Stupidity in the Media

The last two mornings, the local news media has been reporting on USA Today's The Smokestack Effect, a report on air pollution outside the nation's schools. Everyone seems to be in a panic... parents are talking about keeping their kids out of school, and the news reporters are asking school district officials how they are going to fix it.

Ummm... it's AIR POLLUTION. Keeping your kids at home isn't going to do a lot to fix it. If you live near the school, IT'S THE SAME AIR. And I'm guessing the HVAC systems inside the schools are filtering out the same amount of outside air as your home air conditioning/heating systems. Seriously, parents said on television that they were going to keep their kids home from school until the SCHOOLS fix the air pollution problem outside their schools. Also, note that the study did not address the air quality inside the schools... all the sensors appear to be nearby or on top of the buildings. If you want to improve the air quality outside your schools... improve the air quality in your neighborhood.

With that rant aside, it is a very interesting report. The schools near my workplace are very high in the air pollution ratings. The schools Amy grew up going to and living near are even worse. Since there is barely any industry around my high school's district, their rating is pretty good. The schools around my house rate in the 25th - 26th percentile.... not great, but not nearly as bad as near work or Amy's parent's... those are in the 3rd-4th percentile.