Continue Protecting the Environmental Protection Agency

[Robb Hirsch]

Our House of Representatives and our US Senate just tried and failed to pass legislation to bring down our Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and with it the protection of our clean air, clean water, safe soil and hospitable climate: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-epa-20110407,0.... These are the basic foundations of life itself. Without them it does not matter what our annual GDP is or our quarterly earnings because we would not be around to appreciate this fleeting prosperity.

The EPA founded was founded in 1970 to protect our health and environment, and it has done an outstanding job at that. Most notable is the institution's landmark legislation known as the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts. Even though this latest effort was beaten back, know that the proponents of growth at all costs will try again, and what is most in jeopardy besides the watchdog power of the agency as a whole is the extent, monitoring and enforcement of the nation's Clean Air Act which among other safeguards moderates power plants from recklessly spewing sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, mercury and the like into our air.

Thanks to the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision (Massachusetts V. EPA) upholding the agency's right to regulate Carbon Dioxide and other greenhouse gasses as pollutants under the Clean Air Act, the EPA can also help safeguard our climate. This is what the Congress - acting as an agency of the oil, gas and coal industries - is most afraid of, the prospect for meaningful climate pollution prevention standards and regulation. Many in Congress, including many coal state democrats, want to undue the polution prevention authority the agency maintains.

We the people must not let the oil, gas and coal industry and their congressional cronies ever prevail on this most important matter. We must continue to stand up, rise up and help protect the Environmental Protection Agency because a sustainable economy, justice and our lives depend on it. Of course call the senators and condemn the 50 of them who supported the EPA curtailment and commend the other 50 of them who rejected the proposed legislation to limit the EPA. Susan Collins in particular is to be commended as the sole Republican to stand up for our clean air, water and climate.

More than that, most importantly, get involved - support clean air, clean energy and clean water in your everyday life - because nothing protects our environment and health (and economy and national security and democracy and our dignity...) better than we the people.