Many of us may not realize that transportation impacts our health. More specifically, Metro regions with more access to public transportation have lower levels of air pollution including decreased carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and volatile organic compound emissions. Additionally, when people use public transportation, they are more likely to be more physically active because they walk or ride a bike to and from public transportation. People who use public transportation are less likely to be obese than individuals who drive private cars. Also, public transportation has less fatalities and injuries compared to private cars. Accessible public transportation also lowers social inequalities. Public transportation increases job opportunities and the spread of goods and services. Moreover, low income communities are often located close to highways and are exposed to more pollution than higher income communities that do not live close to transportation lines. The more public transpor...
Vice News reported on August 22, 2018 that the EPA under the Trump Administration vows to roll back Obama's Clean Power Plan to increase coal production. In a recent report, the EPA demonstrated that Trump's new Affordable Clean Energy Plan will cause an annual increase of 1,400 premature deaths due to pollution. The report states that, "implementing the proposed rule is expected to increase emissions of carbon dioxide and increase the level of emissions of certain pollutants in the atmosphere that adversely affect human health," (Vice News, 2018). People of color and the poor tend to live closer to the power plants and therefore will be impacted more significantly compared to the general population. The EPA estimates that African Americans will suffer up to 50% more of the negative health affects due to the increase in coal waste and pollution.
Increase of 1,400 premature deaths due to pollution?! That's awful!! I think it is so heartbreaking how low-income communities and people of color are always at a greater disadvantage due to living near power-plants, factories, etc., which contributes to the cycle of illnesses and disease that are typically found in minorities and low income communities. Rather that making an effort to better the living conditions and health of disadvantaged groups, this "plan" seems to be only concerned with profit rather than protecting the lives and health of the surrounding/greater community.
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