Thank you for publishing the article “What the EPA’s plan to deregulate greenhouse gas emissions means for WA” (Sept. 2, Climate Lab).
I practiced cardiology in Oregon and Washington for over 30 years and have seen firsthand what the changing climate is doing to my patients. Folks with heart disease suffer greatly during wildfire induced “bad air days” and during extreme heat events. I’ve seen patients whose only cause of a major cardiac illness was heat and smoke exposure.
These climate-induced health harms will accelerate if we fail to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Washingtonians are suffering now and it’s getting worse. I hope that other health professionals will join me and demand that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency retain the science-based endangerment finding and demand that Congress amend the Clean Air Act to make it crystal clear that it is the EPA’s job to regulate climate pollution.
Mark R. Vossler, MD, Kirkland
