GOP Solution to Air Pollution: Pass a Law Declaring that Pollutants Aren't Pollutants

[deminks]

http://www.alternet.org/news/149526/gop_solution_to_air_pollution%3A_pass_a_law_declaring_that_pollutants_aren%27t_pollutants

"Job killing" regulations are a scary myth -- but cynical, irresponsible, "people killing" bills that put all of our lives at risk are a much scarier reality.

January 15, 2011 |

Only a couple of days into the new Congress, Representative Marsha Blackburn and at least 46 colleagues have proposed an air-pollution solution that's both simple and ingenious: Pass a law declaring that pollutants aren't pollutants. Blackburn's bill, H.R. 97, states:

"The term 'air pollutant' shall not include carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarb ons, perfluorocarbons, or sulfur hexafluoride."

If only it were that simple. Unfortunately, sulfur hexaflouoride isn't bound by the whims of Congress. If that particular greenhouse-gas pollutant (with a climate-disruption potential that's 22,800 times that of CO2) wants to destroy our atmosphere, then that's what sulfur hexaflouoride is going to do.

Blackburn's bill is just one of several in this Congress that aim to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from simply doing its job -- which is to protect the health of you, me, and (yes) members of Congress. Other proposed measures would block efforts to clean our air for two years and take away EPA funding for enforcement of certain clean-air safeguards.

[SteveG]

1. The stupid just hurts n/t

n/t

[MH1]

6. The stupid that really hurts, is that significant numbers of voters vote for these jerks.

It's not like this instance of stupidity on the part of the republicans is anything surprising.

[Drale]

2. Self Delete

[onestepforward]

3. K&R

[saras]

4. They want a Darwin award for the entire species

That's what happens when you misunderstand evolution. You come to believe that Darwin awards are GOOD THINGS, and you not only want one, you want EVERYBODY to get one.

[Enthusiast]

5. Filthy Republicans.

That is all.