Second Article

Learning the Hard Way

Summary:

The article “Learning the Hard Way” by Julie Wakefield is about how many schoolchildren in the United States have to go to a certain school because they do not have enough money to go somewhere else. At that school they are then exposed on an almost daily basis to environmental hazards including volatile organic chemicals, airborne lead and asbestos, and noise pollution while they are at school. This article shows that your income does not only affect your education since it is almost impossible to concentrate and to learn in a school like that but it also shows that it can be unhealthy. Few federal laws currently protect students from such threats but several states have adopted measures that address these issues. Studies have shown that students concentrate less in an atmosphere like that.

Why is it worthwhile?

The article “Learning the Hard Way” shows how extreme some problems in some schools are and how they affect a student’s education and his or her health. This example is one of the worst case scenarios. But this article makes you think about how many problems in this country are not solved and in some states there are not even laws against something like that.

Two "pieces" of direct evidence:

“"The building impacted the health of 40% of the students and teachers," estimates John Santilli, chief of allergy and immunology at the nearby St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, who treated many of the afflicted pupils and staff over the years. At least one teacher who was heavily exposed is on permanent disability, and others experienced breast cancers and miscarriages that Santilli says might be linked to exposure to secondary mold metabolites called mycotoxins, but more study is needed. "There's a dearth of research on the impact of indoor pollutants on human health and especially on children," he says.”

“Only four states: Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, have laws on the books that cover the three key aspects of pesticide protection: posting, notifications, and integrated pest management (IPM). Thirty-one states have adopted pesticide laws that cover at least one such element, according to a survey by Beyond Pesticides entitled  The Schooling of State Pesticide Laws 2002 Update .”

Citation in MLA format:

Wakefield, Julie. "Learning the Hard Way." Environmental Health Perspectives. June 2002: A298-A305. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 01 May 2012.