In the same way that not all drivers can be, as most of us apparently imagine ourselves, better or safer than average, not everyone can live in areas with lower than average air pollution. We shouldn’t have school playgrounds next to big highways, but also we shouldn’t have anywhere it’s not safe to breathe. Even if you don’t care about social justice or the lives of children poorer than yours, air pollution moves. Their weight grinds down the roads, producing more particulates than lighter vehicles, they’re environmentally costly to make – and also, air pollution still moves. The structural problems are so big they’re painful and frightening to consider, but the answer isn’t to buy more stuff or try to spend your way to individual protection.
