"World Health Organization data indicate that about 240,000 people die each year from respiratory causes in the United States," said Jerrett. "Even a 4 percent increase can translate into thousands of excess deaths each year. Globally, some 7.7 million people die from respiratory causes, so worldwide the impact of ozone pollution could be very large."
According to these World Health Organization's statistics, over the next four years, we will lose approximately 960,000 people prematurely due to respiratory causes in the United States -- that loss over a four year period is greater than losing the entire population of Detroit, San Jose, or San Francisco. Thus, the stakes are high, and this is not just an environmental issue but a moral issue.
The New England Journal of Medicine study found that places like Los Angeles, Riverside, the San Joaquin Valley, and Houston are more vulnerable to premature death because of the higher ozone levels. The increased chances of dying from a respiratory cause can be as much as 50% greater in these most extreme ozone areas. Thus, we need even greater anti-smog leadership in these ozone hotspots. Places like Minneapolis faired better on the ozone front.
All in all, this additional study cements the fact that we need strong plans to reduce pollution in these high ozone/densely populated areas. The timing of this study is also fortuitous because it will hopefully help push the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") to adopt a stronger standard for ozone under the Clean Air Act. Two days ago, the EPA, represented by the Department of Justice, asked for more time to review the controversial ozone standards it set during the Bush era -- for previous blogs about the ozone debacle from my colleagues at NRDC, click here, here and here. The court case stems from a lawsuit filed by several states and environmental groups in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. David Baron, the Earthjustice lawyer representing the environmental groups that challenged the Bush EPA ozone standard, identified EPA's request as "an encouraging step."
Luckily, many efforts to reduce pollution concurrently reduce ozone and climate change impacts. A recent NRDC report discusses just this issue -- namely how implementing California's landmark AB 32 legislation will also improve air quality and health throughout the state.
So, today, I am officially reaffirming my commitment as a soldier in the War on Smog. Care to join me?
]]>A particularly important part of the article states:
By redefining the terms of the debate, by engaging in coalitions, and building power (in the face of tremendous odds), Port and goods movement campaigns fuel social movement regionalism and advance the potential for new regional economic development, just community development, and the advancement of progressive national politics.
As we welcome into office a new administration in D.C., it will be important to build on this regional movement that Professor Matsuoka articulates in her article. For example, the era of unconscionable freight practices needs to end. As these regional coalitions now monitor the goods movement system, we need to make sure these interests have a seat at the table in determining how development occurs in the freight system and how to mitigate its impacts (whether environmental or economic). We should aspire to have a freight system that does not stomp on certain communities to provide products that are pennies cheaper to others.
A lot of technology exists to clean up the diesel pollution spewed by the freight system (e.g. cleaner trucks, cleaner fuels for ships, etc.), and we are on the cusp of developing some other technologies that will take us even further in creating a better freight system (e.g. electrified container movement systems). Bringing our freight system into the 21st century is not an easy task because there are many frantically clinging onto the old, inequitable system. However, I hope that in the next decade, we can achieve the ultimate goal articulated at the end of Professor Matsuoka's article -- "good jobs and clean air."
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