POLLUTION

Pollution is killing many millions of people world wide.

There is no doubt about the sickening effects between heart disease and fine air-pollution particles that permeate large, industrial metropolitan areas.

After studying three dozen cities and nearly 66,000 post-menopausal women, scientists found the women in the worst-polluted cities had a 76 percent greater chance of dying from heart ailments than those in the least-polluted cities.

"What we want to make clear is that air pollution isn't just an environmentalist's issue, or a matter of decreased visibility," said Dr. Joel Kaufman, a University of Washington physician and lead author of the study, appearing in today's New England Journal of Medicine. "It's impacting our health right now."

This confirms, with a rigorous methodology, that small particulates at levels considerably lower than the EPA standards, and levels lower than we see in major cities, are associated with significant cardiovascular events and deaths.

The new report uses data collected by the Women's Health Initiative, a long-term national health study that focuses on strategies for preventing heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer and fracture in post-menopausal women.

Because of the large study size, the scientists were able to eliminate factors, such as physical activity and weight that might otherwise have explained the dramatic increase in heart disease for women who lived near high pollution cities

Epidemiologists and health officials confirm it shows a stronger-than-expected relationship and is more definitive than previous research linking fine particle air pollution and heart problems,

Fine particles, often appearing as smoke or haze, are emitted by a variety of sources, from power plants, diesel trucks and bus, industrial factories, fires and automobile brakes, exhaust. They are defined by their small size, being 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter, dust. Because they are so small, fine particles can bore deep into the lungs and bloodstream but chemicals can also be absorbed through the skin.

Such small particles are so difficult to detect that reliable, widespread monitoring didn't begin until about 2000, but concern among researchers and public health officials has grown steadily since. While scientists ponder the tiny particles themselves for the next hundred years the public continues to get sick and die.

Cardiovascular risks are far greater near sites with high levels of fine-particle pollution than those with cleaner air.



Who is to blame?

The love affair with the car must end because the freedom owning a car represents is pure delusion. Never mind the killing over oil unless it hits home, but this new study does hit home. Owning a car hurts far more then it benefits because the related oil and pollution are killing millions worldwide.

Politicians fill their pockets with high automobile tax dollars while ignoring the combined results of congested traffic and factory pollutions.

Politicians will not and can not stop their love affair with the cars related tax dollars that they earn off car buying tax, fuel tax and all other oil, tires, parts tax.

Dealing with pollution

Avoid walking or jogging on heavy traffic polluted roads.
Vote with your feet, move away from polluted cities.
Don’t buy a car or at least avoid buying a gas guzzling type.
Take public transportation and if none is available demand it from the politicians who robbed you of it to start with.