‘Better than before’ is not good enough

Pittsburghers old enough to remember the first Earth Day in 1970 would agree with the assertion in the April 27 letter “Natural Gas’s Positive Effect on Our Air” that the air looks cleaner now than it did before. However, crediting fracking for any “positive effect” on the region’s air quality is both disingenuous and dishonest.

Fracking produces large quantities of air pollution, most of it volatile organic compounds that increase cancer risk and interfere with the growth and development of children. Fracking increases levels of radon gas, carbon monoxide and fine particles that damage health. Carbon dioxide and methane, the principle greenhouse gases responsible for accelerating climate change, are abundantly produced by fracking.

All of these pollutants are invisible to the human eye. Concerning to me as a pediatrician, a parent and a resident of Washington County is the possible link between fracking and the alarming numbers of rare childhood cancers in heavily fracked counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Since that first Earth Day 50 years ago, efforts to clean the air of dirty particles have succeeded to some extent, and we should all be happy about that. Nevertheless, looks are deceiving and “better than it was before” is still not good enough for this region’s residents who continue to suffer because of air pollution. Trading coal for shale gas and saying it’s cleaner is like putting a filter on a cigarette and saying the same. No doctor will tell you to “Go ahead and smoke it.”

EDWARD C. KETYER, M.D.

Peters The writer is a member of Physicians for Social Responsibility, Pennsylvania.

Staying safe

I am a Pittsburgh native currently living as an expat in Slovakia, and I am heartbroken by what I am watching happen in the United States. It is with this love in my heart that I beg people to please stay home until the medical experts say it is safe to be out. On a recent day here in Kosice, the sky was blue and the sun was out. For the first time since March 12, people were outside chatting with friends on park benches or riding their bicycles. A few stores other than grocers and pharmacies were open, newly installed restaurant carry-out windows were busy and the town felt alive again. Everyone was wearing a mask and staying a safe distance apart, but they were out. It was a beautiful sight.

But this great day of joy and “freedom” didn’t happen without great care. Slovakia is opening slowly, and only with good reason. To date, there are a little more than 1,200 diagnosed COVID-19 cases and only 14 deaths in the country. The borders and airports closed on March 13, before there were cases here. All but essential businesses shut down and everyone stayed home from that day on. Anyone who had to be at a grocery store or pharmacy wore a homemade mask and was hand-sanitized and gloved upon entrance. These stores were stocked regularly, so there was no fear about running out of anything. No one questioned the rules. No one complained about their rights being taken away.

Having approached things differently has proved to be devastating in the U.S. It would take only a few weeks of a true shutdown for things to resolve and life to get back to normal. I have lived it and know that it works.

LISA KOCSIS Kosice, Slovakia The writer is a former resident of Hampton.

Protecting others

I was appalled by the recent photo of Vice President Mike Pence visiting the famed Mayo Clinic without wearing a face mask (April 29, “U.S. Cases Top 1 Million”). This is a stark illustration of the utter lack of care that President Donald Trump and his administration have for this pandemic — and also the apparent unwillingness of others to challenge them on it.

Why on earth did no one call out Mr. Pence before this picture was taken? Or did they, and he ignored them and was still allowed into the hospital? Caring only for the economy and his re-election, Mr. Trump spouts lie after lie about the crisis. He pretends he was not aware of the seriousness of the situation in February, yet this is demonstrably false. He touts untested remedies and outlandish and dangerous treatments (injecting bleach, seriously?); ridiculous as these are, people are listening to him at their peril.

Obviously, his vice president is equally unconcerned about protecting anyone’s health. It is time to vote in a leader who will take the lives of Americans seriously.

S. GAFFEN Mt. Lebanon