Clean Air Equals Longer Life by Jim Parks on Creators.com

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Clean Air Equals Longer Life

Editor's Note: The Today's Green Minute column is not available this week. The following column originally was published in May 2009.

If you doubt that clean air has an effect on your health, now there's scientific proof that you're wrong.

Cleaner U.S. air over the last 20 years has added an average of 21 weeks to the life of an American. Those who study these results conclude that Americans live 2.72 years longer than they did in the early '80s — 15 percent of that is accountable to the reduction of the fine particles given off by our fossil fuel-driven cars, factories and power plants. Oh, and changing smoking habits, which is the biggest factor.

Arden Pope, Brigham Young University's epidemiologist, led the study by examining economic, demographic and pollution data.

The team found that life expectancy rose by 31 weeks when fine particles dropped 10 micrograms per cubic meter, and increased 43 weeks when 13 to 14 micrograms of fine particles were reduced.

This all seems intuitive, but now it's scientific fact: the cleaner the air, the longer you'll live.

Questions can be sent to Jim Parks at jrparks@mac.com. To view the online "Today's Green Minute" videos, go to http://todaysgreenminute.com/. To find out more about Jim Parks and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.