MNN - Mother Nature Network - Envrionmental News
improve your world
  • WorldShares
  • State Reports
  • Idea Lab
  • Mixed Greens
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Blogs
  • Advice
  • MNN Community
  • MNN Social
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Follow us    
  • Join
  • Log in
  • Earth Matters

    Browse All » Animals Weather Energy Politics Space Translating Uncle Sam Wilderness & Resources

  • Health

    Browse All » Allergies Fitness & Well-Being Healthy Spaces

  • Lifestyle

    Browse All » Arts & Culture Travel Natural Beauty & Fashion Recycling Responsible Living

  • GREEN TECH

    Browse All » Computers Gadgets & Electronics Research & Innovations Transportation

  • Eco-Biz & Money

    Browse All » Green Workplace Personal Finance Sustainable Business Practices

  • Food & Drink

    Browse All » Beverages Healthy Eating Recipes

  • Your Home

    Browse All » At Home Organic Farming & Gardening Remodeling & Design

  • family

    Browse All » Babies & Pregnancy Family Activities Pets Protection & Safety

MNN.COM›

MNN BLOGGERS

Siel Ju

Find the polluters near you

Type your ZIP code into This We Know to find out which factories near you are using dangerous chemicals -- and how many of your neighbors have cancer.

Fri, Jul 30 2010 at 8:26 PM EST

Photo: Screenshots from This We Know
If the now-capped oil leak in the Gulf has you looking for the next pollution threat to worry about, This We Know offers a websiteful of worries to keep you busy. Simply tap in your ZIP code and you’ll find out just how many pounds of how many dangerous pollutants were released in your city! (via GOOD)
 
factories in Los Angeles
 
And if those two sure-to-be-bigger-than-you’d-like numbers just don’t create enough furrows in your brow, all you have to do is click on the word “pollutants” to get a full list of what exact pollutants you’re dealing with — so you can amuse yourself by copying and pasting words like Methanol and Polychlorinated Alkanes into Google and reading about all the gory health risks associated with them.
 
In Los Angeles, for example, This We Know found 4,448,340 pounds of 112 pollutants were released within 22 miles — yikes! Those pollutants came from 454 factories — and if I click on the word “Factories,” I get an interactive map of the factories in Los Angeles so I can, with a simple click, start obsessing over which ones are closest to me, what chemicals they’re emitting, and what health hazards those chemicals cause!
 
That said, while This We Know can serve as an addictive source of information for eco-worry warts, the website’s goals are much broader, and most of the information it provides is not so anxiety-inducing. This We Know basically brings together all sorts of public government data into a single website, so just by typing in your ZIP code, you can get all manner of interesting current factoids about your neighborhood — like how many violent crimes went down near you and how many of your neighbors got cancer. OK, I lied — most of the website really is rather anxiety-inducing.
 
Santa Monica data
 
Still, when I tapped in my Santa Monica ZIP code — in addition to the scary pollution, cancer, and crime info, I also did get to find out that my city’s fairly ethnically diverse (I guess I already knew that, but hello to the other 5,985 Asians in Santa Monica!), nomadic (47 percent of people relocated in the past 15 years), and — relatedly — are mostly renters, not homeowners.
 
What about your neighborhood? Learn anything new about the city where you live at This We Know?
 
MNN homepage photo: mattjeacock/iStockphoto
The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.
 
WorldShares lets you earn donations for your favorite nonprofit. Earn up to 20 points now.
Learn More
Earn Points
What's this?
Email Twitter Stumble Digg ShareShare
CLOSE link:
Previous Post
Save energy: Don't waste food
   Next Post
A Shirt-to-bag upcycling service
Related Links
Related Topics
  • Pollution
  • Toxins & Chemicals
  • Comments

    Follow this conversation
    Add your comment
    View:
    • All (1)

    anonymous
    Guest 08/02/2010 16:38 PM

    Upon a search for a city near Houston/Texas City/Pasadena/ Deer Park, TX, there were no listings presented. Clearly, there are multiple chemical plants spewing pollutants into the air in this general area. Not sure what happened for the search results...

    • Like This  
    • |
    • Reply
    • report this post 

    Add your comment

    Sign in with one of these accounts or just add your comment below.
      Log in or
      create an account
       
      Login
    Used only for emailed comments and will not be displayed with your post
    Notify me with an email when other people comment on this article.
    The posting of advertisement, profanity or personal attacks is prohibited.
    Click here to review our Terms of Use

    ADVERTISEMENT

    TOP MEMBERSJoin Now
    • poland.jr
      21017 points
    • ecomainegirl
      9320 points
    • achase
      9299 points
    • LauraB
      5049 points
    • Momof2
      4479 points
    All members

    SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

    CONNECT WITH MNN

    Follow @twitterapi
     Tumblr
     Google +
    FROM OUR SPONSOR
    How Tomorrow Moves
    GenSet locomotives help CSX drive towards a greener future
    Learn about how CSX is improving fuel efficiency and reducing greenhouse... more >
    CSX and City Year join forces to help spruce up South Holland Illinois
    Volunteers bring improvements to Faith Family Future Center and Veterans... more >
    CSX and City Year rebuild community ballpark in Pittsburgh
    More than 100 CSX volunteers joined City Year and the Pittsburgh Regional... more >
    Trains by the numbers
    Discover the surprising facts about rail transportation and the environment. more >
    How it Gets Here: Trains and the Green Supply Chain
    Ever wonder where the things we buy come from... and how they get to our... more >

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Editors' Picks

    Hot weather forecasters
    Forget tiger moms: It's French parents we should be emulating
    Out with the Gap, in with the lettuce: Reusing empty malls
    These plants could kill your cat
    10 things to know about your taxes

    MNN Originals

    MNN Eco-GlossaryMixed Greens: Leading voices in sustainabilityThis Day in HistoryMNN pollsInfographics

     


    • Earth Matters
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Green Tech
    • Eco-Biz & Money
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Home
    • Family

    Quick Links

    • Welcome to MNN
    • Editors' Blog
    • About us
    • Advisory Board
    • Press
    • Sitemap
    • Privacy
    • Terms of service

    MNN Tools

    • Idea Lab
    • Mixed Greens
    • Videos
    • Photos
    • Blogs
    • Advice
    • MNN Community
    • MNN Social

    All About MNN

    • Newsletters
    • RSS
    • Eco-glossary
    • Widgets
    • MNN Contests
    • MNN Lists
    • MNN Mobile
    • Contact Us

     


     

    Copyright © 2012 MNN Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Website by GLICK INTERACTIVE | Powered by CIRRACORE
     
    SPONSORS