Air Quality Equity

This assignment will be completed in multiple steps. Please following the steps chronologically and do not move on to the next step until you have completed the previous one. You will need to create a separate document to answer the questions that accompany each step.

•  Part 1: Please use the graphs linked here Links to an external site. and here Links to an external site., along with the definition below to answer the following questions."Particle pollution from fine particulates (PM_2.5) is a concern when levels in air are unhealthy. Breathing in unhealthy levels of PM_2.5 can increase the risk of health problems like heart disease, asthma, and low birth weight. Unhealthy levels can also reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy" ("Particle Pollution and Health" Links to an external site.).
  1. What initially stands out to you about the first graph?
  2. Please explain how to interpret this graphs as if you were explaining it a middle school student.
  3. What does this tell you about health outcomes among different population groups in the United States?
  4. What do you notice about the air pollution exposure disparities in Washington?
  5. Based on your current knowledge, why do you think the exposure to air pollutants might vary so much among different segments of the US population?

• Part 2: Please read the documents linked below and answer the following questions.
  • Communities of color suffer disproportionately higher pollution-related deaths Links to an external site.
  • An unequal air pollution burden at school Links to an external site.

1. 1. What gas is featured in both articles as having a particularly negative impact on human health?
   2. Why does this gas have such a big impact on humans?
   3. According to the articles, why are communities of color at a higher risk of exposure to air pollution than white communities?
   4. How does this increased exposure impact these historically marginalized communities in the long term?
   5. What are some ways we could fix these problems going forward?

• Part 3: Exploring locally.
  • Please use this article Links to an external site. to develop your understanding of how Seattle's neighborhoods were shaped along racial lines.
  • Please use this map Links to an external site. to explore how these trends show up in the modern Puget Sound area.
    
    • The different overlays are available on the top left. 
    • Make sure to look through each overlay individually.
    • Pay attention to the demographic details for different areas. You can see them by clicking on specific map quadrants and looking at the pop-up in the bottom right.

1. 1. Can you see any of the long-term effects of historic redlining on our current maps?
   2. How do the redlined maps in the article compare to the most polluted/vulnerable areas of the city today?
   3. Is there anything else that stands out to you after exploring the environmental justice map?