According to a study released, the United States is losing $77 billion a year as a result of the boom in oil and air pollution.
In spite of newly passed legislation encouraging the switch to clean energy, the US is producing fossil fuels at nearly record levels
Air Pollution Linked To Thousands Of Death Cause
According to a study conducted by the Environmental Defense Fund, PSE Healthy Energy, Boston University School of Public Health, University of North Carolina Institute for the Environment, and PSE Healthy Energy in 2016, air pollution linked to the industry caused 7,500 additional deaths, more than 400,000 asthma attacks, and 2,200 new cases of childhood asthma.
The negative health effects, which included hospitalizations for respiratory and cardiovascular problems as well as pregnancy issues, cost a total of $77 billion.
Researchers discovered that the financial costs of the climate consequences from methane emissions were quadruple that of the pollutants nitrogen oxide (NO2), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and ozone (O3).
States with a significant presence in the oil and gas sector, such as Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, were more likely to experience negative health consequences.
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US Air Quality Differences and Health Risks for Persons of Color
However, the publication of the American Lung Association’s 2023 State of the Air report highlights differences in air quality and demonstrates the necessity of higher national standards for a healthy future for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, or location.
More than one-third of Americans live in neighborhoods with unhealthy air quality, according to the State of the Air study.
More than 64 million, or 54%, of the almost 120 million people who live in places with poor air quality are people of color.
These differences are particularly pronounced by county: individuals of color are 3.7 times more likely to reside in a county that receives failing grades for three air quality criteria.
A severe health risk is poor air quality. Asthma attacks, heart disease, strokes, lung cancer, respiratory illnesses, and higher newborn mortality rates are all known to be associated with soot and air pollution. Also, climate change and worsening air pollution are closely linked.
The primary cause of climate change is the burning of fossil fuels, which is also a major source of air pollution for areas close to industrial sources, roads, and other polluting structures.
Aside from that, greater temperatures and a lack of rain raise the danger of drought and wildfires, both of which pollute our air with soot.
Moreover, greater temperatures and stagnant air create the ideal environment for ozone levels to rise, which causes smog and may trigger asthma.
When examining asthma among races, particularly in children, we can observe stark inequalities. When compared to white children, who have an asthma prevalence of 7.1 percent, black children had a rate of 15.7 percent, more than twice as high.
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