The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the name suggests come up with guide lines and regulations to ease the level of pollution emitted by various industries. This was in response to the growing number of cases in which entire communities were getting various forms of cancer and other pollution related disease from industry and power generation. The new standards would eliminate the confusion that has rained over the past 20 years of what industry should do and to what extent while keeping the companies viable.
There are many pros to these regulations that have taken effect. Power plants are the largest emitter and source of several toxins in the air. These regulations would reduce the instances of acute bronchitis among children by 11000 and childhood asthma symptoms by 12000 (Perez-Sullivan). This would in turn increase life expectancy and reduce the cost to the tax payer of treating these diseases. This move by the EPA will force the industry to invest in already available technologies that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. This will also help kick start the green industry as part of the Obama administrations drive to have an entire green industry. In the long run, it will create jobs and reduce dependency on foreign oil.
The cons of these proposed standards are that initially no new power plants will be built. This will have the multiplier effect on employment. The regulations force power plants to become more efficient in doing so it will cost jobs. In the short run, cost between 19 and 20 billion dollars annually by 2020 ( White). This is not a smart thing for America seeing as it is a recession. The other effect along the same lines is that the cost of electricity will go up so too will the demand. Many small businesses and a medium sized manufacturers will have to endure the higher cost of electricity. Power outages will all have the cumulative effect of lower production and higher costs for the end consumer. This will add inflationary pressures to an economy tittering on the brink.
Though it seems costly in the long run, to have these regulations it will be savings the lives of tens of thousands. The truth is that we are too used to the convenience of electricity and not the reality of the environment. All the comforts electricity bring, and all its spin offs would not be worth it if we can even breath. The EPA rules are well over due and the impacts being felt economically are due to massive industry delays. Every people of every culture of the planet earth have always traditionally lived in harmony with nature. Somewhere along the way we forgot that and nature might just remind us in a violent way.
Works cited
Margot Perez-Sullivan, “EPA Proposes First National Standard for Mercury Pollution from Power Plants” United States Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 20 April 2012
Deborah White, “Obama Kills New EPA Smog Standards - Pros and Cons”, Us Liberals. Web. 20 April 2012
.
