GroupMembers:MeghanStephany,GabrielleSantelli,EverettHinchberger,andLiamFlaherty

Title:AirPollutioninPittsburgh

Iusedtothinktheonlypeoplewhogotlungcancerwere30yearsmokers,untilIwas
diagnosedwithstage3lungcancer,andhaveneversmokedadayinmylife.Itturnsoutthattheair
pollutionIthoughtwasjustsomethingmadeupbyglobalwarmingactivistsisquitereal.Whoknew
thatevenbreathingisdangerous.Ifonlypeopleknewtherisksofpollution,theymightcareaboutit
asmuchasInowdo.Thenagain,whyshouldanyonecareaboutsomethingthattheycantsee.I
knowIdidnt.Airpollutionisamassiveproblemthataffectsmanylives,andneedstobefixed.

Thefirstproblemthatcomesfromairpollutionisthemanyharmfuleffectsthatitcanhave
onthehumanbody.Amajorproblemitcancauseforthebodyistheincreasedchanceofgetting
asthma.Smallparticlescangetinthelungsincludingdust,soot,aerosols,anddieselfuels.More
than44millionpeopleliveinanareathatdoesntmeetthestandardsofgoodairqualitywithout
thosechemicals(AsthmaandAirPollution).Anotherproblemairpollutioncanhaveonthebodyis
thatitcausesskincancer.Theskinisatargetorganforairpollution.Whenpeopleareexposedto
ultravioletBirradiation,thechemicalscangetundertheskinbecausetheybeabsorbedbyit.This
canincreasethechanceofgettingskincancerby2percent(Wolf).Afinalproblemforpeopleisit
increasesthechancesofgettingAlzheimersDisease.Researchershavefoundthattheair
pollutantparticlesaresmallenoughtogetpastthebrainbloodbarrier.Thiscreatesawaxyplaque
buildupinthebrain.Thissameplaqueiswhatisfoundinthebrainsofpeoplewhohave
AlzheimersDisease(Wolf).

Althoughitistruethatairpollutioniscertainlydangeroustohumanhealthandwellness,
thisuncleanairalsoposesasanequallymajorthreattotheenvironmentandtheworldthatwelive
in.Scientistshavefoundpollutionintheairmergeswiththewaterintheclouds,causingacidrain,
whichisknowntocausestonetoerodeawayfaster,harmtrees,andinfectbodiesofwater(What
aretheEffectsofAirPollution).Theeffectofacidrainnotonlykillsthetreesandpollutewater,butit
poisonsthewildlifethatthrivesonandlivesintheforestsandinthewater.Airpollutionhasalso
beenshowntoinfectwildlifeinotherwaysaswell.Airpollutionisabletocauseavarietyof
mutationsandbirthdefectswithanimals.ScientistsinCanadastudiedmicethathadbeenexposed
tothegasproducedbynearbysteelmillsanddiscoveredthatthemicethatwereexposedtothe
badairhaddoubletheamountofmutationsasmicethatwerenotexposed(Shouse).Ontopofthat,
airpollutionandacidrainisconstantlychangingandruiningfertilesoilandland,causingevenmore
ofaproblemtotheenvironment.Consideringhowdangerousairpollutionistoorworld,itiswithout
adoubtsomethingthatneedstobedealtwith.

Studieshaveshowntheburningoffossilfuelsasoneofthelargestcausesofairpollution.
Motorvehiclesareamajorcontributortotheburningoffossilfuels,astheycontribute50to90
percentofallpollutionenteringouratmosphere(Smith).Althoughcarsandothervehiclesare
advantageousfortravelinglongdistances,intoday'ssocietytheycanalsobeagreathindrance.If
someonewantedtowalkorrideabikeastransportation,itwouldbeverydangerousduetothe
amountofmotorvehiclesontheroad.Whiledrivingtoschoolwhileinwalkingdistanceisdefinitely
easier,walkingorbikingdrasticallyreducesyourcarbonfootprint.Anothermainsourceofair
pollutionisindustrialization,suchassteelmills,factories,andpowerplants.Theseallusethe
burningofcoalandnaturalgassestofueltheirfacilities(Lieber).Thisreleasesadangerousamount
ofmercury,petroleumcoke,carbondioxide,radon,andformaldehydeintotheatmosphere.Some
companieshavestartedtofiltertheirwasteemissions,whichisatleastastepintherightdirection.
However,alternativeenergysourcessuchaswindturbinesandhydroelectricpoweraremuchmore
preferable.Inotherplaces,alternativesourcesofenergyarealreadybeingimplemented,but
Pittsburghislackingthese,despitebeingfilledwithwaterwaysandhavealotofwindactivity.One
lastcauseofairpollutionarehouseholdandfarmingchemicalssuchaspesticides,cropdusting,
andfumigatedhomes.Thisformofairpollutionhasthemostquick,shorttermeffectsonpersonal
health.Forexample,inhalingonlyanounceofpesticidecanmakeyoufeelill,andbeingexposedto
anysortofhouseholdchemicalorpesticideoverlongperiodoftimecanresultinnervedamage
andcancer(Schulze).Thesekindofchemicalscanbeabsorbedinmanydifferentways,suchas
beingingested,inhaling,andthroughtheskin(PesticidesHealthEffects).Overusageofchemicals,
industrialization,andvehiclewasteemissionsareallmaincausesofairpollution.

