▁that ▁he ▁rem embers ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁coal ▁dust ▁poll ution ▁on ▁the ▁farm ▁that ▁he ▁witness ed ▁as ▁a ▁child . ▁Mac er l , ▁who ▁began ▁running ▁the ▁farm ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁ 2 3 , ▁switched ▁to ▁raising ▁sheep ▁on ▁his ▁property ▁after ▁rising ▁air ▁poll ution ▁prevent ed ▁him ▁from ▁raising ▁cro ps ▁any ▁longer . ▁The ▁region ▁Mac er l ▁lived ▁in ▁in ▁central ▁Sloven ia ▁had ▁a ▁history ▁with ▁air ▁poll ution ▁from ▁em issions ▁from ▁industrial ▁towns . ▁The ▁area ▁had ▁above ▁average ▁rates ▁of ▁cancer , ▁and ▁of ▁resp ir atory ▁ill ness es ▁among ▁children . ▁The ▁European ▁Union ▁introduced ▁in cent ives ▁in ▁recent ▁years ▁for ▁companies ▁willing ▁to ▁inc iner ate ▁energy ▁sources ▁such ▁as ▁" med ical ▁waste , ▁old ▁t ires , ▁and ▁other ▁industrial ▁resid ue ", ▁in ▁place ▁of ▁coal . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁policy , ▁companies ▁such ▁as ▁La far ge ▁C ement ▁began ▁ref urb ishing ▁old ▁industrial ▁plants ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁new ▁fuel . ▁La far ge ▁started ▁burning ▁pet co ke , ▁a ▁by product ▁of ▁oil ▁ref ining , ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 3 0 - year ▁old ▁c ement ▁plant . ▁Both ▁c ement ▁production ▁and ▁pet co ke ▁burning ▁are ▁known ▁to ▁be ▁highly ▁poll uting ▁processes . ▁ ▁Mac er l ' s ▁family ▁farm ▁stood ▁near ▁the ▁plant ▁re open ed ▁by ▁La far ge . ▁Mac er l , ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁a ▁local ▁environmental ▁group