American Lung Association: Most Americans Exposed to Dangerous Air (no, not in bars)

[The Straight Story]

American Lung Association: Most Americans Exposed to Dangerous Air

More than half of the United States population breathes air filled with dangerous pollution, according to a new study produced by the American Lung Association. The report (State of the Air 2010) states that more than 175 million Americans (approximately 58% of the country) live in areas where ozone or particle pollution exceeds healthy levels.

The five worst urban areas for ozone are all in California: 1) Los Angeles, Long Beach and Riverside; 2) Bakersfield; 3) Visalia and Porterville; 4) Fresno and Madera; and 5) Sacramento, Arden, Arcade and Yuba City.

Three of these California urban centers—Bakersfield, Los Angeles and Visalia—also ranked among the five worst for year-round particle pollution, sandwiched by Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona (No. 1) and Pittsburgh-New Castle, Pennsylvania (No. 5).

http://www.allgov.com/Controversies/ViewNews/American_Lung_Association__Most_Americans_Exposed_to_Dangerous_Air_100502

[ima_sinnic]

1. much more info, including interactive details of YOUR area, available here:

http://www.stateoftheair.org/2010/city-rankings/most-polluted-cities.html

[azul]

2. Is it or should it be a crime to continue to pollute when there are alternatives?

There is something definitely wrong with expanding and subsidizing and fighting for an industry that kills and sickens thousands of people yearly. Or has the pretense to value human life been at last blown away by the masterful MIC?

It just makes financial and moral sense to be hopping off this destructive path of burning oil and coal at every step of the way. To continue to pollute and kill people, when it is possible to get out of that racket, is criminal.

[glowing]

3. This is why there has been such an increase in lung cancer among non-smokers.

[uppityperson]

4. which is a good reason to not further pollute your lungs with smoke.

[Cetacea]

5. A good thing to remind smoking ban chest thumpers

[pipi_k]

6. Checked my area and apparently it's not that bad

even in the city.

I'm out in the country, surrounded by trees, so I would imagine they take a lot of crap out of the air. They sure do cut down on the hot days here. We're between 5 and 10 degrees cooler here than down in the city most days.

[Cetacea]

7. That's nice.

[supernova]

8. We have bad ozone days here

less so with particulate matter. Nevertheless, they announce when people with breathing difficulties and compromised immune systems are supposed to stay indoors.

It's the one thing I dislike about summer here. From August to mid-September, there is a constant haze in the sky.