A Childhood Shaped by the Air Outside
Each morning in the South Bronx, New York City, Elijah wakes to the steady hum of traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway. The air outside his window often carries the smell of car exhaust—a presence that, though unseen, has shaped much of his childhood. Elijah is ten. He walks to school just a few blocks away, carrying an inhaler in his backpack. He decides when to play based on how the air feels. On hazy days when the smell of exhaust lingers, he stays inside during school breaks. His asthma makes him careful, but it hasn’t taken away his eagerness to run and laugh with his friends. Still, there are days he misses school.
His mother, Maria, knows the signs: the tightness in his chest, the shallow breathing that has led to late-night trips to the hospital. Over time, she’s learned to track air quality alerts and manage the exhaustion and quiet fear that come with each episode. On bad days, she keeps Elijah home. But she does more than protect; she speaks out. Alongside other parents, she’s urged city officials to reduce traffic near homes and schools, limit the number of cars stuck in congestion, and make neighborhood air safer to breathe. Their story is one of many families living near congested roads, adapting each day while quietly working toward a healthier, more livable place to raise their children.
Asthma, Air Pollution, and the Bigger Picture
Elijah’s story is not isolated, and it isn’t without hope. Asthma is one of the most chronic diseases in the United States, affecting nearly 5 million children and 23 million adults, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. In 2021, nearly 4 in 10 children with asthma—and nearly 4 in 10 adults—experienced at least one episode of severe breathing difficulty, marked by wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While this marks a notable decline from 2001, when 6 in 10 asthma patients reported attacks, it still reflects how significantly the condition disrupts lives across all ages.
These episodes can have many triggers—dust, cold air, indoor allergens—but for those living near busy roads or in dense urban areas, traffic-related air pollution is among the most persistent and harmful. The key pollutants—nitrogen dioxide, smog-forming chemicals, and fine particulate matter—are released when fossil fuels—primarily petroleum—are burned in combustion engine vehicles. Transportation accounts for about 30% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, on par with industry and buildings, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While those sectors rely on fossil fuels for 60% and 75% of their energy needs, respectively, transportation remains 95% petroleum-powered. Unlike factory pollutants released far from homes, vehicle pollutants are emitted at street level—right where people live, walk, and breathe.
Moreover, over 155 million people—nearly half of the U.S. population—live in areas with failing air quality due to elevated pollutant levels, according to the American Lung Association (ALA)’s State of the Air 2025 report. These grades, recorded across 35 states and Washington, D.C., mark a 20% increase from last year and the highest in more than a decade. While the U.S. has made significant progress over the decades under the Clean Air Act, these setbacks reveal how fragile those gains remain. Persistent sources like traffic pollution continue to jeopardize health. And the threat isn’t confined to a few cities or people with asthma; it’s reaching more communities across the country, making the air millions breathe more dangerous and demanding urgent, collective action.
What We Can Do: Big Changes That Matter
According to the ALA’s State of the Air 2025, these larger policy shifts, while not easy to achieve, are essential for lasting impact:
- Defending and Funding the EPA: Scientists at the EPA monitor pollution and guide the public in responding to unhealthy air conditions. Their work powers public tools like AirNow.gov and informs national limits for pollutants. In 2025, the proposed budget reduction of up to 55 percent raised serious concerns about the agency’s ability to carry out its mission. Defending the EPA means ensuring it has the right staffing and resources to help reduce asthma attacks, lower medical costs, and protect communities, especially those near high-traffic areas.
- Uphold Clean Vehicle Standards: EPA limits on car and truck pollutants are critical for public health, helping reduce pollutants linked to asthma, heart disease, and other respiratory issues. In March 2025, the EPA announced it was reviewing key clean vehicle protections, including standards finalized in 2024 that set the strongest-ever limits on tailpipe pollution from new gas-powered cars and trucks. Upholding these standards is essential to keeping our air cleaner, our communities healthier, and our progress on track.
