Did you ever think that what you are breathing in every second of everyday could affect your future? Evidence shows that pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels causes the death of 30,000 to 50,000 Americans each year. The causes of these deaths were from multiple diseases such as heart disease, lung cancer and many other respiratory diseases.
According to the American Lung Association, an estimate of 141 million Americans live with the presence of unhealthy air. Air intake is very important when it comes to health. It can affect the way you think, sleep, and feel just like food and water does.
Have you ever felt fatigued or tired then drank water after and felt like new again? Well that’s because humans require a significant amount of water intake each day to keep their metabolism running. Water is a big influence in human’s lives as well as air and food and it also is becoming worrisome to intake. Chemicals that affect human health are found in almost everything you drink, including water.
Some diseases that can be caused from drinking water are various types of cancer, liver, kidney, and nervous system damage. The worst part about it is that only a small portion is tested for these chemicals. So you might think “I will buy bottled water”. Just in the past ten years water bottle sales have increased to almost 10 billion because of these scares, but this buy won’t solve your problem either. The chemical Bisphenol (BPA) is a compound found in plastic bottles that affects your health also. Research shows that this chemical is closely related to the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer.
So perhaps, buying bottled water isn’t the solution.
Finally, did you ever think cancer-causing products could be right in your own household? Or where your house is located could increase your chances of developing cancer?
In the year 1978 a terrifying news report came out stating that people in a small town in Niagra Falls, New York were demanding to be relocated due to the increasing of developments of cancers, miscarriages and birth defects. This incident is known, as “The Love Canal” and is one of the most popular stories relating to toxic pollution and health. The small town was unknowingly located on an old chemical landfill that had been previously filled with 22,000 tons of toxic chemical waste.
Eventually over time people started developing signs of chemical intoxication and shortly after demanded evacuation and explanations. Although the canal has been cleaned up, it still remains one of the biggest symbols of chemical intoxication to the public. So even where you stand could be harming you.
Every place you go, every step you take, and every breath you make (and especially the food you eat) can affect what comes to your future. Even though it is nearly impossible to be aware of everything around you, it is important to know about your surroundings and what takes place in and out side your home. “Once our personal connection to what is wrong becomes clear, then we have to choose: we can go on as before, recognizing our dishonesty and living with it the best we can, or we can begin the effort to change the way we think and live.”
Asking questions, researching, and educating yourself can bring much benefit to your lifestyle. Making a small change now could make a big change in the future.
Layzer, Judith A. The Environmental Case: Translating Values into Policy. Washington, D.C.: CQ, 2002. Print.
Moby, and Miyun Park. Gristle: From Factory Farms to Food Safety (thinking Twice about the Meat We Eat). New York: New, 2010. Print.
Smith, Zachary A. The Environmental Policy Paradox. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2004. Print.
