Comment removed by moderator. ALL CAPS
Comment removed by moderator. ALL CAPS
I'm not sure if this was meant to be a serious letter or an attempt at getting a rise from certain segments of the political spectrum.
I can't believe the political crap I just read. I guess I'm supposed to believe it because the writer is a Nevada State Senator politician person that must have a slew of facts to write this.
So where are the coal fired power plants in Nevada?
Well, there used to be one in Laughlin that was closed and dismantled. No Hispanic issues there.
There is one in Apex, Reid Gardner, that Harry Reid wants to close. I guess one or two Paiutes complained, but many are employed by that facility so allow the Obamiacs to take more money out of the pockets of poor people. I guess expensive gas doesn't hurt Hispanics. I think they can afford 3.50-4.00 gallon gas.
Now let's see, there is Tracy on the river 20 miles from Sparks. Can't find any Hispanics yet.
And then there is Valmy where no population of any race is even close. Remember the one that was to be built in Ely. Yeah the one Harry Reid had killed.
There is a Newmont Mining permit just approved for a 200 mw plant in Eureka County. There is no doubt in my mind, that even though Nevada DEP has higher pollution standards than the Federal EPA, and you should know this MO because you served on the PUC and resigned because of a conflict of interest, you and your buddy Harry Reid will try to stop this construction also.
Mo, I feel sorry for you. I heard Marco Rubio speak the other day, and Mo, you're no Marco Rubio.
So why write the op-ed piece. For a few reasons.
1. Harry told me to
2. All LDS Democrats must worship Harry
3. Marco is getting too much press and I want to be like Marco
4. The fear factor of a Paul Ryan look alike pushing an old lady in a wheelchair off a cliff has to work on Hispanics.
So Mo, tell me where in your neighborhood or in any Hispanic neighborhood do we have emissions of sulfur, NIO2, smoke, Mercury, CO2, SO2, etc...
The truth is you and your buddy Harry want Reid Gardner CLOSED....PERIOD. So activate "The Fear Factor" and tell all the Paiutes that they are near death.
Mo, you scare me. We get rid of Horsford and replace him with you. Carbon copy. You have your hand in too many pockets and too many have their hands in your pockets. If the Sierra Club wants a facility closed like was done at Mohave, they act, go to court and because of their deep pockets, you jump. These people are never satisfied and you know it.
You have an agenda for what bills get introduced and what ones get tabled. Too much power. Too many ties to unions. Too many ties to green energy. To predictable and too scary.
I can only hope the other side can run some interference.
Want to truly help Hispanics? Keep their cost of doing business low.
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I cannot believe the level of argument that the apologists for the oil and coal companies are making - but as a person who lives in Downtown Las Vegas, air quality is important to me. I appreciate Senator Denis for standing up for his (and my) community!