Mayor Of Hamilton's Dilemma Case Study

Pollution continues to pose an enormous threat to residents of urban cities worldwide. In the August 2008 Monthly Update, it is stated that approximately 800,000 deaths each year can be attributed to outdoor air pollution, making pollution the single most harmful environmental hazard to human health in urban areas (Kallman). The fact that pollution kills hundreds of thousands of people each year alone portrays just how dangerous living in these conditions can be. Kallman writes about a study which proves an increase in upper respiratory diseases, cardiovascular mortality, respiratory mortality, and low birth weights when exposed to air pollutants (August 2008: Monthly Update). These can be very serious diseases and complications which, when contracted, can lead to death or very serious illnesses. There

In Shreveport, LA, many residents suffer from respiratory issues that they believe are caused by the local refinery, Calumet (Moskowitz). Residents have suffered for generations losing family members to cancer that they believe is brought on by pollution that the refinery emits. Some residents suffer lesser but chronic health issues ranging from minor respiratory issues like asthma to blood clots in their lungs. “Calumet denies that its refinery is the cause of any of these health issues” (Moskowitz). Many chemicals that are released by refineries can cause respiratory problems, cancer, nerve damage, and in some cases even death. There is no absolute way to be sure that all health problems happening near Calumet are caused by the pollution that it emits, but it could be a contributing factor in worsening symptoms. A resident of Marrero, LA, a town south of Norco refining, stated that they could not leave their house due to excess levels of pollution triggering asthma attacks (Ludwig). Sulfur dioxide is a known chemical that can trigger asthma attacks, it is also one of the many harmful chemicals that can be released by refineries (Sturgis). Refineries will measure levels of emissions when there is a chemical spill, so they know almost exactly how much pollution they have emitted. Minor incidents are not always reported or are under reported, but they can have the same damaging effects on the environment and the overall health of the community (Sturgis). “LABB’s reports confirms what workers and residents have known for years-petrochemical companies to often skirt the laws for reporting serious incidents”

Carol Browner was the administrator for the EPA from 1993 to 2001 which gives her credibility in establishing an argument about the topic of public health. In “Clean Air Regulations Public Health” article, Browning opened by mentioning the 1997 updated air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter. Throughout the remainder of the article, it is clear that she means to inform the reader about the issues of public health and discuss how the government has attempted to improve while at the same time showing what should take priority.

Pollution is a becoming a major factor for Canadians living across Canada. Toronto’s air quality is highly polluted from factories, cars, household furnaces, industrial plants and power stations. (Hanna, Kevin) Many air

Any community, irrespective of poor or affluent conditions, racial and ethnic backgrounds and the disparities of education and income levels, should work towards building a healthy atmosphere and a better quality of life. Enhanced understanding of the dynamics of the community and the necessary resources to be mobilized in improving the air quality, comes with health education. Thus the first step in any policy directed at eliminating the environmental burden on minorities should be public health education. Taking into account the cultural and educational differences, various suitable resources should be identified and utilized. Secondly, the communities might not be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of deteriorated air quality by themselves and thus it falls upon the healthcare professionals to recognize them and inform the appropriate officials, especially when there is a sudden surge of cases (Boyce et al. 2013). Third, the communities should be provided a legal recourse to help them understand the hazards they face and also to voice their concerns to authorities. While designing mechanisms to reduce air pollution, local authorities must take into account the vulnerabilities of the minority populations. EPA, along with the environmental justice programs, provides many monitoring and air pollution reduction programs. It is important to include the minority groups in these endeavors and tailor the programs according to their needs. It should be remembered that cultural competence plays a key role in all of these

Poor air quality is associated with some health issues from the short-term problems to severe

Asthma has become a rising issue at hand, especially in Oakland, California. Asthma is at an all time high in Oakland because of the factories and smog that surrounds the local communities. After conducting research, I decided to dig deeper in asthma in Oakland because I wanted to learn more and to see if there was a way to reduce the rise of asthma. Asthma in Oakland is an issue for all ages, especially the younger ones because their lungs are still developing. For my term paper, I plan to explore the disproportionate burden of hazard of the population of air quality in Oakland, California, an area that is impacted by factory smoke, which can lead to asthma in children who are 18 years of age or younger.

