Re: Power Plant Pollution Linked to 30,000 Premature Deaths

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

	I have two comments I would like to offer on this thread,
explaining why the estimates are reasonable and not surprising.

	1. There is a great deal of science behind these estimates,
including many dozens, if not hundreds, of scientific studies. Some of
these are summarized in the book by R. Wilson and J. Spengler, "Particles
in our Air: Concentrations and Health Effects", Harvard University Press;
1996, and in EPA Documents.

	2. What causes people to die prematurely, i.e. at a younger age
than when body organs wear out in an insult-free environment? Surely, a
large fraction of people do die prematurely in this sense. What sort of
insults can be involved here? The only obvious ones are things we take in
with food and drink, things we take in by inhalation, and external attacks
like auto accidents, falls, etc. What fraction of these would you think
are due to inhalation? Surely it must be at least a few percent -- if not,
how can you justify very much larger effects from the other two sources?
	The Harvard group estimates that 3 to 9 percent of all deaths
are due to air pollution - this is based on the numerous scientific
studies mentioned above. Since there are about 2 million deaths per year
in U.S., this means that 60,000 to 180,000 deaths are due to air
pollution. When one considers the sources of air pollution, it is quite
reasonable to deduce that something like 30,000 of these are due to
fossil fuel burning power plants.. 

Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245
Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu


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