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Page added on May 22, 2017
Air Pollution is a serious problem for children
The Problem
Unhealthy levels of air pollution in many American cities are harming the health of residents, especially those who have asthma. Although clear air laws that regulate industrial smokestacks, car engines and other sources of pollution have resulted in cleaner air, primary sources of air pollution remain. Among the largest remaining sources of harmful pollutants are coal-fired electric power plants that were built before clean air laws were written in the early 1970s. These power plants are permitted to release thousands of tons of sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide and mercury into the air each year, putting the health of millions of Americans at risk, particularly those who live in urban areas and particularly those who have asthma.
Who Is Affected?
According to the American Lung Association, by 2020 asthma will affect 1 in 14 Americans and 1 in 5 families. Asthma is the leading serious chronic illness in children: approximately 25% of children between the ages of 15 and 17 have their activities limited due to asthma. Medical studies increasingly show that air pollution plays a significant role in triggering asthma attacks. Exposure to air pollution has been linked to increased use of medications and an increased rate of emergency room visits and hospitalizations for people living with asthma.
More than 2 million American children with asthma and a disproportionate number of children of color live in areas that do not meet federal clean air standards. Approximately 61.3% of African American children, 69.2% of Hispanic children and 67.7% of Asian American children live in areas that fail to meet federal smog standards. In 2000, African-American children were three to four times more likely than white children to be hospitalized for asthma, five times more likely to seek care for asthma in an emergency room, and three times more likely to die from asthma than white children.
Other Resources
The American Lung Association reports each year on urban air quality in its “State of the Air” report and has fact sheets and other resources on asthma and air pollution. Check their website or contact your local Lung Association chapter. You can also obtain information on environmental quality in your community from national and state environmental protection agencies such as the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Many national environmental groups are working to pass stronger clean air laws. Their websites can give you information about legislation that your elected officials should be supporting. The Clear the Air Coalition website includes information about national issues and can also give you information about air pollution problems and sources in your community.
5 Comments on "Air Pollution is a serious problem for children"
Marty on Mon, 22nd May 2017 12:59 pm
The California Air Board has estimated that by 2020 gas lawn / landscaping tools will be polluting more than automobiles in CA !
-Marty
Go Speed Racer on Mon, 22nd May 2017 4:40 pm
I was young once.
I always enjoyed the smoke and flames
at the smash up derby.
Or a family backyard gathering with
barbecue and burning sofa’s.
I say smoke is good for kids.
Except marijuana smoke which is bad for them.
Modern political correctness reverses the two.
makati1 on Mon, 22nd May 2017 6:13 pm
Humanity is committing suicide in so many ways. Unfortunately, we are taking the rest of life on this planet with us. Will our grand kids make it to our age? I doubt it. And they will likely never be grand parents and maybe not even parents. The human extinction will be sooner than we think.
CIA-MOLE on Mon, 22nd May 2017 8:55 pm
kids are succeptible to polution because their lungs are tiny and they’re not capable of coping iwth pollution because their immune system is not fully developed.
I used myself as a test subject and heavily polluted air is not a problem for me. I also observe the heavy smokers and some of them are fine. Like everything else in life, many negative factors conspire to wreck damage on the body. Smoking alone while doing everything else right is probably OK for some.
Cloggie on Wed, 24th May 2017 3:44 am
Air pollution can be effectively combated with wind energy. In the old days offshore wind energy was expensive and cumbersome, but if you have the right equipment…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV9PykR5bHo
…installing an offshore wind turbine becomes a piece of cake.
As you can see from the video the Aeolus can transport 3-4 monopiles at the same time.
You can download the free iOS app MarineTraffic and follow a set of ships traversing international waters worldwide. I did that for the Aeolus. Everything you receive a mail if the ship has docked. I received the following mails since app installation:
17-5 Arrival Belfast
18-5 08:16 Departure Belfast
20-5 18:18 Arrival Belfast
24-5 Arrival Belfast
(The app apparently missed a departure)
The Aeolus apparently is busy setting up a wind farm in the Irish Sea. Within two and a half day the Aeolus is able to load 3-4 monopiles, travel to the site, ram the 3-4 monopiles in the sea floor and return to port, repeat cycle.
The beauty as compared to onshore wind: no screeching leftist “environmentalist” or “not-in-my-backyard” home owners, no necessity to build roads, no hazardous transport of gigantic towers overland with trucks…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfrN-vzT0dQ
…and far, far better wind conditions and hence yield. And the sky is the limit. The North Sea alone is enough to provide the EU with electricity three times over. And then there is the Irish Sea and the Baltic.
All in all enough to power the EU with electricity, including transport and powering electric heat pumps:
https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Air-Conditioner-Inverter-Ductless/dp/B01DVW6G06/ref=sr_1_2
And then there is an enormous solar potential; by 2020 you can get your 285W solar panel for 100$ from Walmart.