Some Other Irritants in Life

Dear George,

I must have too much time on my hands these days because I’m a lot more grumpy than usual.  To get a handle on this, I made a list of things that make me irritated.  My biggest irritant is reading the political news in the New York Times each day.  The second biggest is watching Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.  This is paradoxical since I like and respect the Times and MSNBC.  However, the events that they report on are typically so outrageous and disgusting that the content casts a pall over my entire day (as I’m sure it does for much of their audience).  I don’t even want to think about these matters, so here are the other main items on my list of irritating things in life.  

Bad Air 

I was going to walk into my office today, but the air is so bad that I decided to stay home.  That’s how it’s been for the last week, and it will probably be worse for the rest of the summer.  According to the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report, Cincinnati has the worst air in the nation outside of California.  High traffic volumes are a major factor.  Beyond that, the city is located in a valley which serves to trap emissions, keep the air stagnant for days on end, and increase the density of pollution.  Here are some facts about air pollution in the U.S. (see sources at end):     

• More than 50% of Americans live in counties that received an F for air quality in the American Lung Association’s 2016 “State of the Air” report.  
• Breathing in particle pollution can increase the risks of lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes, emergency room visits, and early death. 
• For the average person in the U.S., breathing air pollution decreases one’s life by one to two years. 
• The seven most polluted metro areas in the U.S. are in California, including Fresno, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.  
• Air pollution in California causes 25,000 deaths per year and costs $200 million in medical expenses.  
• Indoor air pollution is 2-5 times worse than outdoors.  
• People in cars and trucks can be exposed to nearly 8 times as much air pollution as pedestrians and cyclists.  
• 72% of Americans believe they are not affected by air pollution from automobiles. 

Telemarketing

My number one source of annoyance is unwanted calls from telemarketers even though they’re not as deadly as air pollution.  A majority of our friends and relatives have shifted to cell phones only, but Katja and I seem to be landline diehards.  While we both have cell phones, there is something comforting about a phone system that is connected to the wall with a wire.  And we get most of our calls on our landline.  Unfortunately, at least 95% of them are from charities, political organizations, or commercial enterprises.  For some reason, I am always in a different room from the landline, so I leap up and race to the other room to get the phone before it stops ringing.  The result is constant disappointment and frustration.  Last week I got a call from a young man who claimed to be my grandson and who was in dire straits.  Here are a few things to know about telemarketing:  

• There are nearly 9,000 telemarketing companies in the U.S., and their workers make nearly 150 million calls a day.  
• Telemarketing centers operate mainly in small towns where they are as common as local banks, restaurants, and hardware stores.  
• On average, it takes about 80 calls to get one sale or donation. 
• Several hundred telemarketing firms exist solely to defraud people via charity schemes, credit card fraud, credit repair and loan schemes, and phony lotteries.  
• Americans lose approximately $40 billion a year to fraudulent telemarketing.  
• 80% of victims of phone scams are elderly.  

Litter

We live on a busy street corner, and I spend a bit of every day picking up the litter on our front and side lawns.  I don’t mind this entirely because I look for unusual items to add to my personal litter collection.  However, it always amazes me how much trash people discard on other people’s property,  Cigarette butts are the worst offenders, and fast food items (bags, styrofoam containers, napkins, plastic utensils, etc.) run a close second.  One guy regularly leaves a banana peel on our side lawn that is undoubtedly left over from his breakfast.  Here are a few litter facts:    

• About 17% of all trash in the U.S. is disposed of by littering.
• It’s estimated that there are about 6,700 pieces of litter per mile on our streets and roadways.  
• About 81% of littering is done intentionally. 
• Motorists account for 53% of litter.    
• Younger people are more likely to litter than older people.    
• Cleanup of litter costs about $11 billion per year.  
• About 1 million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals die each year from being entangled in or ingesting litter.  

Thermostat Wars

Now that summer’s in full sway, Katja and I have daily “discussions” about where to set the thermostat.  She always likes to have it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than I do (she likes comfort; I like saving money).  When the furnace guy was last here, I asked him what is the best temperature to set the thermostat at.  He said, “The best temperature to set your thermostat at is whatever your wife wants.”  Apparently we are not the only couple who goes through these squabbles.  Here is some thermostat info:  

• According to a recent survey by Honeywell, 30% of people who live with one or more other persons quarrel abut the thermostat setting.  
• 25 % of spouses or housemates change the thermostat setting without telling the other.
• This is especially true of younger people (18-34) where 39% secretly change the temperature.
• On average, women prefer warmer temperatures than do men.
• In the summer you save 5% to 15% on your energy bill if you raise the thermostat five degrees. 

Having done my research, I somehow I feel a little better about these matters.  Next I plan to make a list of sources of joy.  So far, it has been easier to think of irritants than joyfulness, but I will do my best.  I will let you know.

Love,

Dave 

SOURCES: 

www.247wallst.com, “The 10 Most Polluted Cities in America” 

www.conserve-energy-future.com, “Air Pollution Facts”  

www.friendsoftheearth.uk, “20 shocking facts about air pollution” 

www.globalhealingcenter.com, “8 Crazy Facts About Air Pollution” 

www.homeairguides.com, “36 Air Pollution Facts and Health Statistics” 

www.lung.org, “Air Quality Facts” 

www.controversialtelemarketing,weebly.com, “Telemarketing” 

www.phone.instantcheckmate.com, “The Startling Facts About Telemarketing Fraud” 

www.selfgrowth.com, “5 Amazing Facts About B2B Telemarketing”  

www.smallbusiness.chron.com, “FacTs and Figures on Telemarketing” 

www.conserve-energy-future.com, “20 astonishing Facts About Littering”

www.creditdonkey.com, “23 Littering Statistics That Will Blow Your Mind”   

www.kab.org, “End Littering Resources” 

www.reuters.com, “Couples fight for control in Battle of the Thermostat”