Air Pollution in the USA
@nanette64 (20363)
Fairfield, Texas
April 21, 2016 10:06am CST
It's scary to think that 5 in 10 people have to live with air pollution levels that are too dangerous. In my county (Freestone, Tx), the population is 19,762 and the levels of asthma, COPD and cardiovascular disease affect 13,877 people. We have been given a grade of D and F for air pollution. Ya think!!!
What is even more ridiculous is that out of the 3,068 counties in the entire USA, there are only 1,000 total monitors to track pollution levels. How on earth is an individual suppose to counteract and be safe under these circumstances. You can't. It won't be long and we'll all have to be wearing portable oxygen units.
For more information on your area you can visit the American Lung Association.
https://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/health-air/sota/?referrer=https://www.google.com/
3 people like this
4 responses
@topffer (42155)
• France
21 Apr 16
We have several monitors in any city here, but there is a difference between being informed (and the information is transparent : I have just read that the last alert in my city for PM10 particles was 2 days ago), and doing something to reduce the pollution. The state can limit road traffic or offer free public transportation, but because it has a cost, it is very rarely applied. Then being informed about pollution peaks has not a lot of interest if nothing is done to reduce the pollution
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.1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
21 Apr 16
I guess we now know why people in Japan and China walk around with masks on all the time @topffer .
1 person likes this
@topffer (42155)
• France
21 Apr 16
@nanette64 Japanese wear masks when they are sick to not contaminate others, and also in spring to stop pollens, but against ambient air pollution a mask is nothing else than a fashion accessory
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.1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15724)
• Canada
21 Apr 16
To be honest... I didn't know that it was that bad! I must start tracking the topic to see what is going on in my own back yard!
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
21 Apr 16
You can go to that website and put your state in to get your results @Hate2Iron .
@amadeo (111937)
• United States
21 Apr 16
yes,it is getting worse.Mexico has one of the highest smog.They have to ban traffic now and then.
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
21 Apr 16
I guess it's more about the corporations and their bottom line than the health of the people @boiboing . Although if they thought about it, if all the people are being killed off by the pollution, there are no people to buy their products.
