What two (or more) quotes capture the message of the article?
“East Harlem residents have not been able to breathe easy since a gas blast demolished two apartment buildings nearly two weeks ago.”
“Some cops still donned face masks while patrolling the area last week. An NYPD spokesman would not say whether any police officers had called in sick in the aftermath of the Harlem explosion, citing HIPPA privacy restrictions, and the FDNY said none of its members had gotten sick.”
“East Harlem has one of the highest asthma rates — 11.4 per 1,000 children, more than double the citywide rate.”
“ ‘There is nothing visible being admitted from the site right now,’ said Bill Sothern, a certified hygienist with MicroEcologies, who lives near the disaster site. ‘There’s nothing to be concerned about right now. I have zero concerns’.”
What is the main point of the article, and how is it supported? The main point of the article is to inform the public of the residents in East Harlem who have been having respiratory issues as a result of a gas explosion that occurred near their work or homes. This is supported in the article by a resident that complained that she has found it difficult to sleep due to her developed cough, a resident that has lost her voice and has trouble breathing, and other residents that are said to have developed a persisting cough.
What actors (individuals or organizations) are referred to? (Provide names and short descriptions.)
Residents and workers: those that reside near the location of the explosion that occurred in East Harlem. These were the people that the article referred to when discussing the impact that the explosion had on the inhabitants of that area.
NYPD: though there were cops at the location that were wearing face masks, the NYPD spokesman refused to say if any police officers called in sick after the Harlem explosion.
FDNY: stated that none of its member got sick as a result of the Harlem explosion.
What kind of causation or responsibility is argued or implied in the article?
The article implies that the Harlem explosion has caused a lot of respiratory problems for the residents and workers in that area. The article also implies that the NYPD and FDNY may have been trying to hide something about whether or not any of their workers were impacted by the explosion. The fact that the NYPD spokesman would not say if any of the officers called in sick after the explosion, shows that the NYPD may not want to allow the issue to grow with respect to the residents and workers’ favor.
How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report?
None were addressed in the article, however some were implied with regards to the NYPD spokesman who would not say if any of the police officers called in sick after being present at the explosion site. (Please read answer to previous question).
What three points, details or references from the article did you follow up on to advance your understanding of the issued and actors described in the article?
I followed up on whether or not there was any follow up done on the residents and workers that were impacted by the Harlem explosion, what caused the gas explosion, as well as what was done for the people who complained about developing respiratory issues as a result of the explosion.
Samrin Ali
Full citation and link
Jane Ransom, “East Harlem residents find it hard to breathe easy after explosion,” Daily News, March 21, 2014.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/uptown/east-harlem-blast-air-quality-concerns-rise-article-1.1729883
What two (or more) quotes capture the message of the article?
“East Harlem residents have not been able to breathe easy since a gas blast demolished two apartment buildings nearly two weeks ago.”
“Some cops still donned face masks while patrolling the area last week. An NYPD spokesman would not say whether any police officers had called in sick in the aftermath of the Harlem explosion, citing HIPPA privacy restrictions, and the FDNY said none of its members had gotten sick.”
“East Harlem has one of the highest asthma rates — 11.4 per 1,000 children, more than double the citywide rate.”
“ ‘There is nothing visible being admitted from the site right now,’ said Bill Sothern, a certified hygienist with MicroEcologies, who lives near the disaster site. ‘There’s nothing to be concerned about right now. I have zero concerns’.”
What is the main point of the article, and how is it supported?
The main point of the article is to inform the public of the residents in East Harlem who have been having respiratory issues as a result of a gas explosion that occurred near their work or homes. This is supported in the article by a resident that complained that she has found it difficult to sleep due to her developed cough, a resident that has lost her voice and has trouble breathing, and other residents that are said to have developed a persisting cough.
What actors (individuals or organizations) are referred to? (Provide names and short descriptions.)
Residents and workers: those that reside near the location of the explosion that occurred in East Harlem. These were the people that the article referred to when discussing the impact that the explosion had on the inhabitants of that area.
NYPD: though there were cops at the location that were wearing face masks, the NYPD spokesman refused to say if any police officers called in sick after the Harlem explosion.
FDNY: stated that none of its member got sick as a result of the Harlem explosion.
What kind of causation or responsibility is argued or implied in the article?
The article implies that the Harlem explosion has caused a lot of respiratory problems for the residents and workers in that area. The article also implies that the NYPD and FDNY may have been trying to hide something about whether or not any of their workers were impacted by the explosion. The fact that the NYPD spokesman would not say if any of the officers called in sick after the explosion, shows that the NYPD may not want to allow the issue to grow with respect to the residents and workers’ favor.
How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report?
None were addressed in the article, however some were implied with regards to the NYPD spokesman who would not say if any of the police officers called in sick after being present at the explosion site. (Please read answer to previous question).
What three points, details or references from the article did you follow up on to advance your understanding of the issued and actors described in the article?
I followed up on whether or not there was any follow up done on the residents and workers that were impacted by the Harlem explosion, what caused the gas explosion, as well as what was done for the people who complained about developing respiratory issues as a result of the explosion.