Rebuilding the Unity of Health and the Environment The Greater Houston Metropolitan Area: Workshop Summary (2005) / Chapter Skim
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3 Natural Environment
3 Natural Environment
Pages 19-30
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From page 19... ...
, the local waterways are altered, and the atmosphere acquires decidedly unnatural characteristics. A panel of speakers described aspects of Houston's urbanization that are largely responsible for its environmental problems -- particularly with regard to air pollution, threats to drinking water supply and quality, and flooding -- together with specifics about the impacts of the problems on public health.
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From page 20... ...
For ex ample, a study of the Los Angeles metropolitan area suggested that each year nearly a thousand new cases of cancer for every one million residents may be caused by exposure to dieselIncreased urbanization amplifies exposure particulate emissions (South Coast Air to environmental health hazards and is Quality Management District, 1999)
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From page 21... ...
. Hamilton also noted that among children who live in Houston's Fifth Ward, a low-income and predominantly black area that is also home to the 36-acre many diversified interests Superfund site, screenings conducted jointly by the Texas Department of Health, the city of Houston , and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry found that approximately 22 percent of the children have significantly elevated blood lead levels, in comparison with 9 percent of Texas children in general (personal communication, Reyes, 2004)
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From page 22... ...
These are generally outdoor contaminants, but major air pollution problems result from indoor allergens and irritants as well, especially considering that Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. Indoor agents most highly relevant for the Houston area include dust mites, mold, pet-derived allergens, air fresheners, cigarette smoke, and cleaning solvents.
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From page 23... ...
Environmental attorney James Blackburn, a principal in the Houston firm of Blackburn & Carter, noted in particular that with the aid of federal legislation, the region had made significant progress over the past few decades in cleaning up its water pollution, hazardous waste disposal sites, and even some of its air pollution, although there is still substantial room for further improvement. In the 1970s, some environmentalists dubbed the Houston Ship Channel the most polluted waterway in the United States and probably the world.
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From page 24... ...
Another example of effective federal involvement in improving Houston's environmental quality involves air pollution. There has been a significant improvement in cleaning up the region's ozone pollution since 1970, when the Clean Air Act was passed and EPA acquired jurisdiction over, the clean up, said Blackburn.
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From page 25... ...
One such approach being promoted by Environmental Defense is "pay-as-you-drive" car insurance policies in which premiums are priced by the number of miles driven rather than at a fixed annual rate. Another is "parking cash out," whereby businesses offer employees the option of taking the cash equivalent of parking space fees in exchange for finding alternative ways to get to work.
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From page 26... ...
Also over the long term, he added, we need to focus on reducing industrial emissions, promoting environmental accountability, and educating legislators about the public health implications of their decisions. The public support for strong clean air measures was borne out by a recent survey of local residents (Klinenberg, 2002)
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From page 27... ...
In this spirit, Shanley briefly discussed the options of dispersed systems such as drainage schemes in parking lots that feed subsurface containments, home cisterns that accumulate roof runoff, and street medians and rain gardens that not only store water but provide rich and beautiful ecological zones (Figure 3.5)
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From page 28... ...
FIGURE 3.5 Rain gardens and street medians used for water drainage not only store water but provide rich and beautiful ecological zones. SOURCE: Tom Fox, the SWA Group.
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From page 29... ...
The city is conducting a water reclamation feasibility study now, based on membrane treatment of wastewater effluent, for a capacity of up to 100 million gallons a day for industrial water uses along the Houston Ship Channel. If this approach proves feasible, the cost of distributing such water to in A gallon saved is a gallon that does not dustrial customers, who would then have to be treated to drinking water use it for production processes and standards.
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From page 30... ...
Blackwood Educational Land Insti tute may bridge the gaps by providing a "living classroom" for teaching children and adults alike to explore the natural web of life and develop a healthy relation ship with nature -- or, according to the institute's mission statement, "a Forming such bonds between the reverence for and accountability to environment and people helps strengthen nature." Forming such bonds beour communities -- urban and otherwise -- tween the environment and people, as well. suggested Conlon and Hall, helps strengthen our communities -- urban Cath Conlon and Jackie Hall and otherwise -- as well.
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