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To our readers:
Inside today's Bee and on fresnobee.com, we bring you "Fighting for Air," a special section on the air we breathe in the Valley.We'll tell you about people who are leaving the area -- Fresno is the asthma capital of the state -- so they and their children can breathe freely. You'll meet a mother of four who can't afford to leave and faces an endless cycle of emergency room visits and medications for her asthmatic children.We'll also tell you about a bureaucracy that is responsible for cleaning the air but shuns innovation and generally acts only when forced to.The news isn't all grim. Since the publication of our landmark investigative project "Last Gasp" five years ago, air regulations have been enacted that have helped clean the air. Last summer was the best on record in terms of meeting federal air standards.Yet Valley air is still among the worst in the country, and to some people, it's deadly. It's expensive, too: One study puts the annual cost of bad air here at $3.3 billion, counting hospital visits, school absences and lost work days.There is hope. Scientists and other experts continue to develop solutions with the potential to improve air quality. Our stories outline concrete measures that lawmakers, regulators and ordinary people could take to make a difference.I hope you'll read this special report and share your thoughts with us at The Bee. You can e-mail us at smog@fresnobee.com or take part in our blog at http://www.fresnobeehive.com/news/smog/. Or call us at (559) 441-6330.Sincerely,Betsy Lumbye
Executive Editor and Senior Vice President
The Fresno Bee