Prenatal Pollution Exposure

The results of a very important study are in. The IQs of children who were exposed to higher levels of harmful urban air pollution while in womb are significantly lower than those of children with low levels of exposure. Some may argue that it is too much speculation to say that these results may partially explain why poorer children do worse in school than richer children. It is convenient to brush aside these environmental justice issues, but we shouldn't. This is only one of many studies that suggests that the junk (pesticides, fertilizers, BPAs, pharmaceuticals, other endocrine disrupters, livestock waste, etc.) that we put into our environment has very real consequences, both direct and indirect, for our health and well-being.

During the catastrophic years (environmentally speaking) of the Bush Administration, W's euphemistically named "Clear-Skies Initiative" weakened the Clean Air Act by essentially allowing power plants and factories to spew even more harmful air pollution than they were previously spewing. Fortunately, in his first 100 days Obama undid this damaging "initiative" by reinstating the New Source Review. Of course I applaud this move, but I also worry that such critically important issues are not receiving enough attention what with the climate change bill and everything. Yes, it is crucial to immediately address CO2 emissions (and to better inform the American public that "global warming" is only one of many of harmful consequences of CO2 that are happening right now). But other "non-CO2" air and water pollution problems also deserve our immediate attention. After all, we're all drinking water and breathing air right now, and for some of us this water and air are making us sick. You would think these problems are something we can all relate to and for which there would be a lot less "controversy" than global climate change, at least when it comes to agreeing we need to do something about it. Hopefully this Pediatrics study will renew focus on some of the more local and immediate environmental concerns that affect all of us to some degree, but disproportionately harm the poor and minorities - those least equipped to deal with the health care, relocation, and other monetary costs.

On an only slightly related note can I just say that if you're gonna be "pro-life" as far as the law is concerned you damn well better be pro-QUALITY-of-life, too. Don't go around saying that women shouldn't be allowed to abort their fetuses while at the same time seeking to weaken environmental laws that would keep those fetuses healthy (or at least less sick).