7. CHANGES IN AMBIENT AND
EMISSIONS LEVELS
Ambient Emissions
Pollutant Ambient Emissions
Carbon Monoxide (CO) -79% -58%
Ozone* (O3) -28% -49%
Lead (Pb) -92% -96%
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) -52% -40%
Particulates (PM10) -38% -46%
Fine Particulates -21% -36%
(PM2.5)
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) -83% -56%
* The emission measure here is volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a principal
ozone precursor
Source: EPA
8. AIR QUALITY SUCCESSES
• The improvement in air quality is the greatest
public policy success story of the last generation.
• Almost the entire country has achieved clean air
standards for four of the six criteria pollutants,
with exception of ozone and particulates.
• With ozone and particulates, the areas of the
nation with the highest pollution levels have
shown the greatest improvement.
9. AIR QUALITY SUCCESSES
• The chief factor—technology.
• Regulations also play important role in
innovations, but many are result of market
forces and economic growth.
• EPA’s computer models predict 60% decline in
emissions from cars and trucks over next 20
years from fleet turnover.
10. OBAMA’S EPA
• GHG Regulations—have to use commercially
unavailable carbon capture technology.
• Mercury and Air Toxics Rule (Utility MACT)
and Cross State Air Pollution Rule
• New Ozone Standards--$90 billion in costs and
would force 450 counties into non-attainment
• Boiler MACT.
12. OBAMA’S EPA
• Costs too high for little or no benefit.
• EPA applies “No-Threshold” Standard—all
emissions cause health effects at any level.
• Should use “health-based” standard,
recognizes that a level exists below which
exposure does not pose health risk.
13. ENERGY POLICY
• According to the Congressional Research
Service, U.S. has most fossil fuel resources of
any country, but most of these resources are
off-limits due to federal policies.
• Our energy resources, along with expected
future discoveries, have been calculated to
last us 400 years at current usage rates.
15. ENERGY POLICY
• Restrictions on development of oil, natural gas, and coal
have created energy shortage over last 40 years.
• Obama’s/EPA’s War on Coal: “What I’ve said is that we
would put a cap and trade system in place that is as
aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody else’s out
there. So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant,
they can; it’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re
going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas
that’s being emitted.”
• “Somehow we have to figure out a way to boost the price
of gasoline to levels in Europe.” [$9-$11/gal.] Steven Chu—
Secretary of Energy
16. ENERGY POLICY
• Obama rescinded Bush executive order
permitting drilling on continental shelf.
• Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar cancelled oil
and gas leases on federal lands.
• Restricted offshore drilling leases.
• Made more federal land designated
wilderness areas and off limits.
• Blocked Keystone Pipeline.
18. NATURAL GAS
• Natural gas production is booming on state
and private lands, but total production on
federal land has fallen more than 30 percent
over the last decade.
• Proportion of gas produced on federal land
has fallen from 35 percent in 2003 to just
above 20 percent today.
• Fracking regulations after election?
22. ENERGY SUBSIDIES
• Total federal subsidies in 2010 were :
• For solar power, $775.64 per megawatt hour
• Wind $56.29
• Nuclear $3.14
• Hydroelectric power $0.82
• Coal $0.64
• Natural gas and petroleum liquids $0.64.
• Electricity costs around $100 per megawatt hour
24. THE MYTH OF “GREEN JOBS”
• 2011 study by the Brookings Institution—more
green jobs, 2.7 million (Clean Economy), than
jobs in fossil fuel industry, 2.4 million.
• 24,294 jobs in wind power (0.9%) and 24,152
jobs in solar power (0.89%).
• Two largest categories of “green jobs” are Waste
Management and Treatment (386,116) and Public
Mass Transit (350,547) (27% of total). Organic
Food and Farming adds 129,956.
25. 80 BY 50
• To meet greenhouse gas stability target—80%
reduction in CO2 emissions by the year 2050 by
the whole world.
• Reduce fossil fuel use in U.S. to 1910 level, when
country had population of 92 million, and was
about 2% of today’s economy.
• By 2050 U.S. will have 400 million people—
meeting emissions reduction target means per
capita emissions would be 2.4 tons of CO2.
• Haiti? Somalia?
26. ENVIRO CRIMES
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.
• “Chemophobia”; led to ban of DDT in late
1960s.
• Complete ban unnecessary; contributed to
deaths of millions from malaria in developing
world.
• Never a human carcinogen; damage to wildlife
can be mitigated through careful use.
27. ENVIRO CRIMES
• WHO/ NYT editorial page have called for
reintroduction of DDT in the developing
world.
• Use of DDT eradicated malaria in U.S.
• Why deny the developing world the same
tools?
28. ENVIRO CRIMES
• NYT’s Tina Rosenberg 2004 article “What the
World Needs Now Is DDT”
• Rosenberg: “In her 297 pages, Rachel Carson
never mentioned the fact that by the time she
was writing, DDT was responsible for saving tens
of millions of lives, perhaps hundreds of
millions.”
• “DDT killed bald eagles because of its persistence
in the environment. Silent Spring is now killing
African children because of its persistence in the
public mind.”
29. ENVIRO CRIMES
• WHO: between 250,000 to 500,000 children
become blind every year due to vitamin A
deficiency, half die within a year of becoming
blind.
• Golden Rice—genetically modified form of rice
that contains beta-carotene. BC is converted to
vitamin A; important for eyesight, immune
system, and general good health.
• Developed in 1998; numerous studies show
golden rice can eliminate vitamin A deficiency.
30. ENVIRO CRIMES
• Greenpeace and its allies have successfully
blocked the introduction of golden rice,
claiming it may have “environmental and
health risks.” Pandora’s Box! Trojan Horse!
• Greenpeace co-founder Dr. Patrick Moore
called it “Greenpeace's Crime Against
Humanity.”
Editor's Notes
PM 1985-2008 and 1999-2008
Iconic book for the modern environmental movement;
