California Construction Trucking Association (CCTA)

If you’re gullible enough to read press releases (or lack of them in this case) in the LA or NY Times or from the EPA, CARB, ALA or the ACS own websites, which continually overstate “tens of thousands of us are dying prematurely from diesel or vehicle emissions, or dirty air in general”, it was shocking that this recent study published by the CDC wasn’t big news.

What’s interesting is “polluted air and particulate matter (PM)” although designated as a toxic air contaminant (TAC) in California is not actually reflected directly in this key CDC report. One has to wonder if the CDC has not yet been compromised by the public health junk science industry promoted through the UC Schools System and the afore mentioned agencies.

According to the 65 page report, there are 15 leading causes of deaths in 2009 in the U.S. There was no mention of diesel emissions, no PM (Particulate Matter), no NOx or SO2, not even CO2 the deadly greenhouse gas.

Of course just like Betty’s article helped expose in this months CTN magazine (page 30) the public health junk science industry have tried feverishly to tie PM to heart diseases, cancer, all respiratory diseases and just about every other health malady in our society to justify draconian vehicle emission regulations. It is clear to most observers now that this group of political scientists has actually attempted to tie all of the top 3 causes of death to diesel emissions with a host of biased and contrived academic studies paid for with public grant funds – our taxes.

Now I understand why they are always trying to tie PM caused premature deaths to the first three classifications of diseases. Combined, they accounted for 53 percent of deaths in the United States in 2009. Clearly they choose these causes to hide their “premature deaths and adverse health claims” within these large groups of causes of death, because it’s just easier to make claims and hide them in these big pool causes.

It is also interesting to note that for all three of these primary causes of death, each has decreased from the previous period, some significantly. The primary causes: Diseases of the heart dropped 3.7%; the second, Malignant neoplasms “cancer” dropped 1.1%, and the third, Chronic lower respiratory diseases dropped by 4.1%.

How in the world does it work in the public health community, the cleaner the air the lower the deaths and yet the claims of premature deaths and disease are getting worse – the claims from the public health community are “implausible” – a big fat lie!

These are the 15 major causes of death in 2009 in the U.S., per 100,000:

1. Diseases of heart – 179.8

2. Malignant neoplasms (Cancer) – 173.6

3. Chronic lower respiratory diseases – 42.2 (mostly smoking)

4. Cerebrovascular diseases

5. Accidents (unintentional injuries)

6. Alzheimer’s disease

7. Diabetes mellitus

8. Influenza and pneumonia

9. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis

10. Intentional self-harm (suicide)

11. Septicemia

12. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis

13. Essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease

14. Parkinson’s disease

15. Assault (homicide)

Again, as I searched the causes of all deaths both primary and their sub-categories, about 153 in all, I was shocked to not find one mention of PM or diesel emissions or vehicle emissions, yet there are dozens of recent studies that make these claims. Something is very wrong here, especially with what comes out of CARB’s mouth and the public health community concerning PM – the silent killer apparently.

So which states are the healthiest?

The figures below are stated in “Death Rates per 100,000”. The national average was 740.9 versus 758.7 the previous year. We are all living longer despite what the public health political science community deceptively screams about. Isn’t “premature deaths” the justification behind all CARB regulations? With all the premature mortality how can we be living longer – for the 10^th year in a row?

Hawaii remains the healthiest state, it has always had a very healthy population due to the large concentration of Asian ancestry (Japanese), a healthy life style - water sports, abundant and cheap sea food, some say a laid-back life style as well. Hawaii ranked first with a rate of - 619.8. But this was a large increase from last years rating of 589.0. A 30.8 rate increase in one year, (blame it on the Spam, as in ham in a can).

The next three states have almost the identical age adjusted mortality rates and are separated by only 1.2 deaths/100k. Minnesota has always ranked very high but California is catching up and Arizona is not far behind. Minnesota was #2 at 651.7, saw a major improvement from 675.2 in 2008. California rated #3 was 652.2, it improved from 658.8 (how could this be with such dirty air and pollution everywhere not to mention the traffic). Arizona - 652.9 experienced a slight increase from 650.6. Doesn’t all our pollution blow that way?

I threw in Utah and New York to get the top six healthiest states. At #5, Utah - 658.8 (a healthy Mormon life-style). The state if New York was 6^th - 665.5. (wealth).

The two other bordering states of California, Nevada was 786.3 versus 868.2 in 2008 (things are looking up there too, suicide rates have fallen although foreclosure rates are still the highest there - stress) And Oregon was 733.1 versus 747.9 a year ago, hard to explain why it is ranked so high, I always though it was a healthy state with lots of clean air – I guess that doesn’t matter there. Kind of like the county of Del Norte here.

Incidentally Texas rated 27^th at 754.4 and improving from 777.3 the previous period, a virtual tie with Alaska with a rate of 754.3.

The AP ran this article below that was picked up by most other moderate print media. It did run in my local paper the OC Register and even the SF Chronicle but not in the LA Times.