Life Expectancy Increased Only 0.5% With US Air Cleanup in 80s & 90s.

Dave Harcourt — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:59:29 +0000

A study of the change in life expectancy in the USA in concludes that the change in air cleanliness has increased life expectancy by 21 weeks or significantly less than half a year. The question is, with today’s life expectancy of 78 years, what kind of return on investment is this over and above than the sheer beauty of clean air!

The study lead by Arden Pope, an epidemiologist at Brigham Young University in Utah, found that life expectancy had increased by 2.72 years between 1980 and 2000. Fifteen percent of this increase could be attributed to air quality, giving the reported 21 weeks. The reduction in smoking and general increase in socioeconomic conditions were the two most significant factors improving life expectancy.

Photo credit: Augapfel on Flickr under a Creative Commons license.

Study Warns Against Taking a Deep Breath in Mexico

Amanda Peterka — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:26:26 +0000

Mexico may be planting green roofs, but that may not be enough. A new study came out on Monday saying that the dense smog over many parts of Mexico is shortening Mexicans’ lives by a whole two years.

A Harvard group concluded that 1.6 percent of annual deaths in Mexico are from that hazy fog, coming to a total of 7,600 shorter lives total in the years 2002-2005.

Green Options » life expectancy

Life Expectancy Increased Only 0.5% With US Air Cleanup in 80s & 90s.

Study Warns Against Taking a Deep Breath in Mexico