The air you breathe keeps you alive, and it should always be pure and healthy, but for outdoor athletes, air quality means much more, whether you’re an elite runner or if you are just huffing and puffing up a hill on your bicycle. Bad air is damaging to your lungs and can exacerbate problems like asthma that affect your ability to exercise, and can even be dangerous. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’re going to learn about both parts of this equation: the quality of our air in Anchorage and around Alaska, and how our bodies handle the air, including how our lungs respond to pollution, when you should cool it because of bad air, and how you can deal with asthma.
HOST: Charles Wohlforth
GUESTS:
- Anne Schlapia, Anchorage air quality monitoring program
- Marge Stoneking, American Lung Association in Alaska
- Dr. Owen Hanley, retired pulmonologist
LINKS:
- Anchorage Air Quality Index Forecast (daily updates also available at 907 343 4899)
- Anchorage Air Quality reporting for pollen and other particulates
- American Lung Association in Alaska
- American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” project
- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner article, “New Fairbanks air monitoring location expected to drive numbers up“
- Runner’s World articles, “How to Make Cold-Weather Runs Safe — and Even Fun“
BROADCAST: Thursday, May 21, 2015, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. AKDT
REPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, May 21, 2015, 9:00 – 10:00 p.m. AKDT
SUBSCRIBE: Receive Outdoor Explorer automatically every week via
Go to OUTDOOREXPLORER.ORG
Audio to be posted following broadcast
cwohlforth (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | About Charles
