Guest Blogger: Green Living: Avoiding Asbestos

Guest Blogger Bill Hawthorne is representing maacenter.org, a leading web resource for asbestos exposure and mesothelioma cancer information, dedicated to raising awareness of terrible health consequences of asbestos exposure.  How buildings are created – using sustainable green products – are crucial in avoiding asbestos and mesothelioma as well as improving existing structures.  Enjoy!

Going green used to be considered expensive and a luxury for those who could afford the trend. Now it appears that we are learning that not only is adopting more environmentally-conscious attitudes good for our wallets, but is also important to our health? If we dig a bit deeper, we can see that dirty industries and backwards policy is actually harming the health of the earth, our children and the health of her inhabitants today.

There are two levels of health consequences associated with dirty industry, both direct and indirect. The direct consequences are examples like increased asthma rates in areas with high smog. Chlorofluorocarbon release into the atmosphere has shown to decrease the filter of direct sunlight on the planet, resulting in more concentrated ultraviolet light reaching the surface of the earth. Perhaps with no surprise, in countries with depleted atmospheric gas, skin cancer rates are among the highest in the world.

Most mesothelioma doctors would say the indirect health consequences are harder to see immediately, but closer examination reveals that these are the most hazardous. Bi-products of industries such as coal and oil processing, include cancer causing substances like asbestos and benzene. A U.K. study conducted in 2002 indicated that coal and oil industry workers are at a much higher risk of developing mesothelioma cancer and leukemia.

Can we really afford to continue on the path we were on before? Investment in clean industry means not a healthier planet for our children and grandchildren, but also a healthier place for us to live today.

Posted by James O’ Shea, maacenter

GPB: Readers, thoughts? What can we do to make an impact to reduce toxins in our environment?