Air Polluters Closely Tied to Bush Fundraising, Pollution Policymaking

[baby_bear]

http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0505-03.htm

<snip>
The nations’ top polluters, as measured in terms of mercury, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, are power plants owned by corporations that are tightly allied with the Bush administration in terms of both campaign contributions and pollution policymaking, according to a new study from two nonprofit and nonpartisan groups, the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and Public Citizen. The report finds that sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide pollution both rose from 2002 to 2003, posing higher risks to Americans in terms of asthma attacks, lung ailments, premature death and, in the case of mercury, heightened risk of neurological damage to children.

The report, America’s Dirtiest Power Plants: Plugged into the Bush Administration, ranks the top 50 polluting power plants for three pollutants. While the power plants represent only about 5 percent of the more than 1,000 such facilities in the United States, the worst offenders dominate the industry’s problem emissions: 43 percent of sulfur dioxide pollution, 31 percent of CO2 pollution and 43 percent of mercury pollution. The report is available at http://www.environmentalintegrity.org and http://www.WhiteHouseForSale.org.

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more....

Nothing new here for us, particularly, but this is an article that might get the attention of some fence-sitters or others willing to have their eyes and brains opened.

s_m

[Webster Green]

1. Shocking!

Absolutely shocking news.

[SharonAnn]

2. Thanks, this is just what I needed. I'm working with a group of

citizens here on the Clean Air Issues in our county (big chemical companies running roughshod over the residents) and they're beginning to learn that the anti-pollution laws have been weakened and in some cases eliminated and that a lot of it (not all of it) is ocnnected to the current administration.

They're beginning to see that voting for * is getting them this pollution. And they're starting to contact their Republican congressmen and Senators (John Duncan, Bill Frist, Lamar Alexander) to tell them they want stronger anti-pollution regulations. And they're beginning to see that there is no interest in their concerns.

I rarely remind them that these are all Republicans (as is our county government). They've figured it out and they're saying things like "The Republican Party needs to really clean up its act on the environment". I usually don't comment but if asked, I remeind them that I left the Republican Party 23 years ago and it started with environmental problems under Reagan.

Then I explain that this is not the Republican party of fiscal responsibility, moderates and socially progressive policies that we knew in the midwest many, many years ago.

[baby_bear]

4. SharonAnn, check this out

http://www.cheforhealth.org/

It's the Collaborative on Health and the Environment. They have a local group here in the NW, but they are national in any case. Really savvy, bringing together health and environmental causes.

Check it out and stay in touch.

cheers,

s_m

[NNadir]

3. Now this is a surprise. n/t