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I have a friend who lives in an apartment near a major, major artery in Seattle. It's 6 lanes wide looking out from the balcony directly down onto the street. I

I have a friend who lives in an apartment near a major, major artery in Seattle. It's 6 lanes wide looking out from the balcony directly down onto the street. It's what they can afford in a somewhat close commute to work by bus (they can't afford a car). I lived in an apartment a block from I-5 for 6 years. I've made enough money to buy a house in a neighborhood away from traffic pollution. It was a major part of my purchasing decision. Zoning often puts more dense and therefore cheaper housing near busy roads. I think a lot about who can afford fresh air and who can't, and the compounding impacts of that quite often.

njarboe 4y ago
It might be a bit because of the density, but housing is mainly cheaper near busy roads mainly because most people would prefer to live elsewhere, just like you.
- giraffe_lady 4y ago
  I think the unstated premise of that comment was that it's bad that we push the worst consequences of our societal choices onto the poorest people. Not that the mechanism by which we do it is mysterious.
- celtain 4y ago
  That would explain a difference in price per square foot, but it doesn't explain why there are fewer small homes built further from busy roads. If anything you'd expect the opposite if it were just a reflection of people's preferences.
cactusplant7374 4y ago
How much would it cost to lower the PM 2.5 in his house? Even cut it in half? I don't know your friend but for some people they can afford air purifiers, running the A/C, and keeping the windows closed, but they feel it's not worth it. It's seen as a wasted expense. Especially true during Covid when many doctors could have retro-fitted their practices with HVAC filters. I think we really need an educational campaign.
- aidenn0 4y ago
  "running the A/C," presupposes that the house has A/C. When a wildfire is near, I close up the house and run air-filters, but it can hit 100F inside in the afternoons.
  - jahewson 4y ago
    Actually it doesn’t have to be A/C. If you have central air then you have a HEPA filter so just run the system’s fan.
    - aidenn0 4y ago
      Yes, I have no problems with the particulates, it's the temperature that's the problem with the windows closed.
      - schiffern 4y ago
        One option is filtering the air immediately before you breathe it in. The active airflow can greatly mitigate common comfort issues with traditional masking. It also gives you some protection outside, which is nice. https://www.amazon.com/BROAD-Rechargeable-Electrical-Purifying-Respirator/dp/B07YWLBVF2/ https://www.amazon.com/BROAD-Rechargeable-Electrical-Purifyi...
- jodrellblank 4y ago
  > "How much would it cost to lower the PM 2.5 in his house? Even cut it in half?" In one room, plausibly reduce it by 99% for a one-off $70 air purifier and $30/year of electricity costs and replacement filters: https://dynomight.net/ikea-purifier/ https://dynomight.net/ikea-purifier/
agumonkey 4y ago
similarly people reported big changes after boston's big dig was completed

njarboe 4y ago

It might be a bit because of the density, but housing is mainly cheaper near busy roads mainly because most people would prefer to live elsewhere, just like you.

giraffe_lady 4y ago
I think the unstated premise of that comment was that it's bad that we push the worst consequences of our societal choices onto the poorest people. Not that the mechanism by which we do it is mysterious.
celtain 4y ago
That would explain a difference in price per square foot, but it doesn't explain why there are fewer small homes built further from busy roads. If anything you'd expect the opposite if it were just a reflection of people's preferences.

cactusplant7374 4y ago

How much would it cost to lower the PM 2.5 in his house? Even cut it in half? I don't know your friend but for some people they can afford air purifiers, running the A/C, and keeping the windows closed, but they feel it's not worth it. It's seen as a wasted expense. Especially true during Covid when many doctors could have retro-fitted their practices with HVAC filters. I think we really need an educational campaign.

aidenn0 4y ago
"running the A/C," presupposes that the house has A/C. When a wildfire is near, I close up the house and run air-filters, but it can hit 100F inside in the afternoons.
- jahewson 4y ago
  Actually it doesn’t have to be A/C. If you have central air then you have a HEPA filter so just run the system’s fan.
  - aidenn0 4y ago
    Yes, I have no problems with the particulates, it's the temperature that's the problem with the windows closed.
    - schiffern 4y ago
      One option is filtering the air immediately before you breathe it in. The active airflow can greatly mitigate common comfort issues with traditional masking. It also gives you some protection outside, which is nice. https://www.amazon.com/BROAD-Rechargeable-Electrical-Purifying-Respirator/dp/B07YWLBVF2/ https://www.amazon.com/BROAD-Rechargeable-Electrical-Purifyi...
jodrellblank 4y ago
> "How much would it cost to lower the PM 2.5 in his house? Even cut it in half?" In one room, plausibly reduce it by 99% for a one-off $70 air purifier and $30/year of electricity costs and replacement filters: https://dynomight.net/ikea-purifier/ https://dynomight.net/ikea-purifier/

agumonkey 4y ago

similarly people reported big changes after boston's big dig was completed