Exposure to Polluted Air: NYC Clean Trucks
Provided by: NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice|Published on: August 15, 2024
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Scientific Reports
Subjects: Civics, Geography, Health
Authors: EJNYC
Region: New York City
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This section of the EJNYC report from 2024 highlights that air pollution in New York City has decreased and provides details specifically about the NYC Clean Trucks program.
- Students will read about the sources of air pollutants, the increasing air-pollution-related health impacts in low-income communities and communities of color, and movements, policies, and actions to reduce air pollution.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This report includes a variety of data visualizations to help students understand the information.
- The report concludes with quotes from those who have suffered due to increased air pollution in NYC.
Prerequisites
- Teachers should define the term environmental justice communities, as it is referenced throughout the reading.
- Students should understand how air quality is related to health.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can use this article as a source to create a persuasive or informative piece of writing about environmental justice, personal actions community members can take, or environmental policy.
- Students who do not have high reading stamina may benefit from a jigsaw reading of the material, where groups of students read only one or two sections and summarize for the rest of the class.
- After reading the report, social studies classes can study current and historical institutional racism that has contributed to the high amounts of pollution in communities of color.
- Students can research how climate change will worsen air conditions and suggest improvements that can keep others safe.
This resource is one section of the EJNYC2024 report, focused on air pollution exposure, particularly in Environmental Justice (EJ) neighborhoods. Data are presented in clear text and figures, with several case studies, and all sources are cited. This resource is not focused on climate change, but its role in exacerbating air pollution is addressed. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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