Going Green – How Using Alternative Energy & Insulation Sources In Your Home Can Benefit The Environment AND Your Health

The “going green” trend isn’t just good for the environment – it’s also a great step towards protecting our health.

We’re all aware of the benefits of using alternative energy sources, including cleaner air. But consider this: our dependence on oil is not just harming our environment, but our health as well, and the hundreds of oil refineries right here in the United States are partly to blame.

The last U.S. oil refinery was built in 1976, prior to the advent of asbestos-usage regulations by EPA & the federal government. What is asbestos, and why is it so dangerous? Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, also happens to be a toxin and the only known cause of pleural mesothelioma, a fatal cancer that attacks the lungs and does not have a known cure. Because asbestos is an adept insulator, it was widely used in the form of insulation within U.S. oil refineries. Asbestos is not harmful unless it is damaged, but if asbestos-containing materials are damaged, tiny asbestos fibers become airborne, putting oil refinery workers at risk of inhalation. If inhaled, asbestos fibers can situate in the pleural lining of the lungs for decades before an individual might begin to suffer from the symptoms associated with mesothelioma, including chronic, painful cough, difficulty breathing, and fluid within the lung cavity. There is no cure for mesothelioma, but there are various mesothelioma treatment options.

Because oil refinery workers are very likely to be exposed to asbestos, they are considered to be at a heightened risk of one day developing mesothelioma, also known as asbestos cancer. As piping insulation ages and the pipes corrode, asbestos fibers may become friable, putting workers at risk. However, the risk is even greater after a refinery fire or explosion, such as the two separate incidents in Texas in 2005 and 2007. And it is not only refinery workers who are at risk after a fire or explosion: firefighters and other first responders are also at risk of inhalation, as are nearby residents who may be exposed to errant asbestos fibers that travel via wind currents.

So, what can we do? By limiting our reliance on oil and turning to alternative sources of energy, such as solar energy, we will eliminate the need for oil refineries here in the U.S. If we are able to tear down the refineries and properly dispose of asbestos-containing materials, we will be taking a giant step towards a decrease in the number of oil refinery workers and other individuals who are diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer each year. Not only will we be protecting our health, but we will also be creating a cleaner, healthier environment.

For additional information about the health risks associated with asbestos exposure, please visit www.maacenter.org.