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12/01/2005: "Pollution Costs Not Just Lives, But Money"
Conservatives in the US argue that reducing pollution or otherwise protecting or improving the environment is "wrong" because it adresses "only" emotional or "lifestyle" values while depressing the economy. But it's becoming increasingly obvious that even the moral Neanderthals of the right should support environmental correctness, even if they don't give a damn about their neighbors or the future--because it actually improves the economy and business returns.Here's a quote from the World Health Organizationon the financial effects of just one class of pollutants, PM10:
Evidence indicates that PM increases deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Even a short-term rise in PM concentrations increases the risk of emergency hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory causes. ...The complete article is available at:
Council Directive 99/30/EC sets down limit values for PM10: 50 µg/m3 for the 24-hour average and 40 µg/m3 for the annual average. Current policies to reduce emissions of air pollutants by 2010 are expected to save 2.3 months of life for the EU population and 2.7 months of life for the population of Germany. This is the equivalent of preventing 80 000 premature deaths and saving over 1 million years of life in the EU; the corresponding figures for Germany are about 17 000 premature deaths and over 240 000 years of life (see Fact sheet EURO/04/05 of 14 April 2005).
Since long-term exposure to PM is particularly damaging to human health and reduces life expectancy, reducing long-term PM concentrations and exposure is a priority. This would also bring important financial savings. In the EU, the estimated annual monetary benefit from decreased population mortality attributed to PM is €58-161 billion, and savings on the costs of diseases attributed to PM account for €29 billion. The corresponding figures for Germany are €13-34 billion and €6 billion per year, respectively.
Richard Risemberg, on 12.01.05 @ 13:11PST