Thursday, July 26, 2007

Pollution shortens human life

It is the obvious things that kill us. Standing on a street corner - if you wait long enough - you are probably bound to be hit by a speeding or drunk motorist as one Auckland homeless woman sadly was quite recently. But do not despair, just standing there and breathing in the particles from the exhaust of cars is fairly likely to knock a whole lot of years from your lifetime, here on Earth.

Breathing excess particle pollutants causes damage to arteries and lungs. As if someone had to discover this... Hey everyone - get this - pollution is not just bad for the environment, it is shortening the time you have to pay off your mortgage, time left to save up for that car, that boat or holiday. No wonder sales suffer!

Each diesil powered SUV stuck in traffic is a community attached to a smoking cigarette. So much to do, so little time - no - the lastest just in is rush a little faster as the pollution caused by everyone competing for "wealth" will remove several years from your life.

If we all just treated life as the sane tortoise - one bit to the next - rather than competing to become super consumers - insanely rushing from one thing to the next without so much as breath - we may live to enjoy the fruits of our labours.

The numbers killed in war are too small to affect most, but - do not be concerned - pollution is going to get every one who lives in a city and breaths. There should be a warning on the borders: warning, city, breathing can cause sudden death.

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