Saturday, April 09, 2005
Toxic Texan Strikes Again
Stories like this just burn me up, especially since clean air should be a bipartisan issue, right? Here's the deal. Back in 2000, Bush made a campaign promise to include carbon dioxide as an air pollutant that should be regulated. He lied. Under pressure from his industry-polluting buddies, he reversed the Clinton administration EPA rules regulating carbon dioxide emissions.
This battle has now gone to a federal appeals court, and all you have to do is look at who the plaintiffs are (12 states, a territory, 3 cities, and 13 environmental groups) and who is on the government's side in the case (19 industry groups, including car makers, refiners, and chemical companies) to know what side the Bush admin. is on. For this administration, it always comes down to helping businesses avoid regulation at the expense of the health of the citizens. As someone who lives in one of the 10 most polluted cities in the U.S., I just hope I survive the Toxic Texan's reign and that people finally pull their heads out and elect some yellow dogs who care about the environment.
The New York Times > Washington > 2 Sides Do Battle in Court on Whether E.P.A. Should Regulate Carbon Dioxide
This battle has now gone to a federal appeals court, and all you have to do is look at who the plaintiffs are (12 states, a territory, 3 cities, and 13 environmental groups) and who is on the government's side in the case (19 industry groups, including car makers, refiners, and chemical companies) to know what side the Bush admin. is on. For this administration, it always comes down to helping businesses avoid regulation at the expense of the health of the citizens. As someone who lives in one of the 10 most polluted cities in the U.S., I just hope I survive the Toxic Texan's reign and that people finally pull their heads out and elect some yellow dogs who care about the environment.
The New York Times > Washington > 2 Sides Do Battle in Court on Whether E.P.A. Should Regulate Carbon Dioxide