- Accelerate the Transition to Zero-Emission Vehicles: If all new cars by 2035 and trucks by 2040 were zero-emission, pollution from nitrogen oxides could drop by 90 percent, smog-forming chemicals by 80 percent, and fine particles by 60 percent, according to the ALA’s 2022 report on the benefits of clean transportation and electricity. This shift could prevent nearly 3 million asthma attacks by 2050, lowering respiratory-related hospital visits and making the air safer for everyone. Achieving this goal requires stronger state standards that compel automakers to sell more electric vehicles, expand charging stations, and shift electricity generation toward cleaner sources like wind and solar. It’s equally essential to ensure that underserved communities have the support needed to participate in this transition and to reduce our heavy reliance on petroleum, which still powers 95 percent of transportation. A full transition may take time, but the modeling is clear: every step toward clean transportation protects more lungs and lives.
A Small but Powerful Step Too Easily Overlooked: Choosing to Walk
The ALA also recommends simple, everyday steps to support cleaner air: maintaining vehicles, choosing electric or hybrid cars when possible, and thoughtfully advocating for stronger local transportation policies. This includes urging city leaders to expand EV charging stations, improve public transit, and build safer sidewalks and bike lanes.
Beyond these, one easily overlooked action—entirely within reach—is choosing to walk instead of driving when the distance allows. This isn’t about exercise walks or jogs, which support personal health but don’t reduce transportation emissions unless they replace car travel.
Intentional walking means choosing to walk for daily errands—trips to the store, pharmacy, a friend’s place, or from a train stop to your destination—especially when they’re under a mile. For walks between 1.5 to 3 miles, some added effort may be needed—planning for weather or carrying items—but these trips can meaningfully replace frequent, short car rides that pollute the air.
Of course, walking doesn’t always feel convenient—bad weather, busy days, or limited sidewalks can get in the way. Still, when the weather is decent and time allows, choosing to walk instead of driving becomes a quiet yet powerful way to support cleaner air and healthier communities.
Often, it begins with something familiar: knowing how far you’re going. Let’s say the store is a mile away; about 20 minutes on foot. From there, it’s worth asking:
- Can I plan 20 minutes to walk instead of driving or getting a ride?
- Is the weather manageable with small adjustments, like a jacket or umbrella?
- Can I carry what I need with a backpack or reusable bag, or plan for heavier items?
Just as upholding clean vehicle standards reflects our responsibility to protect public health, walking for short trips instead of driving shows we take that responsibility seriously. Defending and funding the EPA upholds prudence: planning and foresight to safeguard public health infrastructure. Similarly, walking takes planning: checking the weather, leaving a few minutes earlier, or bringing a bag. And just like the perseverance needed to transition to zero-emission vehicles, walking regularly—even when sidewalks are uneven or the weather isn’t ideal—requires the habit of persistence. Walking may seem simple, but it reflects the values essential to building a cleaner, healthier future.
The Quiet Strength We Share with Elijah and Why It Matters
By choosing to walk with intention, we also join the quiet courage of families like Elijah’s. He shows responsibility by carefully managing his asthma, prudence by adjusting his daily choices based on the air around him, and perseverance by continuing to go to school, play with friends, and find joy, even on the days when breathing is hard. His mother lives out these same values by tracking air quality, balancing her job and caregiving, and raising her voice to advocate for cleaner air, not only for Elijah, but for every child in their neighborhood.
Their story reminds us that the path to cleaner air is not walked alone. It is built through quiet acts of resilience and care. Whether by choosing to walk for short trips, supporting clean vehicle standards, or defending the EPA’s ability to protect public health, each action counts. Intentional walking gives each of us a simple, tangible way to take part in that shared effort—one that not only matters here in the United States but resonates across the globe, where traffic pollution and asthma are growing public health concerns for many cities around the world.
Reader Question
What would it mean for children like Elijah if even just a couple of your weekly errands became steps toward cleaner air?