It's True, People Die from Pollution

Two pieces of news caught in my throat like the moment before a cough.

A new study concluded "that improvements in U.S. air quality since 1990 have sparked a 35 percent reduction in deaths and disability specifically attributable to air pollution."

Another report, this one from China, determined that the country's heavy air pollution from burning coal reduces life expectancy by 5 years.   That's 500 million people dying before their countrymen simply based on their source of energy.

Yet no one's making a great deal of noise about it.  It's barely picking up.  The message that air pollution is literally killing people seems so crazy in its complacency.

Isn't one death from pollution enough?  These aren't industrial accidents or unpreventable results.  It's us poisoning ourselves and our planet for a few extra coins.

Somewhere eyes sting and Dylan Thomas's fierce tears flow.  We can do better than this.