[Book Review]"Are we harming our bodies as we harm our planet "
	[영어뉴스] 최종수정일 / 2009년 11월 16일

The point of this book is as following.  "Air pollution is threatening your life!"
Literally, ecosystem destruction--harvesting decrease, building corrosion, air pollution--causes us great harm.  First and foremost, respiratory ailments, heart diseases are the direct and indirect effects.

Air pollution is the major environmental problem which causes asthma and atopy to humans regardless of age, and it has become the serious social issue that threatens our health.  The Davos Forum released the Environmental Pollution Index(EPI) in which Korea ranked 51 out of the world 149 countries, but it ranked 118 in Ozone pollution and 147 in air pollution to make Korea sink to the bottom.

With air pollution being grave, few pay sincere attention to this issue maybe because the problem is thought to belong to the domain of the collective rather than individual concern.

「When Smoke Ran Like Water」 whose author is Devra Davis, an epidemiologist of worldwide fame, is a book that described about the effect of air pollution on the healthy and the degree to which contaminants and cancer from environmental pollution has reached.

All events started from Donora, Pennsylvania, USA, hometown of the writer.  On October 26, 1948, the smoke emitted from all factories that have stood from the 20th century covered the village.  Because of the atmospheric inversion, the smog which was so thick that hands were not visible, sickened half the residents and killed 70 people in one month.

She published numerous dissertations in various scientific journals after acquiring a public healthcare hygiene doctorate and master's degree.  And in order to inform seriousness of air pollution to the people, she reported her findings to newspapers such as The New York Times and other broadcasting venues.  She is currently working as a senior inquiry committee member of WHO.

'Air pollution causes more than 2,400,000 early deaths a year' (UN. environmental report), "If dust consistency of Seoul is lowered to Tokyo or Jeju level,  average length of life can be  extended by 3.3 years."(「YONHAPNEWS」2009 October 9th, Environment&Labor Committee Gwon Seon-taek)
As we can learn from the news report, air pollution nibbles away our precious life without making any noticeable noise.  Alternative measures are being taken these days even in the provincial areas and the capital regions, but they are still  trifling compared with its seriousness.  Air pollution should be taken into our deep consideration.


When Smoke Ran Like Water
by Devra Davis, 2004.

By reporter Park Chan-young
hakbocy@donga.ac.kr
동아대학보 제1074호 (2009. 11. 9)