_Air Pollution _
By: Scott Zagurski
(name, title) Executive Summary An evaluation of the implications of
environmental air pollution on human life and the macro, meso and micro level
steps being taken to change the current status of air pollution is the purpose
of this site. The method of analysis used involved researching the actual
hazards of air pollution on humans, what solutions government agencies have
proposed/implemented (macro), what steps cities across the United States have
taken (meso) and how you (micro) can take a “step toward” solving the air
pollution problem. The conclusion I have drawn from this research is that with
the abundance of evidence supporting the idea that air pollution has become a
serious problem, our society (individuals and businesses together) needs to
adopt a holistic pro-active stance against air pollution. (picture and quote)
Introduction In order to maintain a concise, yet informative evaluation of my
research, I have categorized my findings in to four parts: Part 1: The
effect of air pollution on human health Part 2: Actions taken at the macro
level Part 3: Actions taken at the meso level Part 4: Actions to take at
the micro level. I will discuss each part listed above and I will argue for a
more holistic, pro- active and more connected approach to tackling the problem
of air pollution. My final thoughts will probe you to think about the role you
do play in our society’s future and ask you to act on incorporating new
thoughts. Part 1: The effect of air pollution on human health Garrett’s
quote above is from an eye opening book about the “Human Factor” and emerging
infectious diseases. Although the book describes exotic places like the Amazon
jungle and Saharan Africa, an often overlooked place for emerging illnesses is
right where the majority of humans live ... the city. The city is the center
for modern life as we know it. Yet, the city is also becoming a center for
death and illness Air pollution is a popular environmental problem that
people rally around. As a society, what are we actually doing to solve this
problem and help prevent an epidemic that is quietly arising out of the inner
city? The disease that is becoming a quiet killer in the inner city is
asthma. Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that causes tightening of the
chest and difficulty breathing. Asthma has no single cause, but episodes can
be brought on by a variety of factors working alone or in combination.
Environmental epidemiologists are currently studying the most recent outbreaks
of this disease and why inner city children are suffering most from this
illness According to the American Lung Association, asthma afflicts over 15
million Americans. The frightening aspect of this statistic is that the
largest group of people represented by this number is children. The United
States has an overall asthma rate of about 5 percent. However, the rate in New
York City is 8.4 percent and it can reach 25 percent among children in the
poorest urban neighborhoods. (statistic, picture) Air pollutants such as
ozone, diesel fumes and exhaust particles seem to be the main source of the
problem. Hospital admissions for asthma often rise to 20 - 30 percent during
periods of severe air pollution. Clearly, it is not illegal to be admitted to
the hospital, but it seems only humane that air pollution caused by human acts
(i.e. driving cars) making people sick enough to have to go to the hospital
should be illegal Clearly then, there is a correlation between human acts of
convenience and causing human illness. The question we must ask now is: If
asthma is a disease of civilization, what aspects of modern life can we
change to help our fellow humans? Part 2: Actions taken at the macro level.
For the purpose of this site, the macro level is defined as an entity larger
than a business and more powerful than the city in which the business
presides. The discussion that follows then, is an example of an effort made by
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to “clean our air” and human
reactions to the EPA’s efforts In July of 1997, the EPA issued new clean air
rules designed to cut levels of smog and soot in the air. Ever since the rules
were proposed back in November 1996, the agency has come under attack.
Critics, mainly from industry, said the rules could impose serious burdens on
American consumers. Those critics claim that consumers will likely have to
change their lifestyles if the areas they live in are to meet the tougher new
air quality standards. At this point, I would like to propose a question:
How will steps in the right direction (EPA setting new standards that will
benefit society) be effective unless lifestyle changes are made? This is a
perfect example of the Present Industrial Paradigm and the idea of
Reductionism The ethnic group most affected by the asthma epidemic is
African- Americans. The inner cities of some of the largest metropolitan areas
are predominantly African-American. Proper health care and the ability to
afford such health care is a reason that children are dying of asthma.
Ironically, at a news conference at the National Press Club in June 1997,
leaders representing all minority groups said that they have told Clinton
Administration officials in meetings that the EPA’s proposals to further
control smog and fine particles will be so costly to implement, that billions
of dollars now headed for investment in small business in America’s inner
cities will be choked off What then, is the price of human health and why
do the people most affected by air pollution want to put off efforts to
help correct the problem? Part 3: Actions taken at the meso level The
meso level, as discussed in this site, refers to that entity which is not as
big as the EPA, but yet still holds more power than the individual. The
business, as Paul Hawken suggests, “...has great power, perhaps more power
than any other institution.” The discussion that follows examines the steps
some meso entities have taken to set an example for the improvement of our
air The city of St. Louis, Missouri, has been challenging the problem of air
pollution since 1995. The people of the metropolitan area of St. Louis started
a government sponsored program aimed at cutting traffic pollution in that
year. The program, called RideFinders, includes private car pools and
federally sponsored vans. To date, the program has a registered enrollment of
2,000 people. Most metropolitan cities have mass transit (i.e. city buses)
already in place, but RideFinders is taking it one step further. Those
enrolled are doing it not because they have no other alternative for
transportation, but of their own free will. Although no significant change in
air pollution has been detected in St. Louis yet, the program is a great
example of people thinking beyond their own convenience and about others
around them. (picture) Many businesses offer incentive programs for
“carpooling” to work. Even though this could be construed as bribing people to
“do the right thing,” sometimes (especially in cases where results are not
immediately able to be seen) people need incentive they can hold in their
hands (i.e. monetary or even gift certificates). With incentives, a sense of
awareness that there is an issue and even employee camaraderie can help to
foster a positive program. As a result, employees and businesses can take
pride in the fact that they are taking responsibility for the world around
them. The step from doing something (like car-pooling) for an incentive and
then doing it for a sense of pride can be paralleled to Carol Gilligan’s
Pre-Conventional Stage moving to the Conventional Stage in her description of
Stages of Moral Development. Part 4: Actions to be taken at the micro level.
