I’ve had this shirt for a long time time. Three years I think. I got more laughs about this tonight than I’ve gotten in a year. I guess I’ve just been around people that have already seen it before.
Archive for April, 2006
And people don’t believe me when I say it’s harder to breathe in this state?
State fails soot, ozone tests, report says
Efforts to clean air cited by advocates
By Michael Schroeder
The Journal Gazette
Indiana failed, but it’s getting better and it has company.
That was the air quality prognosis, according to the American Lung Association State of the Air: 2006 Report released Thursday. The report said federal efforts to control air pollution from power plants are paying off and urged the Environmental Protection Agency to curb pollution from marine and locomotive sources.
The report, which focuses on particle – or soot – and ozone pollution, found that 96 percent of monitored counties in the state – including Allen and Huntington counties, the only counties monitored in the area – received failing grades.
The report indicated 4.5 million people in 27 monitored counties breathe air with dangerously high levels of ozone pollution, and nearly 2 million people in 19 monitored counties are exposed to high levels of particle pollution.
But that doesn’t necessarily put Indiana at the bottom of the list. Nationally, the report estimated that 150 million Americans live in counties where they are exposed to unhealthy levels of particle pollution, ozone pollution, or both.
“We’re in the middle,” said Nancy Turner, president of the American Lung Association of Indiana, regarding states’ standing.
About one-third of counties in Indiana and around the country have air quality monitors. Measures from those monitors from 2002 to 2004 were used for the report.
The findings seem to fly in face of recent improvements in Allen County and other counties. Allen County learned last December that its three-year average for ozone pollution had fallen below the federal limits. The county had exceeded those limits in the past, forcing it to be designated as a non-attainment area.
Being classified as non-attainment not only signifies a county has too much ozone pollution in its air; it also places a more restrictive permitting process on businesses. The county is now seeking to have its status returned to attainment.
“I think the air quality is better than an F in this area,” said Tony Burrus, co-chairman of the Allen County-Fort Wayne ozone task force. He was disheartened that improvements in air quality – especially those in 2005 – weren’t accounted for in grading.
“It is regrettable, the lack of timeliness,” Turner agreed, referring to the report’s 2002-04 range and Indiana’s recent strides in air quality improvement. Given the sheer scope of the report, she said that more time was required, adding that it still serves to “heighten awareness.”
Burrus said efforts to improve air quality continue. Those include public education and a planned county-sponsored gas can exchange to provide residents with more environmentally friendly canisters.
All the same, Burrus was somewhat skeptical of the American Lung Association report’s findings.
“It is a little inconceivable that we have that many counties in the failing range,” Burrus said, conceding that he didn’t know the intricacies of its grading system. He also expressed disappointment that the failing grade for high-ozone days didn’t differentiate Allen County from heavy polluters, such as Lake County. But Allen County received a passing grade while Lake County failed the other category: annual particle pollution days.
Also invoking Lake County, Turner conceded that grades alone don’t tell the whole story. But, she said that a line in the sand needed to be drawn. As with other measures the ALA is guided by Environmental Protection Agency standards in determining high-ozone days, she said. More than nine high-ozone days (each of which would typically prompt a public alert to forgo mowing the lawn or using a drive-through) in the three-year period would prompt a failing grade. For an A, a county couldn’t have a single high-ozone day. While no Indiana county achieved that mark, Gibson County in the southern part of the state managed a B with only one high-ozone day.
“I think it’s steep,” Turner said of the grading system. “But there always has to be a level of ideal.”
Allen County had 19 high-ozone days during that period, but got better marks for lower levels of particle pollution.
Turner attributed the county’s passing grade in that category to ongoing city-county efforts to reduce pollution. Huntington County had 12 high-ozone days. Data on particle pollution weren’t collected in the county.
Turner said that poor air quality can further aggravate symptoms of asthma sufferers. In general, children and seniors are most sensitive to poor air quality, although pollution can make it harder for anyone to breathe, she said.
Put simply, she said, “It’s not good for us.”
It seems the world already knows since I’ve been receiving phone calls and emails from just about everybody I know, but I still feel the need to at least talk about it a little here.
I work at Taylor University in Upland, IN. Wednesday night, a van containing dining commons employees and student workers was struck by a semi. Out of nine people in the van only four survived. I’ve been out of school for a little while and I didn’t know any of the students personally. However, they were faces I definitely recognized as ones you see around from time to time. It’s so hard not to be affected by this, no matter what your relation is to the situation.
