Understanding where and how individuals are exposed to environmental toxins is essential. The essay compares and contrasts five different articles that relate to the environment. However, the articles differ because Pohanka et al.’s article focuses on the environmental impacts on health. Some people rely on vehicles, increasing air pollution, while others do not (Pohanka, 2004). In contrast, Segedy’s article emphasizes how car dependency impacts people negatively, mainly how some individuals depend on cars when traveling, which later ruins their health, while others do not depend on cars. Nations should establish various laws and strategies to lessen Sprawl impacts and overdependence on cars to prevent several grave health issues and fatalities.
Urban sprawl has been a major problem impacting various nations. The effects of sprawl on health workers are discussed in the article by Pohanka. The problem of urban sprawl, which affects the entire country, will be around for a while. Sprawl can have various adverse effects on one’s health, ranging from minor to severe (Pohanka, 2004). Frumkin’s article explores the connection between sprawl and health (Frumkin, 2002).
Environmental influences include air contamination, heat, corporeal activity patterns, traffic accidents, fatalities and injuries, water amount and quality, mental well-being, and social investment. People are not equally affected by sprawl, and those most impacted need special consideration (Frumkin, 2002). The development of policies must take health into account. It is similarly essential to take social justice and fairness into account because the effects of sprawl on population health are unevenly distributed. Workers cannot be isolated from the potential consequences of pollutants in their surroundings as they travel to and from work. Therefore, occupational health nurses must address these issues at work and in their communities.
Owen praises the incredible density of urban areas like Manhattan for their “greenness” in the article “Green Manhattan.” According to him, New York is the greenest biosphere’s largest metropolises and the greenest neighborhood in the United States. Due to the city’s densely populated, New Yorkers mostly use public transportation, consume fewer fossil fuels, and rely on skyscrapers, which require less energy to heat and cool each square foot of internal space than houses (Owen, 2004). Owen’s use of the word “density” makes it possible to imagine Seoul as a “green” location. Seoul produces fewer greenhouse gasses, is more energy conserved, and has less garbage per capita than suburban areas, resembling numerous qualities of Manhattan that Owen lists.
The overreliance on automobiles is a topic covered in Segedy’s article, “Baby Boomers Aging in a Car-Dependent World.” Humans started reorienting our towns and communities around the car much earlier than that, even though this shift to an engine society is typically seen as occurring after World War II (Segedy, 2018). There was almost one car for every American home, even in 1930, at the start of the Great Depression. Our surroundings will not be the same again because the genie was released from the bottle.
The goal of Zipper’s article, “The Incredibly Obvious Way to Reduce Road Deaths That Goes Ignored,” is to lessen the number of people who die on the roads due to collisions. For various reasons, taking public transportation is generally safer than operating a vehicle. The exclusive right of way given to trains (and occasionally buses) reduces the likelihood of collisions (Zipper, 2022). In comparison to automobiles, buses and trains are pretty hefty; “you are effectively in a steel suit,” as Savage put it; this provides passengers with more safety (Zipper, 2022). Another problem is the comparatively slow speed of city buses; when horrible things happen, they usually are not all that bad.
In conclusion, several people worldwide die yearly due to living or working conditions, such as environmental conditions that eventually cause death and overdependence on cars, which eventually exposes people to accidents and hence death. Heart disease, lymphoma, and respiratory conditions can all be made worse by environmental contaminants. People with lower incomes are more likely to live in polluted areas and have exposure to polluted water. Additionally, children and pregnant individuals are more in danger of pollution-related medical conditions.
References
Frumkin, H. (2002). Urban sprawl and public health. Public Health Reports, 117(3), 201. Web.
Owen, D. (2004). Green Manhattan. New Yorker. Web.
Pohanka, M., & Fitzgerald, S. (2004). Urban sprawl and you: How sprawl adversely affects worker health. AAOHN Journal, 52(6), 242–246. Web.
Segedy, J. (2018). Baby boomers are aging in a car-dependent world. The American Conservative. Web.
Zipper, D. (2022). The incredibly obvious way to reduce road deaths that goes ignored. Slate. Web.