Take Time to Talk about the Environment

Often times, amidst political scandals and the high school-esque drama of presidential contenders, we forget about things that matter most...

Has anybody else been paying attention to the environment lately? I recall hearing this story from a couple of days ago about the drinking water in D.C. that has been contaminated with prescription medication, and now this story comes in about the EPA loosening its restrictions on smog. And who might we have to thank for this? Who do you think? The Master Chimp himself. WAPO originally broke this story, which paints yet another disturbing picture of the Shrub Administration's involvement in environmental matters.

Check out this quote from the article:

"Never before has a president personally intervened at the 11th hour, exercising political power at the expense of the law and science, to force EPA to accept weaker air quality standards than the agency chief's expert scientific judgment had led him to adopt," said John Walke, clean air director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a private advocacy group. "It is unprecedented and an unlawful act of political interference."

This just goes to show that the country allows this nutjob get away with everything, and that those who refuse to agree are either going to be removed or are forced to comply. Perhaps Curious George plans on moving to the moon with his family. That could be the only explanation. Otherwise, in good conscience, how can anyone cause harm to the planet their children and grandchildren hope to inherit in the very near future? It's truly disturbing. This is just perpetuating the Shrub Admin's brainwashing Americans into believing that global warming does not exist and that everything is, and will continue to be, okay.

I think that the Dubya Dubya Three Administration needs to watch "The Lorax"



What's fascinating to me is the fact that the EPA is not making a big stink about it. This is what they originally said about the stronger smog standards just two days ago.

Now read today's press release:

Statement by the U.S. EPA Press Secretary, Jonathan Shradar

Release date: 03/14/2008

Contact Information: Jonathan Shradar, (202) 564-4355 / shradar.jonathan@epa.gov

(Washington, D.C. – March 14, 2008) This week, EPA met its requirements under the Clean Air Act and signed the most stringent 8-hour standard ever for ozone, revising the standards for the first time in more than a decade. The agency based the changes on the full breadth of the most recent scientific evidence about the effects of ozone, the primary component of smog.

The ozone standard preferred by the President and ultimately chosen by the Agency is as stringent as the other option the Agency had considered. The same level of protection is provided by the chosen standard; only the format of the selected standard is different.

EPA’s ozone rule this week is consistent with the Clinton Administration’s policy. In fact, EPA followed what Clinton’s EPA Administrator (Carol Browner) did by choosing a secondary standard identical – in form and level – to the primary standard.

EPA is unaware of either Paul Clement or anyone else in the Solicitor General’s office ever stating or advising that “the rules contradicted the EPA’s past submissions to the Supreme Court” as the Washington Post article today asserts.

Bottom line -- America’s air is cleaner today than it was a generation ago and the rule EPA signed this week is the most stringent 8-hour standard ever for ozone.

I'd like to hear some comments about this. I think we're going to hear more about this over the next few hours, as the story broke this morning.