Dart, T. (2018, January 29). After Harvey, Houston suburb suffers a persistent

problem: Waves of foul air. Retrieved August 5, 2018, from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/29/houston-manchester-hurricane-harvey-texas-foul-air

 

Air pollution in Houston disproportionately affects low-income communities. Research done by the Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services discovered that a carcinogen concentration was 174 times higher in the poor Harrisburg-Manchester area than in the affluent west Houston neighbourhood, where the cancer risk is 30% lower. When families complained of stenches wafting into their homes, the EPA issued a statement claiming that the benzene leak “does not indicate levels of concern for the community”. By turning off monitors and eliminating environmental rules during Hurricane Harvey, the government downplayed the need for reliable air quality data in times of natural disasters.

 

This relates to Environmental Science because human interference with air quality and natural resources is a large part of the problem facing the environment today. It is important to note that industrial activity is not only fatal to humans but the rest of the Earth’s inhabitants as well. It is frightening that these residents of Houston are in obvious need of protection yet the government does not find it necessary to give it to them. While exploiting resources may seem necessary during times of disaster, it is essential that the government think with regards to sustainability and how we can maintain our environment.