Center for Biological Diversity: Obama Hits New Low by Abandoning Smog-reduction Plan

[Better Believe It]

For Immediate Release, September 2, 2011
Contact: Bill Snape, [phone]

Obama Hits New Low by Abandoning Smog-reduction Plan

TUCSON, Ariz.— After intense lobbying from polluting industries, President Barack Obama today abandoned badly needed plans to reduce smog and improve public health around the country. In a statement this morning, the president told the Environmental Protection Agency to withdraw its draft Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which had been in the works for years.

“This is a new low for President Obama,” said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, which works to curb air pollution and global warming. “He sold out public health and environmental protection to appease polluters. Mr. Obama’s shortsighted political decision will have long-term health consequences for millions of Americans.”

The EPA was proposing to tighten ozone standards set during the Bush era in 2008. The Bush standards had ignored the advice of EPA's own scientists and were set at a level too high to protect public health. The Obama administration announced its intent to bring the standards more closely in line with science in early 2010, specifically recognizing that children were especially at risk from the higher standard. Today's decision reaffirms the Bush administration's standard and delays action to protect children and others from the serious health risks of ozone pollution until at least 2013.

The National Association of Clean Air Agencies says that EPA’s own data shows that today's delay will result in more than 8,500 premature deaths, more than 45,000 cases of aggravated asthma, at least 1.5 million missed work or school days, and more than 5 million cases where citizens will need to restrict their activities.

“Americans deserve clean air and a White House that takes public health seriously,” Suckling said. “Instead, President Obama today caved to the demands of big polluters and walked away from his obligation to protect the people.”

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2011/smog-09-02-2011.html

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. Next on the agenda:

Allowing schools to teach creationism. Because the science is so uncertain.

[G_j]

2. I feel ill.... nt

[drokhole]

7. Try not breathing the air...

...or drinking the water (fracking contamination, pharmaceutical drugs found in water, toxic effects of flouride) or eating (processed meats, sugar and high fructose corn syrup, nutrient depletition), or walking in shoes (You Walk Wrong), or...you know what? Fuck it. Guess we'll all just see each other in the hospital!



(To go with the shoe bit. This picture was taken from a study published in 1905, in the American Journal of Orthopedic Surgery, showing the difference between a pair of feet of a native of the Philippines, who never wore shoes (Fig 1), and those of a Westerner, whose feet have been deformed by shoes (Fig 2/3).)

[Fumesucker]

3. They *never* loved him!!

:cry:

[QC]

11. People are so cruel!

:cry:

[mfcorey1]

4. The legislation is not cut. It is delayed. Will resurface. nt

[Harmony Blue]

12. Correct

But it may die a slow political death. What a shame.

[Better Believe It]

13. Oh that's a huge relief! Cough .... cough ....cough .... choke.

The legislation is delayed until after the 2012 elections with possibly a Republican president.

Of course, no chance it would be put off again by President Obama should he be re-elected .... unless Republicans and big business once again object.

Now not much chance they would object again .... is there?

[mfcorey1]

14. Choking on the truth? LOL nt

[Better Believe It]

21. No. I just traveled to Texas! The clear blue (if you're color blind) skies of Dallas!

[dgibby]

20. Many of us can't wait that long. n/t

[amborin]

5. particularly tragic: Obama repeated the classic fallacy: the environment is at the expense of jobs;

it's not; but sadly Obama showed zero leadership taking us into a green jobs initiative

[EFerrari]

16. Yep. Another validation of corporate cr@p. n/t

[Zax2me]

6. How does it go- wants to kill children and the elderly.... -?

snip -
"President Obama decided today to trash fundamental protections for Americans' health," Hirsch said. "His decision will mean more children suffering from asthma and more permanent lung damage for adults."

"Kicking the inhaler down the road will do nothing to protect our children."


http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=165403

[blindpig]

8. The priorities of American government are necessarily those of...

American capitalists.

Capitalism rules.

[LWolf]

9. "Hits new low?"

How fucking low can one person go? :grr:

[QC]

10. The Center for Biological Diversity never supported PBO. n/t

[durablend]

15. Perry Supporters!!!! All Of Them!!!!!

Obvious they hope Obama loses!!!!!!

:sarcasm:

[QC]

19. They want a dictator with a magic wand!

Like Stalin and Tinkerbell all smooshed up together or something!

[Creideiki]

17. But he HAD to abandon it...

the people who wouldn't vote for Obama no matter what wouldn't vote for him if he kept it.

[Ichingcarpenter]

18. The needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many

So says Animal Farm.