The Brookings Institution reported last week on “The Impacts of Air Pollution on Employment and Productivity.” CAP’s Jorge Madrid has the story.
Brookings notes, “recent research suggests 94% of the non-climate-change costs of air pollution are health-related,” leading to “a direct impact on the health and productivity of today’s and tomorrow’s work force.” Other findings include incidents of low birth rate as a result of prenatal exposure to pollution being associated with higher health care costs and reduced earnings later in life.
No surprise here, the Environmental Protection Agency and CAP have long touted the economic benefits of strong clean air and water protections. Last year the EPA released a study finding that clean-air regulation has dramatically increased worker productivity, preventing 4,100,000 lost work days since 1970, and 31,000,000 days in which Americans would have had to restrict activity due to air-pollution-related illness. Increased worker productivity and reduced health costs will result in nearly $2 trillion in economic benefits by 2020 according to the EPA.
This timely report coincides with CAP Action’s newest efforts to urge public comments on new reduction standards proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (see also “Take action: Submit a public comment urging EPA to protect our health from mercury, arsenic, air toxics“).
One can only hope that politicians in Washington will do the math: Clean air = more productive workers + lower health costs.
Act now to clean up our air: submit a public comment to the EPA. You can also comment in Spanish here.
– By Jorge Madrid
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meanwhile in France…
Electric Trash Carts Hit Parisian Streets
Emissions and noise-free, the world’s first electric trash carts are hitting the streets of France, powered by Franco-American technology. http://www.newslook.com/videos/312039-electric-trash-carts-hit-parisian-streets?autoplay=true
Go Green Kids: An innovative effort to save Mother Nature
An initiative by Green Yatra (An NGO).
We believe that the younger generation is our future and has the potential to be change makers. It is this belief that fuels our campaign. Go Green Kids is a National environmental educational yet practical Non for profit initiative for children and school students aged between 6 to 18 years, where we hope to develop and deliver practical and logical approaches toward aspects of their daily lifestyle, environment, the ecosystem, natural resources, global warming, pollution, eco-friendly tips, nature protection and conservation, and how they can contribute, support and inspire their Parents, Elders, Friends by adopting a green lifestyle and in the process to help & preserve Mother Nature. The Go Green Kids initiative concerns with making children aware and helps in sensitizing their minds so that they may be proactive in caring for our environment.
We are opting reverse/ retrograde approach to Save Mother Earth, through this Initiative where children will teach and inspire their elders to Go Green in daily life and can win cash prize of Rs. 2, 00,000, scholarships (Same amount of prize schools also can win) and lots of other benefits… Completely Free. Each and every student will awarded with a participation certificate as an encouragement which will be life time asset and credential to them.
Our vision is to form the largest network of young students from around the country and world that would not see environmental preservation as a chore, but would understand its importance and act willingly toward a greener present and future. We planned to accomplish this through our campaigns, talk shows, events, dramas and plays, site visitations, Eco- Natural picnics, tree plantation, workshops, audio visual presentation, scientific researches and international online forum and activities (includes blogs, website, online community, groups, and forums), where we will discuss various environmental issues like global warming, air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, smoking, alternate energy sources, alternate transportation, waste management, and a greener present and future. We also want to provide a platform for green ideas, concepts, and education that supports underprivileged kids. Our unique content does not only focus and prioritize on theoretical concepts but also on real facts, figures, images, videos, and scientific research.
To participate in Go Green Kids, children has to register, login in our website http://www.greenyatra.org/ and give online test or download question answer sheet on resources section give the test and summit/upload fully filled question answer sheet or mail us on ggkids@greenyatra.org. They can also enjoy reading interesting ways to save Environment in daily life, fact, reality on every aspect of environment in our Knowledge Tank section. We have try to make test informative, interesting rather than bookish and boring because we want make kids aware and inspire to adopt green lifestyle to save Earth.
Spread the Word
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