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Environmental Justice, Science Leaders Urge Action Linking Climate and Public Health
In a letter sent to Congress and the Obama administration last month, leading voices in environmental justice, science and academics asked that: “1) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to regulate greenhouse gases (GHGs) should not be overturned or diminished; and 2) climate change policy should address the emissions of greenhouse gas co-pollutants, as well as the emissions of greenhouse gases themselves.” 
The same facilities and vehicles that emit greenhouse gases also emit co-pollutants that lead to high rates of asthma and other serious public health concerns. In addition to the public health impacts associated with climate change itself, co-pollutants from coal plants and other fossil fuel sources disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color as these communities are largely located where fossil fuel facilities are located and where urban vehicle emissions are concentrated. This unique partnership of leading environmental justice activists, policy analysts, scientists and academics is the first of its kind.
While Congress has rejected initial attempts to undermine the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions for public health reasons, additional attempts to challenge EPA’s authority are expected. Shalini Gupta, director of the Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy at IATP, was among the 18 leaders who signed onto the letter. To find out more, read the press release and full letter.
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Show AllThe problem is few people believe Mr. Gupta or for that fact many of the science community on this topic any more.
Shalini Gupta is a female researcher.
OOPS!!!!! Slip of the finger!!
Actually, a comprehensive survey has shown that the public trusts scientists more than anyone else when it comes to information about the climate.
I don't know how much the general public follow the details, but unfortunately there is a lot of information out there indicating that the IPCC, UEA, and others allowed their science to become very sloppy, and have tried to cover up their mistakes rather than cleansing their subject of bad practices.
Perhaps this is clearest to see in relation to the prominent IPCC claim that the glaciers in the Himalayas will melt by 2035.
Rajenda Pachauri was warned prior to the Copenhagen summit that this claim was not based on any evidence, and was in any case highly implausible given the volume of ice involved. He responded by calling the scientist who gave the warning, a practitioner of voodoo science (!!) and did nothing until after Copenhagen, when the IPCC admitted this was a 'mistake'.
How can a claim like that get through to the final IPCC report, and yet be based on nothing but a magazine article? If that is a mistake, it is an awfully careless one! It also seems as though the date 2035 was originally 2350, and resulted from a misprint! This is only the most glaring failure, there are many others - documented in excruciating details on some of the 'denialist' websites.
This is not an isolated incident, and unfortunately we will not know whether there really is a danger from CO2 levels until the science has been cleaned up.
There are many more Green issues than CO2, and I feel really sorry that the Green movement has become so associated with global warming, which will, I suspect, turn out to be a mistake/scam.
Readers of Common Dreams should realise better than most that when there are billions to be made out of carbon credits, the traders involved are not going to care about the scientific facts of the matter.
File this under science and common sense.
The party of NO, however, will not entertain such forward thinking concepts and solutions.
Nor will DLC minded Democrats for that matter.
If this was 30 years ago, and somehow the country could have elected educated, thoughtful, and enlightened representatives, then we might have a had a chance to have developed systems to combat this issue and we also may have been of the forefront of exporting the technology to the third world.
That was then and this is now. Anyone taking bets that nothing of substance will be done until a major climate tipping point occurs?
Eat desert first.
The United States is a Tarball Republic. It's government is stinky, sticky and will be hard to remove.
FALLACY OF CLIMATE NON COMPLIANCE
Our Nation's non compliance with other developed nations concerning global warming mitigation underscores the dangerous control that special interests have exercised over our policies. They cite random climatic variations, such as the some unseasonal snowfall in the southeast US but omiand despite the minor
Despite their deceptive claims war against science,evidence linking carbon pollution to warming has long been as close to certain as science can be. Its causes,consequences, and mitigation requirements have been documented by the dedicated international scientific community including The Union of Concerned Scientists.
