Deadly air

We have an incredible problem today, and the problem will continue to get worse. The problem is our air quality. The air that we breathe is dirty and harmful, and if nothing is done, we will all die from it. At UCLA, a study was released last March, showing a direct relation between the length and severity of exposure to polluted air and the appearance of chronic, perhaps irreversible lung damage. Researchers found that breathing the worst air reduced lung capacity by as much as 75 percent and also caused higher susceptibility to respiratory disease.

Another study out of Philadelphia estimated that particulate matter is responsible for 3 percent of U.S. deaths a year, making it the nation’s sixth leading killer. Something needs to be done. I think that something needs to start with us, today’s college students, who will extend our knowledge to others. Our voices are many and they can spread awareness among the country if not the world. We are being educated and now we must educate others. This is a serious problem, one that can kill us. We can all work together to pass the information on and then prevent this deadly killer, “our air.”

Tony Raia

Psychology