A portion of the following letter was forwarded to the Southern California newspaper; The Argonaut. The Argonaut published an article discussing a growing controversy regarding safety and pollution issues surrounding the Santa Monica Airport. The original article can be found here; http://argonautnewspaper.com/articles/2010/07/22/news_-_features/top_stories/2v.txt
More detail regarding leaded aviation fuel can be found here; http://www.sccgov.org/keyboard/attachments/Commission%20Agenda/2010/April%206,%202010/202906098/TMPKeyboard203012296.pdf
Dear Argonaut Editor,
I have read the discussion regarding the Santa Monica Airport controversy. I have much sympathy for the residents of Santa Monica. Unfortunately this is a national / international issue. I offer the following comments:
Comparing the airport to the LA freeways: The freeways benefit millions of citizens every day. The entire economy of Southern California depends on the freeway system with all it’s flaws. The Santa Monica Airport benefits hundreds at the most.
Airport was here first: City planning simply stated often refers to the highest and best use of resources. Orange County would still be farms without a bias to the ‘highest and best’. By the way Orange County gained improvement in quality of life by the closing of a much more important air facility. There comes a time for poor and unappreciated ‘public’ resources to be recycled.
Keep it up and the FAA will step in and nullify ANY regulations the town has passed: The FAA does have this reputation. So did the Minerals Management Service before the Gulf oil spill. When it comes to serving industry instead of the citizens of America, Minerals Management Service is just one recent glaring example of fraud and misuse of authority gone mad. As the nation will one day discover, the FAA is yet another federal agency in the pockets of industry and private profit. The FAA serves aviation without regard for the health and safety of American citizens. Profit and collusion will lead to disaster. Without change of attitude, it’s just a matter of time.
Other matters not yet mentioned in discussions regarding your article include aviation’s use of highly leaded fuel. Following are quotes from a recent Santa Clara Airport Commission report regarding the dangers of lead in aviation fuel:
"…medical research into the effects of lead on children is showing virtually any amount of lead in the blood of a child, or fetus, can result in permanent, measurable, cognitive impairment (brain damage, IQ loss).
"…In addition to causing permanent IQ loss in children, lead in the blood is associated with aggressive, antisocial behavior in children and adults.
"…The first study to follow lead-exposed children from before birth into adulthood has shown that even relatively low levels of lead permanently damage the brain and are linked to higher numbers of arrests, particularly for violent crime.
According to the report, exhaust from one gallon of aviation fuel can measurably lower the IQ of thousands of children. Based on this fact alone how can a civilized society allow this assault on our children?
It’s time for aviation to become a responsible civilized member of society.
Thank you,
Phillip Gilbert
Formerly of Santa Monica and currently fighting arrogant aviation in rural Kentucky.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Women's Issue
How bad is jet noise for humans? A German study comes to some distressing conclusions.
Results of the study, published in January 2010 and commissioned by Germany's Federal Environment Agency, is based on the analysis of data from public health insurers that were drawn from more than 1 million Germans ages 40 and over.
According to Eberhard Greiser, an emeritus professor of epidemiology at Bremen University. "Jet noise is more dangerous than any other kind of road-traffic noise or rail noise because it is especially acute and sharp and it induces stress hormones."
The study indicates men who are exposed to jet noise have a 69% higher risk of being hospitalized for cardiovascular disease. Women living under flight paths fare even worse, logging a 93% higher rate of hospitalization with cardiovascular problems, compared with their counterparts in quiet residential areas. Essentially all Americans live under flight paths! The study found that women who are exposed to jet noise equal to conversational speech during the day are 172% more likely to suffer a stroke.
This is a Women’s issue!
In a separate study it was discovered that women near Cologne-Bonn Airport had an increased risk of developing breast cancer and leukemia. Research found that women who are exposed to 60 decibels [loudness of conversational speech] of jet noise at night are twice as likely to contract breast cancer. "It seems women are more sensitive to jet noise than men, but I would advise everyone to think twice about living near an airport because it's not just aircraft noise which can be deadly; aircraft emissions are also dangerous," says Greiser.
"When it comes to expanding airports, governments and the courts all over the world will have to weigh the benefits of commercial interests against the danger to public health," Greiser says. "How many additional diseases is society prepared to accept?"
Do Americans care?
Complete article can be found here:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1929071_1929070_1947782,00.html
Results of the study, published in January 2010 and commissioned by Germany's Federal Environment Agency, is based on the analysis of data from public health insurers that were drawn from more than 1 million Germans ages 40 and over.
According to Eberhard Greiser, an emeritus professor of epidemiology at Bremen University. "Jet noise is more dangerous than any other kind of road-traffic noise or rail noise because it is especially acute and sharp and it induces stress hormones."
The study indicates men who are exposed to jet noise have a 69% higher risk of being hospitalized for cardiovascular disease. Women living under flight paths fare even worse, logging a 93% higher rate of hospitalization with cardiovascular problems, compared with their counterparts in quiet residential areas. Essentially all Americans live under flight paths! The study found that women who are exposed to jet noise equal to conversational speech during the day are 172% more likely to suffer a stroke.
This is a Women’s issue!
In a separate study it was discovered that women near Cologne-Bonn Airport had an increased risk of developing breast cancer and leukemia. Research found that women who are exposed to 60 decibels [loudness of conversational speech] of jet noise at night are twice as likely to contract breast cancer. "It seems women are more sensitive to jet noise than men, but I would advise everyone to think twice about living near an airport because it's not just aircraft noise which can be deadly; aircraft emissions are also dangerous," says Greiser.
"When it comes to expanding airports, governments and the courts all over the world will have to weigh the benefits of commercial interests against the danger to public health," Greiser says. "How many additional diseases is society prepared to accept?"
Do Americans care?
Complete article can be found here:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1929071_1929070_1947782,00.html
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