Air pollution causes many eye and skin irritation in addition with lung problems resulting in asthma and even cancer. These risks would affect people who live in communities that have high pollution, severely.
The vulnerabilties impact the community in a long term influence, especially fire. Fire hazards need more attention. the government should update their Police and Fire policies around the expansion of the fire events.
The Newark Resilience Action Plan (RAP) team comprises of the Ironbound Community Corporation, New Jersey Environment Justice, and Clean Water Action.
In terms of precaution regarding air pollution, the article talks about making good choices of transportation which means to walk or bike or take public transportation whenever feasible; choosing cars that have better mileage per gallon or electric cars; buying food locally grown rather than food from other places in order to reduce air pollution.
''Nature is eventually going to take its course,'' said David Turner of the United States Forest Service. ''It is a cataclysmic event for humans. But this is a dry habitat. Fire has been sweeping through this land for centuries.'' The flames are part of a cleansing process with real benefits, a lesson the Indians learned long ago to their hunting advantage but forest officials came late to. Now, in part due to budget restrictions, they do not rush in to fight every blaze everywhere. Some isolated fires are left to burn themselves out, naturally.
The vulnerability mentioned in this article is about pollution occurred due to port traffic, waste facilities, and industrial plants which cause increased risk of cancer.
The vulnerabilties impact the community in a long term influence, especially fire. Fire hazards need more attention. the government should update their Police and Fire policies around the expansion of the fire events.
The fact that when the government went to collect samples of lead, they didn't go to all the sites. Also the fact that EPA has an action level for lead in the water.
The new initiative mentioned in the article wants to enhance Environmental Justice, good stewardship, and suistainable economic development by protecting the health of the residents in Newark, minimizing pollution, and by encouraging development that does affects Newark positively.
The Resilience Action Plan Team got a grant from the Kresge Foundation's Climate Resilience and Urban Opportunity Initiative and they have the support of the city of Newark to enable their work and possibly shape their way of thinking about disaster and health.