We have got to change the narrative from climate change to the dangers of pollution
It is too easy for these dopes to say climate change is a hoax. That gets them out of a whole lot of responsibility as I see it.
We have to show them the damages that burning fossil fuels causes to their own families and especially children if we are going to get them to see anything differently. Even with that there are some, like Trump, who just don't give a shit about the toxins seeping into their kids. Money motivates them more than anything. But there are others who perhaps just need a clearer understanding of the immediate dangers of these toxins
We need to ask them how they feel about supporting government bills that create an unhealthy environment for their children or grandchildren. They need to know that money cannot protect them from the carcinogens that end up in our air, water and ground.
I would love to see an ad campaign like the ones they have now for smoking. They scare the shit out of you but I bet they are effective.
And I know a lot of people don't want to really look at these because it is freaking scary. But if we want them to see it we have to see it.
This site lists the 10 most dangerous toxins created from burning fossil fuels. I've copied the ones that I recognize and maybe others will recognize too.
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I'm listing these by most recognized toxins. They are listed differently on the site
Benzene
Benzene is a well-established carcinogen with specific links to leukemia as well as breast and urinary tract cancers. Exposure to benzene reduces red and white blood cell production in bone marrow; decreases auto-immune cell function (T-cell and B-cells); and has been linked to sperm-head abnormalities and generalized chromosome aberrations.
Formaldehyde
Fossil Fuel Source: Natural Gas
Formaldehyde is a carcinogen with known links to leukemia and rare nasopharyngeall cancers, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Formaldehyde is highly toxic regardless of method of intake. It is a potent allergen and genotoxin. Studies have linked spontaneous abortions, congenital malformations, low birth weights, infertility, and endometriosis to formaldehyde exposure. Epidemiological studies link exposure to formaldehyde to DNA alteration. It is also contributes to ground-level ozone.
Mercury
Fossil Fuel Source: Coal
Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin. It damages the brain and the nervous system either through inhalation, ingestion, or contact with the skin. It is particularly dangerous to pregnant women and children. It is known to disrupt the development of the in-vitro brain. In low doses, mercury may affect a child’s development, delaying walking and talking, shortening attention span, and causing learning disabilities. High dose prenatal and infant exposures to mercury can cause mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness and blindness. In adults, mercury poisoning can adversely affect fertility and blood pressure regulation and can cause memory loss, tremors, vision loss, and numbness of the fingers and toes.
Radon
Fossil Fuel Use: Natural Gas
Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas which causes lung cancer. It is the second largest cause of lung cancer in the US after cigarette smoking. About 20,000 people per year die from lung cancer attributed to radon exposure according to the National Cancer Institute. Further, there is no known threshold below which radon exposures carries no risk.
Silica (Silicon Dust/Fracking Sand)
Fossil Fuel Source: Natural Gas
Crystalline silica (“frac sand”) is a known human carcinogen; breathing silica dust can lead to silicosis, a form of lung disease with no cure.
Silica is commonly used, in huge amounts, during fracking operations. Each stage of the process requires hundreds of thousands of pounds of silica quartz–containing sand. Millions of pounds may be used for a single well.
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This site talks about how children's health will improve if we clean up the air
http://planetsave.com/2013/12/07/pollution-air-pollution-water-pollution-health-problems/
Among the conclusions: by reducing air pollution we will see fewer babies born at low birth weight, and fewer children suffering from asthma and neurodevelopmental problems such as lower IQ and ADHD. Lowered emissions of CO2 and mitigation of climate change will reduce the number of children dying as a result of floods and drought, and fewer children will suffer from heat stress, malnutrition, infectious disease, respiratory illness, and mental illness from displacement, social, and political instability.
Reducing dependence on fossil fuels is a "moral imperative," according to Perera. "We can advocate and we can act. We can cite the scientific and economic evidence and advocate for harmonized and holistic environmental and climate policies at the community, state and global health--policies that place the wellbeing of children at their center. In our individual lives, we can reduce our carbon footprints by avoiding burning in the home, by buying locally grown foods, driving energy-efficient vehicles and using public transportation where possible. And through our consumer power we can help shape markets toward green products produced sustainably."
Fossil fuel combustion endangers children's health in two significant ways: Scientist reviews the evidence
Children are vulnerable to toxic air pollution and the stressors of climate change
June 21, 2016
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Fossil fuel combustion and associated air pollution and carbon dioxide has been identified as the root cause of much of the ill health of children today. Because of their inherent biological vulnerability, children now bear a disproportionate burden of disease from both pollution and climate change.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160621091033.htm
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