Student Non-Profit Crowdfunds to Improve Air Quality for Imperial and Coachella Valley Kids

“The air quality in Imperial Valley is increasingly deteriorating and something needs to be done about it. With asthma rates currently at 20%, the situation has become one of desperation.” - Invisible Sea Director of Journalism, Alec Gormley

A student run nonprofit based at Rancho Mirage High School, Invisible Sea (invisiblesea.org), is using crowdfunding to enact a novel solution to the endemic air pollution affecting the region. Utilizing the cause-friendly Indiegogo.com platform, its mission is to raise funds for neutralizing emissive dirt roads and lands adjacent and near schools with an animal and plant-safe sealant. The campaign, launched on November 22, aims to raise $100,000, which will fund the sealing of the most critical areas in Imperial County.

The situation facing Valley residents, particularly children, is dire. One in five children in Imperial County has asthma due to the inhalation of toxic particulate matter. Particulates are emitted into the air via cars kicking dust up from dirt roads and wind blowing over open areas of land. Area clinics are underfunded and overcrowded. Kids are falling sick in droves. Particulate matter is nasty - it lodges deep inside the lungs and causes havoc within the body. It shortens lives and kills. It is a group -1 carcinogen, meaning it definitely causes cancer in humans.

To combat this killer, Invisible Sea is using a copolymer sealant that is designed to dramatically reduce particulate emissions from dirt roads and empty lots. The sealant is EPA approved due to its eco-friendly properties, and has a long history of being extremely effective and absolutely safe. It is used extensively by our nation’s armed forces.

Every donation reserves a certain square footage of land to be sprayed with copolymer sealant, commensurate with the gift amount, with perks included for the more generous.