2006/03/22
Surprise - California and New York Have The Worst Air Quality
Now there's a shocker. That the two most populous states have the worst air quality is not news to long suffering California and New York residents, but it is worth noting that over the last two decades industrial giants have conspired with government agencies to keep it that way. In fact they've even made things worse. Consider these facts:
- California has been sued twice, in 2002 and 2004, by the auto industry attempting to kill strict new limits on CO2 emissions.
- Had CAFE standards been applied uniformly to all classes of vehicles over the last decade, California's carbon-monoxide and hydrocarbon levels due to motor vehicles would have been reduced by 20% and emissions of nitrogen oxides would have been reduced by almost 40% (these three are the primary components of smog).
- Had CAFE standards been raised to the proposed 40 MPG level at any time in the last two decades, even greater reductions would in hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions would have been realized.
- Cigarette manufacturers have repeatedly sued California to: Prevent bans on smoking in public places; Prevent the implementation of anti-smoking campaigns; To nullify settlements between the California AG and the industry.
- The Bush administration illegally instructed the EPA to ignore provisions of the Clean Air Act that required carbon reducing upgrades to older power plants.
- The Bush administration has repeatedly proposed alternatives to the Clean Air Act (e.g., "Clean Skies") that actually weaken existing standards and increase pollution.
- The Bu$hCo EPA allowed the chemical industry to become essentially "self-monitoring" with respect to toxic emissions.
- And just today two the nation's largest railroads sued the California Air Resources Board to stop new air quality requirements on locomotives.
14 Comments:
Fuck!
Fuck!
Short, sweet, to the point, and erudite as usual. As in, "We are..." :-)
And I just went to my allergist today...
Short, sweet, to the point, and erudite as usual. As in, "We are..." :-)
And I just went to my allergist today...
And a new reort came out today that a majority of our Sierra streams are polluted and unsafe for swimming, drinking and fishing. Just posted that on my page.
A double whammy.
A double whammy.
I am so sick and tired of the Shrub attempting to dismantle the EPA and the 9th circuit court of appeals has to go and bitch-slap that dumb sumbitch.
As I said in my latest rant..its one of my biggest concerns..the quality of life for the next generation..my son and his children..not to mention everyone's within the next few years after the Shrub gets through tearing apart the EPA.
As I said in my latest rant..its one of my biggest concerns..the quality of life for the next generation..my son and his children..not to mention everyone's within the next few years after the Shrub gets through tearing apart the EPA.
No real shocker here - particularly when it comes to King Shrub's involvement with the breakdown. After all, his administration is benevolent to big businesses and if it means we kill off our future, big whoop! That administration will be out of office by then with the damage done. (wow, that applies to so many of their policies, doesn't it?) When did we get an ADD government and does anyone have a large enough prescription pad to give them a dose of Ritalin? Canada? Anybody?
They best use their whipping boy while he remains in office... Sad. Very sad indeed...
Again with the hippie whining! Breathe deep the sweet smell of freedom!
P.S. "The sweet smell of freedom" is often confused with the stifling stench of so-called pollution.
P.S. "The sweet smell of freedom" is often confused with the stifling stench of so-called pollution.
"Clean Air Act"... (cringe)...
As long as politicians keep getting their pockets lined by people who don't want to actually keep the air clean because it would cost them too much money, we won't see anything change. Scheise...
As long as politicians keep getting their pockets lined by people who don't want to actually keep the air clean because it would cost them too much money, we won't see anything change. Scheise...
That administration will be out of office by then with the damage done. (wow, that applies to so many of their policies, doesn't it?)
Echrai, true enough. Another interesting coincidence along those lines is the fact that our new debt ceiling has two years to run, exactly the lenght of time that Bu$hCo will remain in office. Then...new ceiling for a new president.
Echrai, true enough. Another interesting coincidence along those lines is the fact that our new debt ceiling has two years to run, exactly the lenght of time that Bu$hCo will remain in office. Then...new ceiling for a new president.
We had the opportunity once again to include CAFE standards in the energy bill... raising them is the logical move. But people don;t want to learn or think about energy policy, despite the fact that we will fight resource based wars and conduct foreign policy based on energy.
Shame on them. Shame on us for our complacency. Shame on us for not raising hell- it was like pulling teeth to get people around here to take action while that bill was in the works. Think if thousands had flooded their reps with calls, faxes, letters, all about CAFE standards? It would have been easy to throw the environmentalists a bone on that one, and they might have. Even if every blogger did ONE post about it and each person committed to getting ten people to really learn and take some actions, it would be something versus fuck shrub, fuck shrub. Maybe you can't fuck shrub but you can fuck with some underlings, HAVE AT IT, people.
Shame on them. Shame on us for our complacency. Shame on us for not raising hell- it was like pulling teeth to get people around here to take action while that bill was in the works. Think if thousands had flooded their reps with calls, faxes, letters, all about CAFE standards? It would have been easy to throw the environmentalists a bone on that one, and they might have. Even if every blogger did ONE post about it and each person committed to getting ten people to really learn and take some actions, it would be something versus fuck shrub, fuck shrub. Maybe you can't fuck shrub but you can fuck with some underlings, HAVE AT IT, people.
Cough, wheeze...f-...cough...uck...Bush...cough!
Whatever happened to the plastmatron or the hydrogen peroxide-run helicopter, such as the Firebird?
Whatever happened to the plastmatron or the hydrogen peroxide-run helicopter, such as the Firebird?
We had the opportunity once again to include CAFE standards in the energy bill... raising them is the logical move.
Actually Lilly, if it were a choice, I'd rather get them applied to all vehicles uniformly. Getting smaller SUVs classified as "cars" (as they typically use a car platform) and larger one's classified as "trucks" (they currently have no classification), would go a long way toward reducing emissions.
Actually Lilly, if it were a choice, I'd rather get them applied to all vehicles uniformly. Getting smaller SUVs classified as "cars" (as they typically use a car platform) and larger one's classified as "trucks" (they currently have no classification), would go a long way toward reducing emissions.
All I can say is, I quit smoking 3 years ago and I don't feel much different... my lungs always feel full o' crap. I am in Los Angeles... big surprise there. Ugh.
Sorry Helen...When I was in California I felt like I was sucking on a bus ( in most cities)...Kvatch...I am shocked by this post...are you saying that the EPA protects business and not people??? Okay I am just kidding...Under Bush there has been such raping and pillaging of this organization- I think even Nixon must be rolling in his grave on this travesty.....
