pollution 9-11

One of my lingering (malingering?) memories of NYC on 9-11 and the months after is the smell of burning plastic, wire and, of course, bodies. The smell that weighted the already dust-heavy air. It flowed into our apartment on West 20th street seemingly forever until, one day, it was gone. We all remember the smoke, as in the image above. But there were also other environmental effects. Curiously, according to scientists at the University of Windsor and the University of Ontario, both in Canada, 9-11 led to respiratory illnesses just across the bridge from Detroit. Due to closed border crossings, and long-term restrictions, the number of trucks idling at the border increased dramatically post 9-11. The scientists suspect that increased exhaust pollutants led to the increase in respiratory ailments treated in local hospitals 1 month and six months following 9-11. An interesting curiosity on this 12th anniversary of 9-11. But also a window into how we need to look at commerce and the environment. The ripples of our behavior (and the behavior of others!) are wide and deep, leading to unexpected effects. The costs of destruction and pollution sometimes carry much further into our world than we would like to think.
