air quality standards
Newsletter
Credit: Jarod Carruthers/Flickr
States challenge EPA's new air quality standards
A recent push by the Biden administration to set stricter limits on soot pollution has sparked legal action from 25 Republican-led states, highlighting a clash over environmental policy and economic impacts.
In short:
- The new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule aims to reduce fine particle pollution to improve public health but faces opposition for potentially harming the economy.
- Critics, including industry groups and GOP states, argue the rule is too strict and could stifle economic activity and job creation.
- Environmentalists and health experts support the rule, citing significant health benefits, including the prevention of early deaths and respiratory problems.
Key quote:
“We do not have to sacrifice people to have a prosperous and booming economy.″
— EPA Administrator Michael Regan
Why this matters:
The confrontation over air quality standards reflects the hardening ideological divide over profits versus public health with business and manufacturers on one side and justice and health advocates on the other. Tackling cumulative exposures, rather than one pollutant at a time, is key to correcting environmental injustice, experts say.
Keep reading...Show less
Credit: Maxim Tolchinskiy/Unsplash
EPA's new air quality standards raise concerns over jobs and Biden's reelection
In a move to combat air pollution, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to tighten regulations on particulate matter, sparking debate over potential job losses and political repercussions.
In short:
- The proposed regulation targets reducing airborne fine particles, linked to significant health hazards.
- Opposition from business groups and some Democrats highlights concerns about potential job losses in manufacturing sectors.
- The rule's implications extend beyond environmental impact, posing a challenge to President Biden's economic promises in battleground states.
Key quote:
“If you look at the map and overlay in your mind ‘get out the vote’ areas for Biden in critical states, you can’t help but be concerned”
— Rich Gold, a Democratic lobbyist
Visit EHN's energy section for more top news about energy, climate and health.
Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash
Polluting industries say the cost of cleaner air is too high
As the Biden administration prepares to toughen air quality standards, health benefits are weighed against the cost of compliance.
Photo by Thijs Stoop on Unsplash
Every single country is failing the WHO’s new air quality standards
No country in the world met the new air quality standards established in September by the World Health Organization, or WHO, according to a new survey that analyzed 117 countries’ air last year.
theintercept.com
EPA rule changes will increase coronavirus deaths
The sustained effects of air pollution appear to make people particularly vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus.
Top Story
www.washingtonpost.com
China is back to building coal power plants, sparking fears over climate change
In the past two years, China has expanded its coal fleet by 43 gigawatts — roughly the entire coal-fired capacity of Germany.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
