People will file environmental lawsuits for various reasons. Sometimes the matter is more about money, in matters of land value, real estate, etc. Sometimes the matter is much for serious and sensitive, like when damage to the environment or improper land use get people sick, sometimes fatally so.
Water and air quality have been linked to health problems among animals, people and ecosystems overall. Now, scientists believe that they have discovered a specific and daunting link. Contaminated air that people breathe on a daily basis could be a top cause of cancer.
The idea of cancer runs a chill up many people’s spines. They probably know someone who has battled cancer or even battled the illness themselves. Though many forms are curable, many are not. And Scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer report that more than 220,000 people died from lung cancer that was the result of air pollution in 2010 alone.
Upon hearing that report, some might jump to the idea that those who died were smokers or lived around second-hand tobacco smoke. But the newest cancer finding suggests that it is other air pollution that makes people sick, such as that caused by vehicles, power plants and other businesses around the world.
Scientists say that this cancer link was only found recently because toxic exposure can take time to attack its victims. With this information available, now, it is clear that efforts to create environmentally-friendly regulations for farming, industrial businesses and more in order to reduce the risk of cancer not just in the world.
Someone who believes that their health has deteriorated because of improper land use or violations of environmental laws can discuss their situation with an attorney to get an idea of what a fight for justice might look like.
Source: Reuters, “Air pollution a leading cause of cancer – U.N. agency,” Kate Kelland and Stephanie Nebehay, Oct. 17, 2013