In the reading “Is high-speed rail a good investment,” a set of At Issue from the CQ researchers, both authors use their persuasive skills to convince readers that their research presents the most transparent side of the argument regarding the introduction of high-speed rail into the American system. However, it is left to Americans to wonder which side of the argument is to be chosen, but delving deeper into both works will help clarify that only one side of the story truly displays the reality, resulting in readers arriving to a conscious decision. Unlike William W. Miller, president of American Public transportation Association, who blindly beliefs that an “investment in high-speed rail now is essential for… [the] country’s future,” Randal O’Toole, Senior Fellow Cato Institute, presents a honest and realistic fact that “high-speed trains are an expensive form of travel that few people will use,” Even though it is expected that with the introduction of high-speed trains in America changes would follow, the population should be aware of the increase in level of pollution that is included in the package, knowing it’s the one to be concerned the most. Certainly, many people are unaware of the damages the fuel trains use can cause on humans. To better understand this matter, it is necessary to bring forward a complete brochure for these lethal fuels. First, diesel fuel which is made up of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other potentially toxic gases can build up in a person’s lungs and cause health problems and the most famous is cancer. Furthermore, according to a 2004 report by Abt Associates, children and elderly are the most vulnerable with the exposure of diesel fumes and “about 21,000 people in the United States die every year as a result of breathing particulate matter in diesel exhaust.” Moreover, with a short term exposure to diesel fumes an individual may experience irritation in sensitive parts of the body. Second, coal fuel which is composed of carbon, sulfur, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen cause black lungs resulting in shortness of breath, bronchitis, and fibrosis. In addition, according to “data collected in a 2008 study by the WVU Institute for Health Policy Research,” people that are exposed to coal fumes increase 70% risk of developing kidney disease, 30% more chance of experiencing Hypertension (high blood pressure) and 64% chance of developing emphysema. Now that facts have been laid out, what are Millar’s strategies to ‘combat climate change” when according to O’Toole “high-speed rail’s environment benefits are also questionable.’
In addition, with the insertion of high-speed rail, the government would have to spend more of its funds, considering that more power would