Special interests argue that the current warming trends follow historic warming cycles, and hence reflect natural weather patterns--but they omit obvious differences: The earlier warming trends developed at slower rates which permitted the ecosystems to adapt. Morever they resulted from temporary natural events, which allowed transitions back to normal temperature patterns--by contrast, the current warming patterns result largely from artificial causes that will only intensify unless mitigated.
By all indicators, global warming will self perpetuate as the melting ice sheets reflect less heat, as the melting permafrost releases more CO2 & methane, and the list goes on. Inundation of low lying areas, spread of tropical diseases to temperate latitudes, sea life destruction from changing ocean chemistry, & currents are only some inevitable consequences.
Often overlooked is the fact that, the same measures needed to mitigate global warming would be necessary even if it were no issue. Conservation,alternative energy development, anti- pollution refinements, etc are essential for other vital environmental reforms such as air and water quality, reductions in toxic waste generation, land preservation, etc.
Contrary to right wing assertions, measures to reduce greenhouse gases could only improve our economy by lessening our trade deficits, and improving our security by reducing our dangerous dependance on foreign oil. We could also regain some of our lost world respect that has resulted from our rejection of Kyoto and dismal participation in Copenhagen, while arrogantly contributing disproportionally to carbon pollution. With our participation in international efforts, China & India could no longer use our non-compliance as an excuse for their non-participation.
The environmental and social damage from our indifference to carbon pollution--and conflicts between the main contributors to it and those who suffer most from it--can only intensify until we show responsibility and detooth the special interests,who have blocked these vital reforms in the past.
I hope that science, environmental and environmental justice leaders would begin to recognize that the issue of public health/climate change, and all other directly related matters, goes well beyond policy formulation and implementation, regulatory authority and Congressional action.
This issue provides a magnificent opportunity to be framed in human rights terms. It should be used to advance human rights through education and advocacy.
David Cohen,
Washington DC
FALLACY OF CLIMATE NON COMPLIANCE
Our Nation's evasion of global warming mitigation, underscores the dangerous grip special interests have held through misinformation and fabricated science, as well as legislative lobbying.
Evidence linking our contributions to carbon pollution to warming has long been as close to certain as science can be. Its causes, consequences, and mitigation requirements have been documented by thousands in the dedicated international scientific community including The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Special interests argue that the current warming trends follow historic cycles, and hence reflect natural weather patterns--but they omit obvious differences: The earlier warming trends developed at slower rates which permitted the ecosystems to adapt. Morever they resulted from temporary natural events, which allowed transitions back to normal temperature patterns. By contrast, the current warming patterns result from artificial interferences and will only intensify until their causes are mitigated. They disregard positive indicators such as melting of glaciers,Arctic ice and the Northwest Passage,which has been evident for years. Instead they capitalize on some spikes in weather patterns such as the eastern U S snowfalls, which in fact can be attributed to warming,
By all indicators, global warming will self perpetuate as the melting permafrost releases more CO2 & methane, while the melting ice sheets reflect less heat. Inundation of low lying areas, spread of tropical diseases to temperate latitudes, sea life destruction from changes in ocean chemistry & currents, and altered weather patterns are only some inevitable consequences.
Remarkably, the very measures required for global warming mitigation, such as conservation, alternative energy development, anti-pollution refinements, family planning, etc should be undertaken to combat world starvation, sickness and poverty even if it were no issue.
Contrary to right wing assertions, greenhouse gases reduction measureswill only improve our economy and ease the recession,by lessening our trade deficits and by developing jobs for Americans, while improving our security by reducing our dangerous dependance on foreign oil. We could then regain some of our lost world respect that has resulted from our arrogant neglect, while contributing disproportionally to carbon pollution. China & India could then no longer use our non-compliance as an excuse for their weak participation.
The environmental and social damage from our indifference to carbon pollution--and conflicts between its main contributors and those who suffer most from it--can only worsen until we detooth the special interests and show global responsibility by enacting these vital reforms for future generations. We have no viable alternatives and time is running out..