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Environmental Stewardship & Economic Prosperity

SA_Hawk

HR All-American
Jan 8, 2022
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Lincoln, NE
iowa.rivals.com
Some great points made here.

  • One of the unfortunate dynamics of the modern environmental movement is that it needs to downplay legitimately positive news lest it feel like a sense of urgency and fear is undermined by reality. Yet some good news seems almost dishonest to not mention, right? Like for example – carbon monoxide emissions are down -73% over the last forty years. Or the fact that lead levels in the air are down -99%. Nitrogen oxides have been reduced -62%. Sulfur dioxide as an air pollutant is down -90%. So why not proclaim the good news of these reductions? Well, I have a theory.
  • Because GDP is up +275% in these same forty years, vehicle miles traveled are up +191%, energy consumption is up +49%, and the U.S. population is up a stunning +60%. And if that kind of economic growth and energy utilization can coincide with such a huge reduction in air pollutants like carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, etc., then maybe, just maybe – carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced even as we grow our economy as well. And I do not believe this is just “accidentally” possible. I think the testimony of history is abundantly clear: Richer equals cleaner. Economic prosperity is NOT at odds with environmental stewardship; it is the cause of greater environmental stewardship.
  • By David Bahnsen
 
I think the causation angle in the last bullet might be a stretch, but I think it’s worth noting that steps we’ve taken have had benefits….and that we should continue to make progress. Personally, I don’t believe that prosperity and growth have to be the enemy of the environment. I think we can do things in sustainable ways.
 
The EPA has done a lot of good and was started by a Republican president. Why do contemporary Republicans want to gut it or weaken it?

It’s too bad there wasn’t a strong enough lead lobby back in the 1960s that could’ve prevented Nixon from starting the EPA.
 
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