Environmental
pollution
I have had
asthma most of my life and the triggers that flare my asthma the most are
environmental factors. Some are allergies to out door pollens, dust, or natural
environment. The others are caused by environmental pollution. I grew up down
wind of a pulp mill, an industrial port, and the Asarco Smelter. When air
quality was moderate I had to limit my time outside and when it was severe I
was unable to go outside at all. There have been times in my life when I could
not understand the unfairness of how come friends and siblings could be outside
and I couldn’t. My mom always tried to have special things for me to do inside
like baking or crafts so that I would not feel to bad.
I chose to look
into China’s environmental pollution and the impact it has on the children of
that country. China’s number one cause of death is cancer that is linked to
pollution, hundreds and thousands of deaths alone are blamed on air pollution.
Most cities in China are under a gray layer of air pollution and only 1% of the
people of China breath air that is considered safe. “China is like a teenage
smoker with emphysema. The costs of pollution have mounted well before it is
ready to curtail economic development” (Kahn, 2007). Human health has been
taking a toll and the number impacted are unknown because exact research on the
subject is banned. “An internal, unpublicized report by the Chinese Academy of
Environmental Planning in 2003 estimated that 300,000 people die each year from
ambient air pollution, mostly of heart disease and lung cancer. An additional
110,000 deaths could be attributed to indoor air pollution caused by poorly
ventilated coal and wood stoves or toxic fumes from shoddy construction
materials. World Bank study done with SEPA, the national environmental agency,
concluded that outdoor air pollution was already causing 350,000 to 400,000
premature deaths a year. Indoor pollution contributed to the deaths of an
additional 300,000 people, while 60,000 died from diarrhea, bladder and stomach
cancer and other diseases that can be caused by water-borne pollution” (Kahn, 2007).
I cannot imagine
the impact that this level of pollution would have on children. However, aside
form living with the pollution the amount of people impacted would surely have
a different impact on children. Children would grow up knowing many who suffered
cancer and other illnesses caused by pollution. The burden would be great.
Kahn, Joseph
& Yardley,Jim. (2007, August 26). As China roars, pollution reaches deadly
extremes. The New York Times. Retrieved
from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26china.html?pagewanted=all
3 comments:
Wow, to know that it is due to poor air you have a stressors,but we have come a long way In the the USA, with better pollution poloicy.Im grateful for the leader who relize we can't use and do what we want with mother earth and continue to think she will keep us health if we don't take care of her. As I have gain in years my breating has become a stresors due to my surronding, "Dust, pollen." so every now and then I have to take a puff so I want wesh so much.
What I found most interesting within your post is that they have banned research surround the amounts of children/people who have been truly affected by the pollution. Physical health affects all aspects of life and if you've ever had an illness you know the additional stress that is placed on you.
Thank you for your research you conducted on China and the effects of pollution!! I am so shocked to hear that so many children are dying because of the poor quality air. I feel like I haven’t appreciated the quality of air that I am so blessed to be breathing in comparison to other places. Thanks for the mind opener! I will work harder to take extra precautions to preserve the quality of air ;)
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