I'm no superwoman, and I don't multi-task well. My oatmeal will burn if left on the flame while reworking a sentence.
I need focus.
And being that I just got hit with two air pollution studies, I feel challenged.
Too many risks to human health they say.
Too much for my head to digest while cooking a tofu and vegetable dinner I say.
Dinner is on the stove right now and I'm thinking about aging infrastructures that bring us energy. Like my body.
And oil refineries, gas pipelines, and nuclear power plants because when they age, toxic leakage makes news in the form of frightening studies and reports like on tonight's ABC Nightly News.
Brian Ross shared his Toxic Acid Risk Report about aging oil refineries that create serious pollution. Brian's report was one of two that shivered my spine today but stopped when I replaced it with an Oprah-like Aha! moment.
ABC's toxic report highlighted 50 aging oil refineries, including a few near Los Angeles with the potential to devastate air quality and human health should the toxic hydrofluoric acid escape into a giant plume with its ability to burn out an entire communities lungs and bones, maybe even your own.
Air pollution.
Scarier than an R rated movie and the local news are health impact and aging pipeline stories. I don't go to R rated movies when Disney can take unhappy Cinderellas and Sleeping Beauties, and make them over into happily ever afters. I stick with Disney. Naturally, I wish I could close my eyes to violent reports, too.
Yet I write about air pollution because I need to breathe clean air. (Really I write more about clean air and how to get it, and how to have fun while getting it, too) So to be educated and see the list of aging American oil refineries click here.
And if you want to focus on positive news, sort of, the other new health impact of air pollution study that just came out said air pollution causes more heart attacks than cocaine.
23 times more lethal.
Huh?
(I'm turning down the flame on the stove.)
I don't know anyone that uses cocaine. Give me something useful.
Okay.
The other study also said heart attack risks included negative emotions and freeways (I know, I know).
And positive emotions and sex.
Huh?
(Turning off the flame.)
My Oprah-like Aha! moment.
If we're one of the 186.1 million Americans breathing bad air, happy thoughts and sex may be our answer to smile til the end of time or our aging infrastructures give out like my great grandpa David above. (Mom just gave me all her old photo albums).
A reminder that no one lasts forever so enjoy life while you can and I'm going to stop reading so many studies. There's too much life to enjoy but the only way to do so is focus. On the sun not the shadows.
Who knows what got great grandpa in the end. Sex? Air Pollution? I'll bet old age because back then they didn't have widely publicized studies.
Nonetheless, I'll write oil companies and the EPA (Region 9 in California) and say, hey guys, let's clean up those old oil refineries. Now! Because I have a responsibility to speak up when I know something is important.
And I'll move far from the freeway but not near a port, and find a new clean air adventure to look forward to and share.
But because I can only focus on one thing at a time...
Dinner.
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