When I first moved to Phoenix, I hadn’t suffered from an asthma attack in about four years and felt I was out growing my asthma. After moving to the area of 43^rd avenue and Osborne (West Phoenix), I suffered two asthma attacks in the first month and one attack a month for about six months. The doctors attributed the recent onset of attacks to all of the pollution in the area in which I was residing.   That was about ten years ago and now residing in Glendale I don’t have near the amount of problems breathing as I did when living further south in the city.

          For about six weeks now, I have spent my Fridays in South Phoenix for a class I am taking at ASU. This class is looking at South Phoenix and the effects of the new developments and financial investments flowing into South Phoenix. In our first day of class we discussed the location of new home developments as well as the close proximity of downtown and the foothills of South Mountain to the residence of South Phoenix. I must admit, the location sounded really attractive. However, while driving there for class the following Friday, I noticed a haze in the air over South Phoenix and all the appeal the area had on me previously was lost.

For the past six weeks, I have felt the effects of the pollution on my lungs after leaving South Phoenix for the remainder of the days spent there and sometimes even the following day. I couldn’t help but wonder why there was so much pollution concentrated in this area. At first I thought it might just be the mountain not allowing the air to blow through thus creating a collection site, but after a visit to our class by Steve Brittle (a local environmentalists) I feel I have a better understanding of the cause of all this pollution.

According to an environmental study By ASU with sociology professors Bob Bolin and Edward Hackett, “The research finds the higher the median household income is within an area, the less likely those neighborhoods are to contamination sites nearby;” “ . . . poorest neighborhoods have the highest concentration of toxic hazards.” (ASU Insight Nov, 8 2002 ) by Lynette Summerill. Steve Brittle spoke to the class about many different industries present and past that are responsible for this haze as well as other pollutants found in the soil.

As interesting as this class has been as well as eye opening, I am thankful that my Friday trips into the air-polluted part of town have come to a close, at least for my heaths sake. However, I can’t help but think of the poor residents that live there seven days a week with no relief from the pollution created for the convenience of the richer society residing north of the appalling environment.