The 4th of July is here, as we witness Americans’ peculiar way of showing patriotism by exploding rockets in the air. The wow factor of exploding colors is created by adding toxic metals into the chemical cocktail, such as strontium, barium, and lead. Also released are inhalable small particles that trigger asthma attacks in vulnerable populations. Complicating the problem are the large number of amateur illegal fireworks that are ignited during our celebration. North Minneapolis lights up like a war zone, forcing pets to hide under beds and some residents to flee the city for quieter environments. The police advise not to call 911 with fireworks complaints because you will only delay responses to real emergencies. Considering how embedded the fireworks celebration is in our culture, it seems that any meaningful change is off in the future. In the meantime, some of us will be forced to wear hearing protection and masks if we want to venture outside.
Another source of air pollution has been with North Minneapolis residents every day of the year for the last 35 years. I refer to the HERC (garbage burner) located on downtown Minneapolis’s northside. For 35 years, we have allowed our air to be polluted with small particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, lead, and dioxins. Areas around the garbage burner have the highest rates of asthma in the state.
Hennepin County, which owns the garbage burner, says it is better to burn garbage than haul it to landfills. The county says that we need more people recycling and composting before they will close the garbage burner. The clear solution to cleaner air for us and our children is to get ourselves and our neighbors to recycle and compost our trash. Clean air and healthy children and adults free from asthma and other respiratory issues should be an incentive to recycle.
For clean air, refrain from amateur fireworks. And to get started recycling in Minneapolis, call 612-673-2917.
Doug Johnson,
Chair, St. Olaf Lutheran Church Climate Change Action Group