Is America Willing To Pay For A Cleaner, Safer Energy Future? #p2 #tcot

In the midst of all the conservative kabuki over the shutdown threat yesterday-- it worked, conservatives got the immense, devastating cuts they wanted-- we also looked at this week's right-wing assault in the EPA. So did the League of Conservation Voters, which points to the EPA's first-ever proposal of national standards for mercury and other toxic air pollution for power plants, as a reason for renewed right-wing fervour.

Every year, tons of pollutants like mercury and arsenic are pumped into the air we breathe, harming our environment and endangering our health.

Unfortunately, it only takes a small amount of toxic air pollution to cause serious, lifelong health complications. Toxic air pollutants-- like mercury from power plants-- cause neurological damage in children exposed in the womb and during early development.

But by implementing these new proposed safeguards, the EPA will be taking significant steps toward protecting our health. These proposed rules will protect us from many airborne toxins including mercury, arsenic, lead, dioxins, acid gas and six dozen other harmful pollutants.

The EPA estimates that these new guidelines-- which are 20 years in the making-- will save as many as 17,000 American lives annually and will prevent up to 120,000 cases of childhood asthma and up to 11,000 cases of acute bronchitis in children.

Additionally, the EPA's proposed rules are expected to generate anywhere between $60 and $140 billion worth of health cost savings-- that represents a return on investment of between $5 and $14 back for every dollar we spend implementing the new guidelines.

And they point out that Big Oil, Dirty Coal and other dirty energy interests are aggressively working to block the EPA from implementing vital the new clean air standards. This California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who Blue America has endorsed to replace Jane Harman in Congress, came out swinging about conservatives-- and remember, some of these conservatives are ostensibly Democrats, including Jim Costa right here in California-- attempting to turn the clock back on a clean environment and sidetracking a green future.

rest at http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2011/04/is-america-willing-to-pay-for-cleaner.html