Leading causes of death in the US: What’s changed since 1969?
Here there are some good health advances. And decreasing the use of fossil fuels, like coal, helps too.
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Los Angeles currently gets roughly 40 percent of our electricity from dirty coal-fired power, which produces incredibly dangerous and expensive pollution like mercury, soot, smog and arsenic. According to a recent report by Physicians for Social Responsibility, "Coal pollutants affect all major body organ systems and contribute to four of the five leading causes of (death) in the U.S." A new report by the National Academy of Science found the national cost of treating the health effects from coal pollution to be $62 billion each year." Here Study Here
"Viewed in this way, the totality of coal's impact on health becomes clear. Coal pollutants affect all major body organ systems and contribute to four of the five leading causes of mortality in the U.S.: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory diseases."
I've been thinking some about the Winter Solstice, the Mayan end of the 30,000-year-cycle on 12/21/12.
What if in fact the world did end? Even though this probably will not happen, to live consciously it is honest for us to take a bit of an inventory.
Am I happy with how I've lived my life? (Yesterday, I thought mostly yes, with some areas for improvement, as below.) Are there changes I would make?
Would I have tried to forgive those that were hostile or disappointing to me?
Would I spend more time with those I loved the most, telling them that, feeling that more?
Would I be happier, grateful for what I have, what I've experienced, the joy, the beauty in this world?
Maybe the answer is yes to all of the above.
So this time can serve as a point of rebirth for all of us. If we think about it.
Because somewhere along the line I realized I think maybe mankind deserves it. !
The way we are killing each other, killing the planet.
How selfish we are, and snotty to those around us. Petty, competitive. Why is this? Do we have to behave this way? (I say no, it greatly detracts and misdirects energy from the full-time celebration in which we could engage, the great multi-cultural, multi-rhythmic dance we can sustain here.)
Maybe God or the Great Universe is fed up, and will pull the rug out from under us.
Don't think I can say we could blame Him/Her/It.
But it probably won't happen. (Probably not! This time.)
Still we are finite on this ride.
It is a time to think, am I happy with how I've lived my life?
Hopefully most of us can say yes.
For the part of us that have a little worry, a little sadness....
This is the time to be present.
This is the time to be the person you want to be, that can die at peace, that can hope to every day be able to look yourself and the Universe in the eye and say, how beautiful, smiling, and thank you. Let's do that.
Antidotes to Violence, a.k.a., Take Charge of Where Your Head's At - here
Tell Congress to Strengthen Gun Control Laws NOW - here
Good News & Brain Food News - Christians & Muslims Gather, for Peace here
Good News - Top RIO+20 Summit Posts here
The 'Busy' Trap - NYTimes.com here
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