title: [The air belongs to us: the importance of maintaining air quality].
abstract: Interest in identifying the long-term harmful effects of atmospheric pollution on respiratory health, and concern about this issue, has prompted several studies, whose results have been published throughout this year. On the occasion of the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery's Year of the Environment, from the Section of Occupational and Environmental Respiratory Diseases, we review the advances made in the effects of atmospheric pollution on respiratory health and the actions undertaken by the Society. The main objective of the Society's Year of the Environment is to inform citizens in general and respiratory patients in particular of the benefits of breathing clean air. The first step in achieving this aim is education. The goal is to educate young people in lasting habits that promote a respectful attitude to the environment, inculcating them with the need for sustainable development through responsible energy consumption and reduction of the emission of pollutants. Informed citizens will demand public health policies aimed at maintaining the quality of the air we breathe from politicians. The website www.elaireesnuestro.com provides information and educational material on the subject.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neumología, UMQER, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, España.
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Portal
authors.forename: F Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: González-Barcala
authors.forename: Ramón Magarolas
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Jorda
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez González
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D057231:Climate Change; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000639:trends*; D004782:Environmental Health / Q000193:education; D058735:Environmental Policy; D006040:Goals; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000209:etiology; D015272:Pulmonary Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration; D013030:Spain; D013903:Thoracic Surgery / Q000458:organization & administration
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants