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In a recent article on Science Daily it was shared that a University of Melbourne study has found that middle-aged adults with asthma can experience harshly worsened symptoms when exposed to traffic pollution and wood smoke. This study found that "adults who suffer asthma and were exposed to heavy traffic pollution experienced an 80 per cent increase in symptoms and those exposed to wood smoke from wood fires experienced an 11 per cent increase in symptoms."
The article goes on to explain that asthma affects over 300 million people world-wide. This big number makes this recent discovery all the more alarming because it affects a large chunk of people in the world. One of the solutions to this problem the article points to is for people with asthma to not drive on busy roads or to use wood heaters.
A more effective solution, in my opinion, is to encourage people to buy more Eco-friendly vehicles (list of top 30 environmental friendly cars) and switch to greener heating solutions at home (10 environmentally friendly ways of heating your house). The only possible problem that could come from asking people to become more green is that it is not always the most affordable thing in the world to do. I think a way to solve this problem, however, is to provide discounts on environmentally friendly products for people who have been formally diagnosed with asthma so it can become more accessible to them.
Eventually, however, more and more people need to become greener to benefit society's health as a whole.
Read the entire article here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130820102516.htm
Zackary, I think your article is one of the biggest environmental concerns there is. The fact that the emissions are not only affecting our environment but are causing people with asthma symptoms to increase by 80% is horrendous. I agree and think that great efforts need to be taken to insure the safety of the world. I believe that you are on the right track about people using more eco-friendly cars and appliances. But, there are things we as a nation can do to be more eco-friendly. Such as; carpool, ride the bus, and ride a bike, these are just dealing with traveling. If we all pull our weight we can leave less of a foot print.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the solutions that the two of you suggested. The article's solution (people with asthma avoiding busy roads) is calling for people to change major parts of their lives in order to avoid affecting their asthma. Solutions such as buying eco-friendly cars, using greener heating sources, carpooling, using public transportation, and riding bikes are simpler and do not require people to rearrange their lives. Offering discounts on environmentally friendly products to people with certain medical conditions, like you suggested Zach, seems like a great way to promote greener living. People should continue to be encouraged to improve the environment and human health by making small changes to their daily lives.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the solutions you suggested. The solution to buying eco-friendly cars is a great suggestion, and I feel that the car industry should begin moving towards manufacturing more eco-friendly vehicles would be a great way to start.
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