The Canary Coalition has picked up the endorsement of two mainstream organizations in Jackson County this week and is showing signs of developing into a broad-based grassroots movement to bring clean air back to the Smoky Mountain region of Western North Carolina. The boards of directors of both the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Sylva Partners in Renewal voted to endorse the efforts of the Canary Coalition and urged members to sponsor and join the new organization. The Canary Coalition formed in October of this year in response to the alarming deterioration in air quality in the region.
Ozone is just part of the problem.
Visibility in the Great Smokies has decreased from an average of 60 miles to less than 15 miles over the last 30 years. The Canary Coalition got its name from the canaries used in coal mines to warn miners when the air was unsafe to breath. When the canary stopped singing and died, the miners knew it was time to evacuate. The name of the organization alone conveys the message we are trying to send to state and federal regulators. A broad spectrum of the people of this region are deeply concerned about the health effects of the air we're breathing.