Current Event: Pollution is overrated

Businesses create goods that people want sometimes at the expense of pollution. Pollution can be a difficult thing to grade. Industrial wastes can definately kill people because they can be poisonous and/or radioactive. In, Environmentalists Overstate the Danger of Industrial Chemicals, it explains the costs of reducing pollution. It says, "Not every regulation is a good investment. For example, for each premature death averted, the regulation that lists petroleum refining sludge as a hazardous waste costs $27.6 million while the rule that does the same for wood preserving chemicals costs $5.7 trillion per death avoided, according to estimates from the Office of Management and Budget." This money has to be paid by someone. The money paid could be going to charities or the poor and could have saved just as many or probably more people than the reduction in deaths due to pollution related causes. It is pretty much impossible to eliminate pollution completely but precautions should be taken to protect people. However, money could be going to better places to save lives sometimes instead of pollution.

Brody, Jane E. "Environmentalists Overstate the Danger of Industrial Chemicals." At Issue: Nuclear and Toxic Waste. Ed. Stuart A. Kallen. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 5 Feb. 2010 .