Dirty Air is Bad for Business

By Mark Bevis on Tuesday, August 24, 2004.

listen:

ECONOMISTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE HAVE FOUND THAT DIRTY AIR CAN CAUSE MORE THAN JUST RED EYES.

THEY'VE FOUND AIR POLLUTION CAN BE A DRAIN ON A COMPANY'S PROFITS.

NHPR'S MARK BEVIS HAS MORE.

IF A COMPANY DEPENDS ON CLEAN AIR AND CLEAR SKIES TO SELL OR PRODUCE ITS PRODUCT, AIR POLLUTION MIGHT COST THE COMPANY MONEY.

THAT SEEMS OBVIOUS.

BUT MANAGEMENT PROFESSOR ROSS GITTELL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE'S WHITTEMORE SCHOOL SAYS AIR POLLUTION HITS JUST ABOUT EVERY COMPANY'S BOTTOM LINE.

BECAUSE, HE SAYS, SMOG AND AIR POLLUTION EFFECT THE WAY PEOPLE FEEL...AND THAT HAS AN IMPACT ON THEIR WORK.

IN FACT HIS SURVEY DATA HAVE SHOWN THAT 1/3 OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY REPORTED FEELING WORSE ON DAYS OF HIGH POLLUTION.

AND 1/4 OF THEM FELT LESS PRODUCTIVE.

TAPE:

ROSS GITTELL IS A PROFESSOR OF MANAGMENT AT UNH'S WHITTEMORE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS.

AS HE SAID THESE DATA ARE EXPLORATORY...BUT HE EXPECTS HIS INITIAL REPORT TO BE OUT NEXT SUMMER.

FOR NHPR NEWS THIS IS MARK BEVIS.