Yesterday was just an awful day to be around. We had a service in the chapel yesterday morning and there were probably six or so, I’m not sure exactly how many, cameras setup with news crews. This was the first time I’ve ever really thought about news cameras. It kind of pissed me off. Yeah, I’ve always enjoyed being able to turn on the news when tragedy strikes. I’ve never really thought about how that news gets to my TV or favorite news web site. I don’t want to personally attack any of the reporters here because I don’t know any of their intentions. The cameras being setup, the crews zooming in on the faces of everyone walking in, and the reporters trying to ask people how they seemed like a very very very very very insensitive thing to do. I had several students tell me they were just waiting for somebody to get in their face so they could break a camera. The service went very well though. It was so sad and moving. I could just close my eyes and feel the pain in the room. It hurt.
Besides this tragedy, there are also a couple other incidents where students have recently been hurt. Earlier this week, my friend Moser’s fiance was rushed to the hospital for an emergency 7 hour open heart surgery. She continues to get better but the right side of her heart still isnt’ functioning. She’s actually in surgery as I type this right now. They’re going back in to see how everything is working. Also, I found out another friend of mine, Mark, got in a car accident yesterday. He’s doing ok though. I was so glad to hear that.
So today is Friday which also happens to be the inauguration of our president. He’s actually been around for a while but it’s sort of like when you vote for the president of the United States in the fall and they don’t swear him/her into office until the spring. It was decided that things would go on as scheduled, but the events are being re-purposed. Instead of fanfare filled with ‘hail to the chief’, the ceremonies are going to be much more subdued and with a different focus. There are supposedly thousands of people coming for this. This is the third president I’ve seen here on campus since I first came and the second inauguration I’ve been around for. I don’t remember the last one being such a big deal.
So anyways, things are hard. I’ve felt like I’ve been getting pulled in so many directions by so many friends and colleagues. There’s just not enough time to get things done. I was up til 3am this morning just talking and hanging out with people. I’m looking forward to the weekend. I’m looking forward to sleep. I’m looking forward to not seeing pain on everyone’s faces.
Last I heard she’s alert and awake and they were just about to take her breathing tube out. It’s really a miracle that she’s still alive. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers.
In other news, it’s the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl. I guess I’m assuming you know what I’m talking about here. If you don’t, I suggest you google it up and do a little investigating on your own.
Today my old buddy Shannon from World History with Dr. Mojo is coming to campus. I think she’s bring a prospective student to check out the place and stuff.
Most of you probably have no idea what I’m talking about, but if you know Moser or his fiance, Melissa, please be praying for them right now. Melissa quite literally almost died yesterday. As far as I know they were able to get some blood clots out of her lungs last night but she’s still in critical condition. This is a really rough time right now for Melissa’s family, Moser’s family and obviously all of their other friends and loved ones. I’m sure they would all appreciate your prayers.
Looking for some really, really cheap bus fares? You need to check out Mega Bus. Soulman was telling me about it the other day and it seems pretty awesome. He figured out he could get a bus from Columbus to Chicago and back for $6!
I know I mentioned this a while back, but I think Sons and Daughters is an amazing show. It’s written, produced, directed and created by Fred Goss who also happens to be the star of the show. This is amazing stuff. It’s hilarious. They even have a disclaimer at the beginning because show contains improv. It’s just good funny. They originally ordered 11 episodes for the season and have aired 10. For some reason they’re waiting on number 11. The ratings weren’t the best for them, but this is another great show with a cult following just like Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, Firefly, Arrested Development, etc, etc.
A petition has been started that can be accessed here. I’ve signed it. Please feel free to do so too if you like the show at all. If you frequent the IMDB web site at all you can see Fred Goss all over the forums for this show. I even posted a question at one point about a guy I thought I knew and it did in fact turn out to be him. However, Fred responded right away to me on the forums and said he was going to check it out. That’s cool. This guy really cares about what he has created.
Ok, so I’ll get off my soapbox here. If you’re interested at all in Fred’s blog, it can be found here. I even added him off to the side.
http://iwustudentquotes.blogspot.com/
Here’s a blog where some IWU profs throw up funny quotes from their students.
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