take a deep breath...

As promised (defiantly instead of definitely), here is the Slingshizzle position on President Bush’s "Clean Skies Initiatives." Sorry about the wait:

America needs a President who will revive the Clean Air Act and work hard to eliminate the air pollutants in we breathe every day. America needs a President who will unite with world efforts to curb global warming. America needs a President who will ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Finally, America needs a President that will spur research and development into clean-burning renewable fuels. Unfortunately for us, we won’t have a President like this until 2009.

The Clean Air Act (enacted under President Bush in 1990 and strengthened under President Clinton in 1997) has steadily improved our air quality since 1970, but was considerably undermined by special interests acting through the current administration in the form of the “Clean Skies Initiative.”

While several corporations fill their pocketbooks, average Americans face increased health problems and additional expenses for health care that most can ill afford. Nearly half of all Americans are forced to breathe unhealthy air. This should not be tolerated under any circumstances, yet it’s businesses as usual for President Bush’s administration.

The human cost of air pollutants is estimated at as many as 100,000 premature deaths and about $50 billion annually in the United States. (Center for Disease Control) Because we breathe in 3,400 gallons of air every day, chemicals we cannot see, smell, or taste can do irreparable harm over long periods.

The personal cost of air pollution, estimated to average around $200 every year, applies to everyone, everywhere, but is even higher for some regions. For example, a 22-square-mile area north of Fort Wayne has been identified as the most mercury-contaminated spot in the country. In addition, some racial groups are hit harder than others. For instance, 71% of African Americans lived in counties that violated federal air pollution standards in 2002, compared to 58% of the white population. (Center for Disease Control)

It is now crucial that the lethal impacts of air pollution be realized and acted upon. Soot from the oldest and dirtiest power plants kills 30,100 Americans each year; comparatively, drunk driving kills 16,935 and homicides kill 17,893. (Center for Disease Control) These same power plants emit pollution that triggers 603,000 asthma attacks annually, most of which occur in children. The technology to clean up these plants has literally existed for decades. If these old power plants were made to be as clean as newer power plants, we'd save three times as many lives as are saved by seatbelts. (Center for Disease Control)

The Bush Clear Skies Initiative is a step backwards for the quality of the environment. Even the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has admitted that the Clear Skies Initiative will create more pollution from the electric power industry than if the EPA had enforced existing programs. As written, the Clear Skies Initiative will allow 36% more nitrogen oxides, 50% more sulfur dioxide, and as much as 500% more mercury to be released into our air. This will mean millions more asthma attacks, heavier acid rainfalls, and more toxic bodies of water where the fish cannot be eaten. (EPA)

So obviously, the Bush administration has seriously lowered the air quality standards in the United States and the time has come to restore them. So what can we do? As a nation, we must:

▪Reinvigorate the Clean Air Act and reverse the efforts of the Bush administration to impede it.

▪Offer incentives for renewable forms of energy. This will help clean our air and reduce our dependence on polluting forms of energy and on foreign oil and gas.

▪Offer incentives for more efficient devices and systems that use or generate power. Automobiles can be more efficient and safer without being less comfortable. Many of our power plants can be more efficient and produce fewer pollutants. Mega-farms can produce much less toxic gas.

▪Support the Kyoto Treaty and Protocol and join international efforts to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases and curb global warming.

▪Work cooperatively with other nations. Air is a universal resource; our efforts to improve air quality mustn't end at the U.S. borders.

For more information about renewable energy resources and my take on the issue, please check out my post "I love the smell of smog in the morning...if only it didn't sting when I inhale..."