One environmental problems that greatly impacts the United States, and more severely threatens low-income countries is pollution; specifically air pollution. Air pollution is caused when the ozone (smog) is a pollutant close to the ground, unfortunately so much pollution causes irritation to the eyes and lungs that leads to serious medical attention. This causes million of deaths worldwide annually, ranking it to be the worlds fourth highest risk factor for death. A fairly recent new article dated, February 12, 2016, titled Poor air quality kills 5.5 million worldwide annually, by University of British Columbia closely annualizes the serious threat air pollution has and states some eye opening facts about the issue needed to raise awareness.

I am writing in regards to the pollution in the city of Portland, the reason why I am deeply concerned with the issue is that a study found that in four to six years Portland will be like many other major cities with a reputation of horrible pollution that puts its people at risk, and quite honestly that really shocks me and get’s me thinking do we as a society do enough to eliminate harmful toxins that are being released and most importantly why are we putting our life in stake when their are smart individuals who are capable of tackling these particular types of issues. These issues might create a long time side effect which may translate into new disease and problems.What really affect people is the contaminated air being released

The first problem I identified was poor air quality due to the increased air pollution, especially in Casper Park. The affordable housing project is within walking distance of a major factory and factory smoke is the number one complaint of residents. There is an abnormally high hospital visits for upper respiratory problems amongst college students who often reside in the affordable housing project. According to Healthy People 2020, Poor air quality is linked to premature death, cancer, and long-term damage to respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Some objectives that would help reduce air toxic emissions would be Increase use of alternative modes of transportation for work and Reduce air toxic emissions to decrease the risk of adverse health effects caused by mobile, area, and major sources of airborne toxics ("Healthy People 2020," 2017, p. 2).

Moreover, acute health effects were observed at levels common in many us cites such as Los Angeles, as well as, below current U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Overall these studies shown respiratory effect increase parallel with pollution levels, with a near linear dose-response

Most people know pollution is bad, but what they probably don’t know is that it’s death rate is comparable to HIV and malaria (“11 Facts About Pollution”). Unfortunately, the country of London knows this too well. “Across the country (London), up to 40,000 excess deaths each year are associated with toxic air”(“11 Facts About Pollution”). This amount should determine everyone to amend this problem for the better. People don’t need to die because other people, or themselves, take convenience over the well-being of our

Starting in the year 2004, the air pollution has reached an alarming level in the city o Toronto. Dr Barbara Yaffe, the acting medical officer of health of Toronto Public health, has released a report in July 2004 saying that the “air pollution [in the city] has contributed to over 1700 premature deaths and 6000 hospitalization admission in Toronto each year” (Yaffe, 2004, p.i). According to this report, pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide have increased within the air of the city; these pollutants are tiny particles that are 2.5 micron in diameter or less and can affect people’s respiratory system and cause cardiovascular and respiratory problems such as “asthma, bronchitis in children, adult chronic bronchitis, and heart problem” (TPH, 2007, figure 1). Although it

Hamilton is well-known for its involvement in the steel industry which is one of the reasons why the air in Hamilton contains high levels of sulfur dioxide (Wallace, 2009). To take this further, Hamilton is surrounded by major highways, railways, and incoming cargo on Lake Ontario, producing large amounts of air pollution. High-traffic roads in Hamilton are utilized by commuters, locals, and other travellers, causing high levels of nitrogen to be released into the air (Wallace, 2009). According to Jerrett, Buzzeli, Burnett and DeLuca (2005), low-income residents of Hamilton have a greater chance of sickness due to air pollution. One of the reasons for this is because the poorest neighbourhoods in Hamilton are those that are in close proximity to the industrial polluting sites. For example, Beasley is Hamilton’s poorest neighbourhood and it happens to be located right on the edge of the industrial district. Furthermore, those with low incomes do not have an abundance of choice when deciding where to reside. Therefore, Beasley’s residents are disproportionately exposed to high levels of pollutants and chemicals (Pecoskie,

Health risks people take and the compromises government make. The incline of air pollution is endangering Canadians, updates are needed, the time to act sooner rather than later. Prevent the “Silent killer” before the silence becomes- to change the way Canadians think, before it’s to late, the opinions of the people