Millions of Americans live in areas where smog pollution from power plants, factories and vehicles renders the air unhealthy to breathe. Smog (also referred to as ground-level ozone pollution) can cause asthma attacks, hospitalizations and premature deaths. Children, the elderly and people with lung disease are most adversely affected by high concentrations of ozone.

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to soon issue tighter standards on smog. The EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee has unanimously recommended that the standards be tightened to adequately protect public health. According to the EPA's own analysis, stronger standards could prevent as many as 12,000 premature deaths, 58,000 asthma attacks, 21,000 hospital and emergency room visits and 5,300 non-fatal heart attacks every year.

Unsurprisingly, however, polluters and their allies are pushing back hard, arguing that the standard shouldn't be strengthened.

What to do:
""Send a message urging EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley to protect our health by strengthening smog standards.