Skip to main content

The EPA's War on The Environment

When it comes to wasteful government spending, the Environmental Protection Agency is one of the most wasteful of all. One example is the Clear Air Act, which sounds harmless enough. Only a jerk wouldn't want clean air, right? 

Well, according to experts Diane Katz and James Gattuso, 
"The benefits are highly questionable, with the vast majority being unrelated to the emissions targeted by the regulation. The costs, however, are certain: an estimated $9.6 billion annually. The regulations will produce a significant loss of electricity generating capacity, which will undermine energy reliability and raise energy costs across the entire economy."

Another example of our tax dollars being put to not-so-good use at the EPA is one of their more recent policies regarding methane emissions. While being politically driven, and lacking scientific facts, the EPA is on a road to setting America back 50 years in the energy revolution. In 2015, the EPA reported that since 2005, net methane emissions from natural-gas was down 38%. Fast forward to 2017, when they reported that 1/3 higher than previously reported. That since 2005, methane emissions had dropped only 0.68%. The most recent numbers were produced using data from the 1990's, which would inflate the current measurements. 
   
The energy sector has made many changes over the last decade that the EPA is deliberately ignoring. For example, oils and fuels that have been contaminated are filtered by producers so they can be reused to yield maximum performance with fewer emissions. Since 2000, oil and gas companies nationwide have invested roughly $90 billion in technologies designed to reduce harmful pollutants.

The EPA is using cooked data to add more regulations, and tighten the limits of methane emissions. Some studies have found that by 2020 these new regulations could cost 800 million dollars! That is three times more expensive than their original estimate. We the consumers will pay the price for all of this, with rising energy costs, and more expensive products. 

"Ironically, the new methane rules will also hurt the environment by crippling a low-carbon-emission technology. As of last year, natural gas–fired power plants tied coal-powered plants as America’s biggest sources of electricity production. Because gas-fired energy plants produce 50 percent less carbon dioxide than coal plants do, the growth of natural-gas infrastructure has played a key role in reducing carbon emissions." [Henry I. Miller 16]

Now, what authority does the EPA actually have to issues all of these rules? Congress has passed no laws that give them this power, and seems to be another example of federal overreach. 

President Trump has made many promises, one of which is to overhaul the EPA with true conservationists, and not those with radical political agendas. Conservation is something that every American should care about, but doing so through corruption, and incompetency will only set conservation back 100 years.

**Keep following for more updates on the Trump-era EPA**

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Top 5 Nude Beaches in the United States

Public nudity is something frowned upon in the United States - many of us are thankful for that -, although in Europe most beaches are nude friendly. If you want to feel a little more free, and looking for a new experience, then check out these top five nude beaches in the United States.  5. San Gregorio, San Mateo County, California  The small town of San Gregorio, home to only 287 people is just south of San Francisco. This is the oldest nude beach in the United States. San Gregorio is popular with the Bay area gay community, who are typically found on the northern part of the beach, and straight visitors tend to stay on the southern side. With two-miles of beach to explore there is a spot for everyone. No matter what side you are on, everyone stays to watch the sunset.   4. Black's Beach, San Diego California Tucked away between La Jolla and Torrey Pines State Beach, Black's Beach is incredibly secluded. Surrounded by high cliff walls, an...

Meaningful Fact #3 (Secret Federal Agency Killing Wildlife!)

The highly secretive arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture known as Wildlife Services killed more than 3.2 million animals during fiscal year 2015, according to new data released by the agency. The total number of wolves, coyotes, bears, mountain lions, beavers, foxes, eagles and other animals killed largely at the behest of the livestock industry and other agribusinesses represents a half-million-animal increase over the 2.7 million animals the agency killed in 2014. Despite increasing calls for reform a century after the federal wildlife-killing program began in 1915, the latest kill report indicates that the program’s reckless slaughter continues, including 385 gray wolves, 68,905 coyotes (plus an unknown number of pups in 492 destroyed dens), 480 black bears, 284 mountain lions, 731 bobcats, 492 river otters (all but 83 killed “unintentionally”), 3,437 foxes, two bald eagles and 21,559 beavers. The program also killed 20,777 prairie dogs outright, plus an unknown nu...

Top 5 Islands to Visit Before You Die

Escape to this island paradise with me!  5. Bora Bora  The small island of Bora Bora (just 6 miles long and more than 2 miles wide) overflows with beauty. Dormant volcanoes rise up at its center and fan out into lush jungle before spilling into an aquamarine lagoon. In fact, author James Michener, who wrote "Tales of the South Pacific," called Bora Bora "the most beautiful island in the world." The 18th-century British explorer James Cook even coined it as the "pearl of the Pacific." The very definition of a tropical getaway, blissful Bora Bora abounds with luxurious resorts, sunny skies, warm waters and friendly locals. Many of Bora Bora's beaches are manmade and not much to write home about. The pristine lagoons are another story. 4. St. Martin - St. Maarten If you associate the Caribbean with a laid-back atmosphere, a tranquil beach and a quiet sunset, then you haven't been to feisty St. Martin and St. Maarten. W...