For the purpose of this document, the micro level should be understood as the
individual. The individual includes every member of society. With the Present
Industrial Paradigm that is so evident in our society today, the ‘individual’
is a simple concept to comprehend. Our society, myself included, is
unconnected. For example, after four years without my own automobile, when I
see people waiting for the bus now that I have car, I am glad I am not one of
them. I embrace my freedom and independence and do not want to have to be
without it again. The question I ask myself is this: Do I embrace my freedom
(having a car now) because when I didn’t have a vehicle, all my friends had
vehicles and I didn’t? Or, because I had to depend on others and that made
me feel like lesser of a person? It is an interesting question because I
wonder what would have happened if all my friends had to take the bus too. The
oddity lies in the fact that when I took the bus, I did not hate it. I was
just fulfilling my basic needs; go to work, go to school, go to the store,
etc. I took the bus when I didn’t want to have to depend on someone else for a
ride home. It made me feel independent. Now that I have my own vehicle though,
I feel even more independent - and I like it. Once again, this is the
Reductionism mind-set. So, how do we change our way of thinking? Here is my
thought proposal: We are all individuals, but what makes us all individuals
is our differences from every other individual in our society. I know I care
about others around me, but am I willing to give up my freedom/independence
for people I don’t even know? Probably not. However, I can start thinking
beyond myself. I can think long-term. If I know now (and I do) that children
are suffering from a disease caused by my need to feel independent and free,
it is uncomfortable for me because I hope to have children some day. I
certainly would not want my children to get sick from breathing! This is what
Laura Nash called, “thinking long-term.” Some may ask: What is the
difference of one person? It is not going to help if I am the only one
making an effort. (picture of the kiddies) I agree, the individual standing
alone seems somewhat powerless - especially when trying to tackle something as
awesome as the contaminated air we breathe. What the individual should try to
remember is that society would not be society without each member in it.
Therefore, as individuals, and human beings, it is imperative to start
thinking of the self/individual as part of a whole. This is the basis for the
Holistic Paradigm. It is grasping and practicing the concept that we are NOT
alone. It is trying to understand that our actions today will have an effect
tomorrow. Conclusion: Air pollution has become a serious health hazard to our
society. People are having to be admitted to hospitals because of our dirty
air. A major contribution to the dirty air is society’s love for independence
and convenience. Would we be able to tell our children’s great-great
grandchildren that their air is bad because we didn’t feel like waiting for
the bus or sharing a ride? Fortunately, actions are being taken at the macro
and meso levels as I discussed earlier. It is up to the individual at the
micro level to remember that what makes them an individual is everyone else
around them. If we want to preserve our independence, let’s care for our
neighbors and their children’s children. Final Thoughts: 1. Would you be
willing to share a ride to work every day with a co- worker? Would you want an
incentive? 2. Does the company you work for do any thing to help environmental
issues? If not, how would they feel about you creating an awareness program?
3. Do you do anything to help environmental issues? Do you think you do
enough?
_Bibliography _
Bibliography: Books Editors of Time. The Medical Advisor: The complete guide
to alternative and conventional treatments. Time-Life Books, Alexandria,
Virginia. 1996. pp. 148, 149. Garrett, Laurie. The Coming Plague: Newly
Emerging Diseases in a world out of Balance. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New
York. 1994. Journals “Drive Time Car Pools a ‘Growth Industry’ Here”
Schlinkmann, Mark. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. December 29, 1995. pp. 01B.
“Gasping for Life” Podolsky, Doug. U.S. News &World Report. January 13, 1997.
pp. 61-65. “New Air pollution rules smother inner cities” Chicago Independent
Bulletin. Stamford, CT. June 19, 1997. pp. PG. “Road Warrior Fog-Bound Over
Clean Air” Horvath, Adam Z. Newsday. April 1994. pp. 6. “U.S. says asthma
cases up 75 percent since 1980” Cooper, Mike. Reuters. April 23, 1998. “Why
Ebonie Can’t Breath” Cowley, Geoffrey and Underwood, Anne. Newsweek. May 26,
1997. pp. 58-64.
Word Count: 1994
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