Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Our Air is Being Polluted!

How would you like to be breathing in this air?

I have never really given any thought to the air that I am breathing in every day, but after reading this article I have started to. What is in the air that we are breathing, and is it killing us?

It is true that in Texas alone (Texas containing the most operating plants in all the nation) there are 400,000 tons per year of ozone-forming pollution, more than 227 million tons per year of carbon dioxide, huge quantities of soot and other fine particle pollution, and almost 14,000 pounds per year of mercury. So with pollution being one of the top environmental problems why is nothing being done to stop it? There has been something done. A suit was filled on behalf of Sierra Club for Texas's evasion of the Clean Air Act that has been in affect for forty years and is to be followed by all of the nation. Earthjustice associate attorney Khushi Desai had this to say about the lawsuit: 

"We maintain that Texas's continued evasion of its Clean Air Act obligations has unduly compromised the health of its own citizens, as well as those residing in downwind states, for far too long. Our suit says that EPA must, as the law requires, finally address Texas' failures and take action to implement national air quality standards in the state."

After talking in class about our top six environmental problems I was surprised to hear that Texas was contributing so harshly to our pollution problem. I was also unaware of the Clean Air Act. With pollution essentially being against the law then how has Texas evaded it for so long? And how is it that pollution is still such a major problem?

It is true that breathing in this polluted air can make you SICK! A girl by the name of Raviya Ismail went to a hearing in Texas about air pollution (How ironic is that?) and after only a few days was beginning to feel run down with burning eyes and labored breathing that she believes it was caused by breathing in this polluted air! With this problem putting people at risk I am glad to hear that it has finally been acknowledged and will hopefully be dealt with very soon because it is not only the occupants of Texas that are suffering but also all the occupants in states surrounding it. That's a lot of people breathing in polluted air!

2 comments:

  1. That is terrible how much pollution is being put out in one state. Not only is it effecting the air in Texas but states near there and air for everyone. With that much pollution from there and all over the world I'm surprised that we all don't have breathing problems. If this continues though we will, so this needs to be stopped. I'm glad that some action is being taken and we all need to start taking action.

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  2. I never would have thought that all of those harmful materials are in the air and we are breathing them in! I knew there was a lot of stuff in the air that is not good for us to breath in but I never would have guessed so much.

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