Author: Brian Merchant
Publication Date: 4/27/11
Link: http://wwww.treehugger.com/files/2011/04/half-america-regular-breathes-unhealthy-polluted-air.php?campaign=th_rss
Graphic: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://earthtrends.wri.org/images/Effects-Chart.jpg&imgrefurl=http://earthtrends.wri.org/updates/node/325&usg=_7317MjmsXB7o8rI1bem-aImSDOA=&h=470&w=450 This shows a chart of all the pollutants commonly released by air pollution and their sources and health effects. Also, if you click on the link that says website for this image on google, the website is very helpful and has good information on air pollution.
Summary: Can you really wrap your mind around the fact that more than half our population lives in places where it is unhealthy to breathe?This statistic is mindboggling and the major sources of this pollution are the same sources there have been for the last decade. Those sources include: auto emissions, oil refineries, and factories, just to name a few. Despite the fact that our air quality is getting better and there is a trend of improvement, we still have 154 million Americans that routinely breath in air that is detrimental to human health. Something needs to be done in order to improve the health and safety of our country. The Clean Air Act is one of the most powerful laws that has helped us keep air pollution levels decreasing, but in addition, something must be passed or created.
Opinion/Reflection: I think that this is a very concerning statistic and article. Not only are millions of Americans, being put at high risk for asthma, lung cancer, and possibly death, but the air is still being polluted and climate changes are happening. The same sources have remained for the past 10 years, yet scientists and others have yet to come up with a solution. Sure, there are alternative energy sources, but those sources have some downfalls and are usually expensive, whereas fossil fuels can be cheap and can produce a lot of energy. The way that this ties in to my life is that my relatives live in California and if they were to die of lung cancer, it would probably be related to the terrible air pollution there. All in all, this is a serious problem and hopefully this study will raise awareness about the dangerous situation we are in.
3 Questions:
1. Are you concerned about this statistic?
2. Should there be another law in adddition to the Clean Air Act? If so, what would the law say and prohibit/regulate?
3. Do you think that Horsham and areas around Philadelphia are part of the 154 million Americans breathing in unhelathy pollutants?
