{"id":7152,"date":"2014-06-02T11:20:00","date_gmt":"2014-06-02T16:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/?p=7152"},"modified":"2014-06-02T11:20:50","modified_gmt":"2014-06-02T16:20:50","slug":"new-epa-rule-for-dirty-power-plants-fuels-strange-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2014\/06\/02\/new-epa-rule-for-dirty-power-plants-fuels-strange-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"New EPA rule for dirty power plants fuels strange debate"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Coal-fired power plants are the single largest source of carbon pollution in the United States.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the downside-up\u00a0Alice in Wonderland<\/em>\u00a0world of Congress, we are about to begin a debate about whether unlimited pollution is a good thing.<\/p>\n

It will be triggered by the Obama administration’s\u00a0historic announcement today<\/a>\u00a0that for the first time, America\u2019s fossil-fueled power plants will\u00a0not be allowed to release limitless amounts of carbon pollution<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 a policy that will improve the chances our children and grandchildren will have a safe and healthy future.<\/p>\n

No one, of course, will stand up and say they love pollution.<\/p>\n

But you’re about to hear elected officials and industry lobbyists talk very loudly about the calamity that will occur if we impose any restriction at all on carbon pollution from power plants.<\/p>\n

\n
Learn how you can support carbon limits<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Never mind that power plants are the largest source of this pollution, or that they cause major damage to our environment and our health. And don\u2019t worry that up until now, there have been\u00a0no national limits<\/a>\u00a0on them at all.<\/p>\n

According to these folks, unless we allow companies to pollute as much as they want, we will face catastrophe.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Pollution is bad – period<\/strong><\/p>\n

The new rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would establish standards for carbon pollution from existing power plants, just as they have standards for soot and mercury and other pollutants. The rule is based on decades of science, and will be proposed under authority granted by Congress through the Clean Air Act.<\/p>\n

More importantly, it\u2019s based on two pieces of basic common sense:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. When there is no limit on pollution, you get a lot of pollution.<\/li>\n
  2. Pollution is bad.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It doesn\u2019t seem to reassure the unlimited pollution crowd that every past effort to reduce air pollution has resulted in a net benefit for our economy as well as for our health. In fact, the benefits of most EPA Clean Air Act rules outweigh the costs by\u00a030 to 1<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    But as reliably as a humid summer in Washington, critics of the law will wildly over-estimate the cost of complying with new pollution reduction rules.<\/p>\n

    The impacts of unlimited pollution are scary, as outlined in two recent scientific reports that outline the situation\u00a0globally<\/a>and in the\u00a0United States<\/a>. Kids will have more asthma attacks, storms will be more destructive, drought more severe, and lots of other dangerous problems.<\/p>\n

    Compare that future to one in which we have reasonable limits on carbon pollution. They won\u2019t solve all of our problems, but they are a significant step forward. The new EPA rule will kick-start a transition to a\u00a0clean-energy and low-carbon future<\/a>, which will lead to economic and health benefits for everyone.<\/p>\n

    So next time someone tells you that limits on carbon emissions are a bad idea, ask if he (or she) thinks unlimited pollution is a responsible policy \u2013 and watch the person change the subject in a hurry.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s how these conversations usually end.<\/p>\n

    This blog first appeared on EDF Voices<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In the downside-up\u00a0Alice in Wonderland\u00a0world of Congress, we are about to begin a debate about whether unlimited pollution is a good thing. 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