Airpollutionisaproblemthatnegativelyimpactsalllifeinthecommunity.Asolutiontothis
problemwouldbetoinsertbikelanesthroughoutourlocalcommunity.Theycanbeplacedamongst
theamenitiesinthecommunityandalsoalongthemainroadsinthetownship.Ifbikelaneswere
incorporatedintoHamptonTownship,morepeoplewouldfeelliketheycouldsafelyridetheirbikes
asopposedtodrivingorusingamotorizedvehicle.Morepeopleusingbikelaneswouldresultin
muchlesstrafficontheroads.Becausecarsandbussesreleaseharmfulpollutantsfromburning
fossilfuelintotheair,cuttingbackontheamountofcarsontheroadwouldalsomeancuttingback
ontheamountofairpollution.Tohelpmakethisideaintoareality,wewouldneedtoreachoutto
andreceivepermissionforthisprojectfromtheLandUseAdministratorofHampton.Heisin
chargeofmaintainingrecordsoflandandthelandusethroughoutthetownship.Theywouldhelp
usbyprocessingapplicationsforlanduseandassistingwiththeplanningofthecommunityland
use.SincehewouldbetheonetogiveustheOKandbecauseheisinchargeofthelandin
Hampton,hewouldlogicallybethemainpersoninchargeofourproject.Hewouldhelpusby
figuringoutwheretoputthebikelanesaswellasgatheringuptheroadandconstructioncrewthat
wouldactuallycreatethesebikelanes.Togetthefundingforthiscostlyproject,wewillstarta
kickstarterorstartafundraiser.Wewillalsorelyonthegovernmenttohelpusoutwiththefunding.

Ourproposedsolutionofimplementingbikelanesintothecommunityisaprovenidea.
Multiplecitieshavealreadyusedthisstrategyandseenitsbenefits.Forinstance,Davis,California
hasthehighestpercentageofcyclistsinthenation(ARBBicycleAwarenessProgram).Amongits
64,000residents,17percenttraveltoworkbybicycleand41percentconsiderthebicycletheir
primarymodeoftransportation(ARBBicycleAwarenessProgram).Currentlytheresulting
statewideeffectofpeoplechoosingtorideabikeinsteadofdrivingresultsinaround7tonsof
smogforminggasestonotbereleasedandalmostatonlessofinhalableparticles(ARBBicycle
AwarenessProgram).IfonlyonepercentoftheCalifornianpopulationweretousebikesasmain
transportation,thentherewouldbe20tonslesscarbonmonoxidereleased(ARBBicycle
AwarenessProgram).Thisisnotonlyaneffectivemethod,butaneasilyfinanciallybackedoneas
wellasseeninthebayareaofCalifornia.From1996through2006,theDistricthasawardedover
$33millioninfundingforbicycleprojectsthroughouttheBayArea(BicyclesandAirQuality).The
stateandfederalgovernmentshavemultipleincentivesforwaystohelpreduceharmfulemissions.
Forexample,thecityofChicago,Illinoisafterhiringaconsultanttofindthemoststrategic,safest,
andleasttrafficimpactingroadswasabletosecurefundingforbikelanesfromthefederal
CongestionMitigationandAirQualityprogram(Bike).Bikelanesarenowcommonlyincludedand
createdinanyroadconstructionjob.Now,Iknowthatwiththisproposal,somequestionswillpopup
concerningmanythings,suchasfinances,safety,andwilltheyevenbeused?Luckily,these
questionscaneasilyberefutedwithsomeevidence.Firstofall,financewilldefinitelyhavetobe
consideredinthisproject.Nottoworry,forbikelanescost130,000permileonaverage,wellwithin
Hamptonsbudget(BicycleLanes).Secondly,thesafetyofbikelanesaremoredeterminedbythe
driversthanthebikers.Lessthan10%ofallcyclingaccidentsarecausedbythebikersthemselves
(Alter).Lastly,bikelanesareaprovenandeffectivemethodoftransportation.Peopleridetheir
bikesonthestreetanyway,soitislogicaltoputinthebikelanes.
Tosummarize,airpollutionisaproblemthatisalreadyaffectingeveryone'slives,
regardlessofwhethertheycontributetoitornot.Likewise,wearealsotheonlyoneswhocanhelp
preventit,withdoingthingssuchascuttingbackontheuseofmotorizedvehiclesandother
machinesthatgenerateharmfulgas.Withoutalltheemissionsbeingreleasedbycars,ourworld
canbeagreener,healthierplace.Ifeverypersonweretouseabikeinsteadofdrivingatleastonce
aweek,justimaginetheimmensechangeintheair.WIthbikelanes,morepeoplewouldusebikes,
andwithmorebikesbeingused,thatwouldmeanlesscarsontheroad,whichmeanslesssmoke
andexhausttopolluteourair.Whowouldwanttoliveinaworldwhereyoucannotbreathewith
ease?

