Pollution causes some 40 percent of deaths worldwide, says new research

Dying For a Change

Here's one small reason to join the save-the-environment cause: new research indicates that some 40 percent of deaths worldwide are a direct effect of air, water, and soil pollution. Dirty air contributes to cancer and birth defects; unclean water accounts for 80 percent of all infectious diseases; and contaminated soil passes toxics to unwitting humans through direct contact or via food. According to researchers' review of data from more than 120 published papers, pollution combined with population growth contributes to malnourishment and disease susceptibility in 3.7 billion people, or about 57 percent of the world population. In 1950, when a mere 2.5 billion humans roamed the earth, only 20 percent of the population was malnourished. Says lead researcher David Pimentel, "We have serious environmental resource problems of water, land, and energy, and these are now coming to bear on food production, malnutrition, and the incidence of diseases."

straight to the source: Science Daily, 14 Aug 2007

straight to the source: The Ithaca Journal, Topher Sanders, 13 Aug 2007

see also, in Grist: An interview with David Pimentel

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Comments: (3 comments)

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So Pollution is Good Then?

Here's the whole illogical of everything Grist does or says: it's one equation with two unknowns.

So, there's the size of population, P.

Then there's some kind of number that represents all the good things in life that Grist wants -- Green Cars, Healthful Food, blah, blah, blah. Call that G.

So, everyday Grist says

G = 1/P

As in more people, more problems (anthro-).

If we're going to be "sustainable" in any way, shape or form, we have to decide on a value for P.

Well, Grist?

What is P?

by jabailo at 12:24 AM on 17 Aug 2007

Ethics 101

Thoughtful birth control to control over population is good. Population control via random toxicity and environmental degradation is bad.

by infp at 9:41 AM on 17 Aug 2007

hellooooooo!

As I have been saying to whomever would listen.All of our serious environmental,food,and war problems can be traced to overpopulation.How do you peddle lower population to countries that have high birth deaths?I don't know.This gets into the area where people have to have large numbers of children to help economically take care of the family,do daily works,and replace the inevitable deaths of some of the children.This is a philisophical issue,although the familys probably don't think that way.They go with the way it has always been or is daily to them.The way of thinking that we have to replace or reproduce at a high rate so that we can live idea is hard to stop.
The bottom line is that too many people,too few and lessening resources leads to pollution of land and water and air,and then to war to get those resources.Get ready for the bumpy ride folks,because there is going to be alot more of this negativity until the earth rebels and cleans itself and us along with it.The earth will endure,but we probably will not!

Why not ask why!?

by usandthem at 8:37 AM on 18 Aug 2007

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