Leading for Health Equity
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Figure 1. ZIP Code 40059 Figure 2. ZIP Code 40203
HEIT is a collaborative effort of the Urban Design Studio, West Jefferson County Community Task Force, The Christine Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville and the UofL Center for Healthy Air, Water, and Soil. The program is free and accessible at www. udstudio. org / airtoxics / healthimpacttool.
Changes in allowable released amounts of particulate matter PM 2. 5 and PM 10 and regulations on vehicles and coal fired plants, reduced emissions. 4 Unfortunately, many of these changes are being rolled back, and the gains will likely be lost. Options are difficult, but at this stage, re-visiting replacing coal combustion with low-emission electricity sources, such as solar and wind power, and further expansion of alternative fuel vehicles may be of benefit.
Pollution freely disperses throughout our region and knows no boundaries. Yes, concentrations of some pollutants are greater in some areas than others, but no matter where we live we are affected.
This is not an us or them question, and this is no longer a time for blaming. Rather, in the face of the deleterious impact that pollution has on the health of our community, our choices are do we stop it here and try to reverse the effects, or do we pretend that this is not our problem and not get involved. Either way we will pay a price, I just hope that we choose to keep people healthy.
References
1
Comparison of All-Cause Mortality Rates and Inequities Between Black and White Populations Across the 30 Most Populous US Cities. Benjamins MR, Silva A, et al. JAMA Netw Open 2021.
2
LMPHW 2023 Health Equity Report.
3
The Lancet Commission on pollution and health. The Lancet February 03, 2018
4
Reducing Mortality from Air Pollution in the United States by Targeting Specific Emission Sources Thakrar SK, Balasubramanian S, Adams PJ, et al. Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2020
5
The health burden and racial-ethnic disparities of air pollution from the major oil and gas lifecycle stages in the United States. Vohra K, Marias EA, et al. SCIENCE ADVANCES. 2025
6
Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The US Environmental Protection Agency.
7
Assessing the health burden from air pollution: A broader approach to assessing the burden of disease from air pollution is required. Sigsgaard T, Hoffman B. Science 2024.
8
Air Pollution and Noncommunicable Diseases: A Review by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies’ Environmental Committee, Part 2: Air Pollution and Organ Systems. Schraufnagel D, Balmes JR, Cowl CT, et all. CHEST 2019; 155( 2)
9
How Marginalized Groups Are Disproportionately Affected by Climate Change. Earth. Org. Nov 2022
10
Action on Health Disparities in the United States Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Marmot, MG, Bell R. JAMA 2009
11
The relationship between education and health: reducing disparities through a contextual approach. Zajacova A, Lawrence EM. Annu Rev Public Health. 2018
Dr. Tuckson is a retired colorectal surgeon and the host of Kentucky Health on KET.
10 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE