Pittsburgh used to be so polluted that it was referred to as “hell with
the lid off.” The pollution is mostly invisible these days, however, “out of sight” usually
means “out of mind.”
A recent survey by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette showed that Pittsburghers care about the environment more than ever. Sixty four percent of responders believe that climate change is a problem and a whopping 96 percent believe that the environment is important to Pittsburgh’s economic outlook, but the majority still doesn’t believe that the region’s air quality is a problem because they can’t see it. Unfortunately, it's the pollution that can’t be seen by the naked eye that can do the most damage. Fine soot particles can wreak havoc on the body, and contribute to lung cancer, lung disease, and heart disease.
A recent survey by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette showed that Pittsburghers care about the environment more than ever. Sixty four percent of responders believe that climate change is a problem and a whopping 96 percent believe that the environment is important to Pittsburgh’s economic outlook, but the majority still doesn’t believe that the region’s air quality is a problem because they can’t see it. Unfortunately, it's the pollution that can’t be seen by the naked eye that can do the most damage. Fine soot particles can wreak havoc on the body, and contribute to lung cancer, lung disease, and heart disease.
Still, it's great to see that area residents feel strongly about the
environment. There are many great organizations in the region, and campaigns including the Breathe Project, that are educating citizens about the state of our air
and how we can improve it.
