You know what’s great about America? Politicians can make decisions which affect other people’s lives without fear of any repercussion.
They can pander to special interest groups and big money in order to keep their campaign coffers full, while posturing about how well they serve their constituents. Now that’s freedom.
So in honor of those other freedoms which make America great, let’s go ahead and name some names:
These politicians want your children to grow up breathing the toxic air pollutants produced in the name of progress, profit, and power:
- Cynthia Lummis wants your kids to breathe toxic air pollution (R-WY)
- Ed Whitfield wants your kids to breathe toxic air pollution (R-KY)
- Mike Ross wants your kids to breathe toxic air pollution (D-AR)
- Fred Upton wants your kids to breathe toxic air pollution (R-MI)
“Despite the health benefits of reducing toxic pollution from power plants, some polluters and members of Congress are seeking to block EPA’s efforts to update public health protections. Last week, two House Committees voted for amendments by Ed Whitfield (R-KY)/Mike Ross (D-AR) and Cynthia Lummis (R- WY) to block for at least a year the EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics standard. These amendments could move to the House floor as early as this week. Meanwhile, the chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, Fred Upton (R-MI) has vowed to block EPA’s clean air safeguards.” – NRDC
The health of your children and grandchildren is at stake, and yet these politicians listed above (and others!) think it’s OK to continue to use us as guinea pigs for the operations of their corporate masters. I call bullshit on this, and I’m calling them out.
Perhaps you’re asking yourself why? What’s the big deal here, dude? The big deal is that this country is not governed for the common good. It’s not governed for the benefits of the citizens. And it’s not run for the best interests of the future of this country – the children. Which is extremely shortsighted, even for politicians.
A recent study of publicly-available data from the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory, titled “Toxic Power: How Power Plants Contaminate Our Air and States“, was just released by the Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which sheds some light on the topic.
The study found that (a) Half of all the toxic air pollution reported from industrial sources in the United States comes from coal- and oil-fired power plants, and (b) Power plants are the single largest industrial source of toxic air pollution in 28 states and the District of Columbia.
The study also ranked the top twenty U.S. states in order of highest levels of toxic air pollution from power plants. Residents of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, you live in states with the most toxic air pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants. Isn’t that great? You’re going to be victims of our country’s unbridled thirst for cheap energy and high profits.
“Power plants are the biggest industrial toxic air polluters in our country, putting children and families at risk by dumping deadly and dangerous poisons into the air we breathe. Tougher standards are long overdue. Members of Congress who consider blocking toxic pollution safeguards should understand that this literally will cost American children and families their health and lives.” – Dan Lashof, NRDC
And it’s not just those silly environmentalists who want everything to be ‘green’ that support strong clean air regulations. It’s also the American Lung Association and physicians, it’s moms and dads, it’s bloggers and scientists. And it’s me.
What I hope is that it’s also you who will stand up and call bullshit on these politicians and their lobbyist lovers.
“Coal pollution is killing Americans. It is America’s biggest source of toxic air pollution. Air toxics from coal-fired power plants cause cancer, birth defects, and respiratory illness. Just one of those air toxics, mercury, damages the developing brains of fetuses, infants, and small children. It robs our children of healthy neurological development and native intelligence. Poisonous power threatens the health of our kids and families. As a pediatrician for over thirty years, I urge us absolutely to support the EPA’s efforts to reduce the health threat from coal.” – Lynn Ringenberg, MD, of Physicians for Social Responsibility
Come on, you can do it. Join us.