Or is it really an effect of temperature that the researchers are ignoring in favor of their politically correct hypothesis?
“The researchers found that a 10 ppb (parts per billion) change in average ozone exposure results in a significant 5.5 percent change in agricultural worker productivity. “These estimates are particularly noteworthy as the U.S. EPA is currently moving in the direction of reducing federal ground-level ozone standards,” said Dr.Neidell, PhD. This past September President Obama said he would not support a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency to tighten the federal ozone standard because it would pose too heavy a burden on businesses, which stunned public health experts and environmentalists.” [EurkeAlert]
That’s true. Perhaps they were only looking at farms near cities, you know, close enough to bicycle to so they didn’t add to the problem? 🙂
In any event, the agricultural productivity of the US lies in ‘rural’ areas, rather than in the urban areas which see the high-level NOx emissions associated with heavy use of internal combusiton engines and with ozone production.
The San Fernando Valley, for example, hosts very few agricultural workers anymore, but a LOT od NOx and ozone production.
Having lived on the High Plains of Texas and Colorado for a number of years, I can verify that higher ozone levels reduce productivity of agricultural workers, adn with very good reason. Higher ozone levels on the High Plains are associated with thunderstorms, as are tornadoes.
Which Way???
Oh boy… If adding O3 to the air increases worker productivity, guess what will smart employers will do!
The article seems to be referring to field workers who either have no tractors (as in third world countries) or the migrant workers who pick produce in the USA. They really were not clear.
I wonder what kind of farm workers they are talking about. Most of the farmers I know ride around in comfy air conditioned tractors with their favorite C&W music on the head set.
Wonder what the effects of no heat or lights, less food and general third world conditions do? Oh, wait, let’s check out production in Haiti and see how that stacks up. Talk about desperation..