(Smith)http://auto.howstuffworks.com/percentageofairpollutionduetocars.htm

(Lieber)http://planetsave.com/2013/12/07/pollutionairpollutionwaterpollutionhealthprobl
ems/

(PesticidesHealthEffects)
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/pesticides/health_effects.html

(Shuelz)http://www.headlice.org/faq/treatments/signssymptoms.htm

(ARBBicycleAwarenessProgram)http://www.arb.ca.gov/planning/tsaq/bicycle/factsht.htm

(BicyclesandAir
Quality)http://www.baaqmd.gov/Divisions/CommunicationsandOutreach/SparetheAir/Bi
cyclesandAirQuality.aspx

http://news.sciencemag.org/2002/12/airpollutionlinkedmutations(Shouse).
http://eschooltoday.com/pollution/airpollution/effectsofairpollution.html(Whatarethe
EffectsofAirPollution).

(BikeLanes)
http://www.sustainablecitiesinstitute.org/topics/transportation/bicyclesandpedestrians/bik
elanes

(BicycleLanes)http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/planning/facilities_bike_bikelanes.cfm

(Alter)
http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/cyclistscauselessthan10ofbikecaraccidents.html

(AsthmaandAirPollution)http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/fasthma.asp

(Wolf)http://www.cleanhouston.org/health/health_effects/health3.htm

WorksCited

Smith,Megan.WhatPercentageofAirPollutionisDuetoCars.auto.howstuffworks.com.
HowStuffWorksInc.,n.d.Web.25April2014.
Lieber,Dan.Top10ToxicIngredientsUsedInTheFossilFuelIndustries.
planetsave.com.SustainableEnterprisesMediaInc.,2014.Web.25April2014.
PesticidesHealthEffects.www.ccohs.ca.CanadianCentreforOccupationalHealth&
Safety,2010.Web.25April2014.
Schulze,Larry.SignsandSymptomsofPesticidePoisoning.www.headlice.org.The
NationalPediculosisAssociationInc.,1997.Web.25April2014.

ARBBicycleAwarenessProgram.www.arb.ca.gov.CaliforniaEPA,2008.Web.25April
2014.

BicyclesandAirQuality.www.baaqmd.gov.BayAreaManagementDistrict,2011.Web.
25April2014.

Shouse,Ben.AirPollutionLinkedtoMutations.news.sciencemag.org.American
AssociationfortheAdvancementofScience,2002.Web.25April2014.
WhataretheEffectsofAirPollution.eschooltoday.com.eSchooltoday,2010.Web.25
April2014.

BikeLanes.www.sustainablecitiesinstitute.org.NationalLeagueofCities,2013.Web.25
April2014.

BicycleLanes.www.pedbikeinfo.org.U.S.DepartmentofTransportationFederalHighway
Administration,n.d.Web.25April2014.

Alter,Lloyd.CyclistsCauseLessThan10%ofBike/CarAccidents.www.treehugger.com.
MNNHoldingCompanyLLC,2009.Web.April252014.

AsthmaandAirPollution.www.nrdc.org.NaturalResourcesDefenceCouncil,2014.Web.
25April2014.

Wolf,Vicki.TheHealthEffectsofAirPollutionPartIII:TheHumanBodyUnderAttack.
www.cleanhouston.org.CitizensLeagueforEnvironmentalActionNow,2004.Web.25
April2014.