Union of Concerned Scientists: President Obama Undercuts Science with Smog Standard Delay

[Better Believe It]

News Release
September 2, 2011

President Obama Undercuts Science with Smog Standard Delay
Statement by Francesca Grifo, Scientific Integrity Program Director

WASHINGTON (September 2, 2011) — President Obama today asked the Environmental Protection Agency to ignore its obligation under the Clean Air Act to update ground-level ozone pollution standards for the United States based on the best available science. Because of President Obama’s decision, the ground-level ozone standards will remain outside the scientifically acceptable range of between 60 and 70 parts per billion recommended by an independent scientific advisory committee and EPA scientists in 2007.

Below is a statement by Francesca Grifo, senior scientist and director of the Union of Concerned Scientists' Scientific Integrity Program:

“This delay is shocking. President Obama’s decision will leave us with a rule that flouts the Clean Air Act and ignores science. They've allowed politics to trump science at the expense of the American people’s health. The law requires EPA to update a new standard based solely on the science. Scientific recommendations were finalized five years ago. But when industry objected, the administration accepted the industry’s economic scare tactics at face value.

“This is a dangerous precedent for every science-based public health, safety and environmental protection we enjoy.

“The blame here rests squarely on the White House. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has consistently reaffirmed that the EPA can only consider public health science when setting the standard. Cost considerations are appropriate when it’s time to implement the standard. But the White House decided to go back on its promise, ignore the science and cave to industry pressure.

“Good science is always being refined, but waiting for the next scientific assessment on public health risks from EPA is no excuse for delaying action now. Every delay makes more people sick.”


The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading U.S. science-based nonprofit organization working for a healthy environment and a safer world. Founded in 1969, UCS is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and also has offices in Berkeley, Chicago and Washington, D.C.

http://www.ucsusa.org/news/commentary/president-obama-undercuts-science-smog-0558.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[dkf]

2. He isn't making it worse, he's delaying implementation of new regs.

So it's status quo for now. Why is that a big deal when we really can't afford to make big changes in our current malaise?

[Fumesucker]

3. Why would anyone wish to change the current malaise?

When the top one percent are profiting so handsomely from it?

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[WillyT]

7. Yeah... He's Not Making It Worse... He's Continuing The Current Suckage...

Hope & Change...

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Harmony Blue]

9. Because delaying it means it will die a slow political death

The Democratic party had a few progressive victories to point to and this was one of them. Well, not anymore as it will be in limbo. The Montreal Protocol worked because it was swift and decisive, not fence sitting about what needed to be done.

[Rex]

18. That's funny, you're funny!

[tgal]

46. Oh my god...

just fucking unbelievable....

[Cool Logic]

5. "..White House decided to go back on its promise, ignore the science and cave to industry pressure."

Actually, the White House was more concerned about People pressure, than industry pressure. Increased energy costs, rolling blackouts, etc., is not something that Americans will tolerate.

Clearly, it makes sense to make to pull the plug voluntarily, rather than being forced to make that decision subsequent to its effects being felt by the People.

[Better Believe It]

11. Talk about political spin!

And they talked about Republicans trying to put lipstick on a pig!

Which they did attempt to do.

[Cool Logic]

23. Well, if you believe that 71,684 pages of tax code and 134,723 pages of fedregs...

were created to "help the People," you might be a little bit naive.

Why do you think 1% of the population controls 38% of the wealth?

Answer: Because our fedgov Representatives let them have it. They let the K-Street boys and girls turn our free-market economy into a tightly regulated-market economy, that benefits their contributors, restricts the People and costs them $1.75 trillion/yr.

[pscot]

24. Maybe you could just make something up?

The consequences you cite are unverified industry propaganda. The required improvements under the new standard would have created jobs and saved lives in the process. If that message can't be sold, they aren't trying.

[sulphurdunn]

35. There is nothing cool

about your logic. Your fear mongering about rolling blackouts, increased rates and such is merely repetition of industry talking points. It's the new "we can only afford to keep the lights on if we kill ourselves to do it" fallacy. What you're really saying is that clean air is not in the financial interests of those who run Washington and make a living from dirty power and show no inclination to invest in cleaning it up.

[treestar]

6. What does the Union of Disappointed Scientists Say?

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. What an inane statement ... by trying to marginalize the UNC.

i rather like and respect former nobel laureates and an organizational membership of over 250,000.

Maybe I read you wrong.

[QC]

13. Clearly, anti-intellectualism isn't just for freepers anymore. n/t

[Supersedeas]

49. or so it seems---personality politics trumps science again

remember there was the same sort of reaction to science by those who identified with the cowboy President

[QC]

54. Yes, they were proud of Bush for thumbing his nose at those fancypants knowitalls.

[neverforget]

14. Ah jeez

[Tesha]

26. How many interest groups are you willing to sacrifice?

UCS is well-regarded by many who care about the environment.

Tesha

[QC]

27. But they've never been the president!

They need to be president for a while, and then they can talk!

What do they know?

