Is the EPA really a bad thing? Let's just look back to the 70s

[usrname]

Here is a photo-essay showing why the United States formed an Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA. Look at the pictures and tell me that businesses can self-regulate.

Truth be told, the whole concept of keeping things clean was completely foreign to businesses. I think now, even without the EPA, it would not be so bad. But, after a 10 or 20 years of negligence, I can easily see America returning to complete corporate slobbery. Continued vigilance is required.

documerica images of America in the 1970s (just 40+ years ago).

[drm604]

1. Of course it's not a bad thing.

You ask that question as if people think it is. I doubt that you'll find many here who do.

[usrname]

3. I was being rhetorical

Comparing how the question could even be brought up as Romney, Cain, Perry and Paul had suggested it during one of the debates. (The one where Perry can't name three departments he wants to gut.)

[malthaussen]

8. I grew up on the outskirts of Pittsburgh...

... so many of those pix make me feel nostalgic. I used to swim in a quarry not dissimilar to pic #17.

So much heavy industry has fled the US that even without the EPA, I think a lot of the mess would have been cleaned up. But the EPA was certainly the driving force in improving environmental conditions.

Pittsburgh itself started seriously cleaning up just about the time my family moved to the other end of the state in 1966. It really was the Smoky City before then.

-- Mal

[bananas]

2. k&r - great photos - thanks for posting it. nt

[progressoid]

4. Ah, the good old days. Bring back burning rivers!

[RevStPatrick]

5. Those burning rivers are in China now.

All we really accomplished was to move the environmental devastation to other countries.

[EC]

6. I'm sure the repubs that would like to do away with it

just loved the acid rain and the scent of Gary, Indiana in the morning was remarkably unforgettable.

[FreakinDJ]

7. Don't understand how pictures of poverty prove your point

Granted many photos depicted trully disturbing environmental disasters, but the photos of poverty stricken youth and sever urban and rural blyth has nothing to do with evironmentaly sound policy

More over America merely shifted the pollution over to China and other impovershed countries willing to disicrate their environment out of greed

Actually ALL we did was the SHIFT the pollution to another location and lose 5 Million jobs in the process

[eppur_se_muova]

10. That last pic reminds me of Birmingham back when I was a kid ...

late 60's, early 70's -- the smokestacks from the steel mills belched *thick* clouds of pink to reddish smoke -- as little kids we thought it was pretty. :( There was one point where we crossed over a bridge or overpass and the smokestacks were suddenly in full view. That was the highlight of the trip for us.

[usrname]

11. The planet is finite

China can't export their polluting manufacturing plants to anyone else. India can't export their polluting plants either. Africa is basically the last un-tapped continent, but there's a big push to prevent Africa from going down that road, with lots of funding (albeit most to murderous dictators and thugs) to encourage sustainable and low-pollution manufacturing.

Eventually, say in 30 years, China and all the southeast asian countries will have to grapple with pollution from manufacturing and they will do what the US and Europe and Japan have done: draft regulations and enforce them. I expect 2060 to be very good, globally, in regards to pollution. Alas, I don't expect to physically be here by then.

[MADem]

9. People forget about Love Canal.... nt