Some stories I come across and just have to wonder, who thinks of these things? This is one of them…
A recent “study found that people of color are exposed to 38 percent more outdoor nitrogen dioxide, which comes from vehicle exhaust and power plants, than whites.”
The study was conducted at the University of Minnesota. So many questions come to mind, like:
- Who thought this might even be an issue?
- Who funded this effort? (I hope it wasn’t the taxpayer!)
- How much did it cost?
- How long was the study?
- Where were the people being observed located (city, rural, combination)?
- Did they track history, environment, geography, other impacting factors?
- Is it a matter of physiological differences?
So much is NOT mentioned in the article. Just the highlight that “people of color” are exposed to nearly 40% more NO2 than whites without any possible explanation as to why.
Whoever funded this study should ask for their money back.
You can read what little was published about it here. Maybe someone will publish a more comprehensive story or the full report at a later date. If you find it, please link it here. We’d love to see it.
Photo credit via Flickr Jay Peeples