:sarcasm:

[durablend]

39. Obvious they never loved him either!

That list is growing by the minute. Probably a bunch of racists too!

[QC]

42. They are meaniebutts!!!!!

:cry:

[Union Scribe]

29. I'm actually embarrassed for you.

[xocet]

40. Wow! Are you going to throw science under the bus? The Republican Party Wants You.... n/t

[fascisthunter]

52. political fanaticism

and the power of belief

[tgal]

47. More ignorance on display

sickening and ignorant.

[DirkGently]

10. Welcome to the Enemies List, scientists of the world.

[Harmony Blue]

16. How sad and tragic

Scientists are now made fun of on a progressive site. :-(

[DirkGently]

17. They're in good company. Greenwald, Kucinich, Hamsher. Rationality is so passe.

[QC]

12. The Union of Concerned Scientists never supported PBO. n/t

[LeftyMom]

15. The Union of Concerned Scientists never really loved him! It's just one smog regulation!

Didn't the Union of Concerned Scientists support Hillary in the primary? They weren't talking about smog under a white president, just sayin'.

There, I saved The Usual Suspects the trouble.

[dgibby]

19. Careful there, Leftymom,

lest someone comes along to accuse you of being one of those ubiquitous "critics" I keep reading about. You know the ones who can't think for themselves, are being duped by people spreading disinformation, or worse yet, a paid operative trying to divide Democrats. Old Joe must be laughing his ass off right about now.

[XemaSab]

30. Don't you care about the American worker?

If we roll back our environmental and worker protections to somewhere south of China, then we can be competitive on the global market!

[LeftyMom]

31. He's taking a moderate position on breathable air.

Those asthmatics are just a bunch of pouting, wheezy whiners.

[XemaSab]

32. Breathing = a pony

n/t

[Divernan]

34. And his daughter, Malia is an asthmatic!

[Divernan]

33. Poor air quality disproportionately impacts minorities says Michelle Obama.

Michelle Obama actually wrote that the asthma "epidemic" disproportionately affects minority communities.

http://www.achooallergy.com/blog/obama-child-asthma /


In a new book titled "Healthy Child, Healthy World," Michelle Obama calls for increased efforts at asthma education and prevention.

Michelle and Barack Obama's daughter Malia suffers from asthma, and they do everything they can to keep their house dust-free and dander-free. When the Obama family decided to enter the Presidential race, they made a deal that their daughters could get a dog. After some research, the parents opted for a hypoallergenic dog - a soft-coated, Wheaten terrier - that does not trigger Malia's asthma.

"Parents of children with asthma need to know how to reduce the chances of an attack, how to treat an attack if it happens, and when to go to the hospital," writes Obama. "Irritants and allergens in the air, such as smoke, dust mites, pet dander, cockroaches, mold, and pollen, can make attacks more likely. So parents who have children with asthma should keep houses clean of potential triggers.

"But that's not all of it. The number of children with asthma has more than doubled since the 1980s, and this epidemic disproportionately affects minority communities. As a society, we need to help parents in the inner city live in clean environments that aren't dangerous to their children's health.

________________________________________________--
Evidently it's OK for THIS president to negatively impact minorities.

[Better Believe It]

20. Scientists! Hum bug! What do they know with their stupid theories and stuff?

[DirkGently]

21. Buncha Professional Thinker-ists, is what they are. They should stop taking ... tea or whatever.

:D

[Uncle Joe]

22. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Better Believe It.

[QC]

25. Damn scientists with their fancy degrees and their microscopes and all that other flibbertigibbet!

Tellin' us we came from apes and smog is bad for us and all that other foofaraw!

What do they know?

[pecwae]

36. Flibbertigibbet & foofaraw for all! nt

[QC]

56. I wouldn't give a plug nickel for them eggheads! n/t

[progressoid]

28. Science Schmience

Who needs it.

Bring back the good old days

[avaistheone1]

37. k&r

[Jakes Progress]

38. Undercuts science and economics in one fell swoop.

[QC]

43. That's the efficient way! n/t

[Jakes Progress]

44. And so sensible.

[QC]

45. Pragmatic, too. n/t

[Doctor_J]

51. and forward-looking

bipartisan

[QC]

53. Pragmatically progressive. n/t

[Goldfish]

41. Wow!

Just remembered that I need to send in my membership
renewal to this group!

[midnight]

48. Science based policies should be the norm... Money trumps peace

and in this case common sense.

[Doctor_J]

50. UCS are right-wing operatives

or they never really supported the president. Or they're racists. Or they all want ponies. President Bachmann.

[QC]

58. They are poutrageous puristic pony-demanders. n/t

[Name removed]

55. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TheKentuckian]

57. The curious thing is that when someone really gets tough on the TeaPubliKlans

there tends to be no shortage of "pragmatists" defending them or pleading for civility or telling a fable of some gruff puke with a heart O gold that can go hardly a day without giving the shirt off his back to a neighbor/friend/family member in need.

The other interesting thing is that crappy and demonstrated to be failed Republican policy is quickly rehabbed if rolled out by the appropriate party or politician.