Opinion: Why pollution problem is neglected

Even though studies suggest that pollution kills nine million people each year, the problem is largely neglected by policymakers, funding organizations, and the media, according to an April 16, 2020 opinion piece in Undark.

One reason is that environmental regulations in the U.S. and other wealthy nations have already made some progress, according to the article. Another is that the pollution problem tends to be unseen until there’s a crisis that makes headlines—such as when the drinking water in Flint, Michigan was found to be tainted with lead.

“The Flint water crisis captured people’s attention as something that was important and unacceptable,” said Gary Adamkiewicz, assistant professor of environmental health and exposure disparities at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “It showed gaps in public policy, revealed which communities had power and a voice, and how these things can go unnoticed without proper testing.”

Read the Undark article: Opinion: Pollution Kills Nine Million People a Year. How Is That Okay?