Runners Take a 5k Breather in Nashville

Each year, dozens if not hundreds of 5-kilometer (5k) races are held in Nashville, Tennessee. But few are held by non-profits, and until this last November, none had been held to educate and fund-raise for an environmental cause. But Climate Nashville and Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign broke that pattern by hosting the Clean Air 5k on November 16.

Climate Nashville is an umbrella organization of concerned business, nonprofits, political associations, and religious groups united in their concern about air pollution and climate disruption. Founded and spearheaded by the Sierra Club, Climate Nashville is a coalition that backs national and local policies that reduce climate-disrupting and health-affecting air pollution and support renewable energy and climate justice. One hundred percent of the proceeds of the Clean Air 5k went towards supporting these goals.

Despite the cold, rainy weather the day of the event, over 200 runners, volunteers, and supporters came out to Shelby Park for the race. In addition to the runners and a small army of volunteers, four speakers before the race gave perspective on the challenges to and opportunities for reducing air pollution. Congressman Jim Cooper gave his support to clean energy, Dr. Stacy Dorris, an asthma, sinus, and allergy specialist from Vanderbilt University, spoke on the health and environmental justice impacts of coal plants, and Laurel Creech, Chief Service Officer of Nashville’s Office of Environment and Sustainability, affirmed that Mayor Karl Dean was committed to reducing harmful gas emissions. Chris Lunghino, Organizer of the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign, then called on the crowd to act to replace dirty energy with clean renewables. After the race, attendees could peruse booths on renewable energy and energy efficiency, and could sign comment cards to the EPA in support of strong smog and carbon pollution protections.

The timing and location of the race was serendipitous, as by sheer coincidence the EPA was expected to propose a new smog standard two weeks later, which would lower the acceptable smog level down from 75 parts per billion, a level that poses long-term health risk. The announcement, released on December 1, proposed lowering the standard to 65-70ppb, higher than the ideal of 60 ppb but still far better than the current standard. Such a standard, according to the EPA’s own figures, could prevent thousands of deaths, hospitalizations, and workday or school day losses per year. And in Nashville, which is currently counted as the 29^th smoggiest metro area in the country, issues of air pollution are particularly significant.

“Clean air is important everywhere,” says Rosanna Rostad, a volunteer organizer for the race, who notes that before she and other volunteers planned the race, they even didn’t realize that “Nashville is one of the dirtiest around” in terms of air pollution.

Organizers of the race say that, though this is the first Clean Air 5k, they are hoping that it won’t be the last. Here’s to easier breathing in 2015!