According to an article from USA Today, as of Monday, 13 states are suing the EPA to lower soot emissions from smokestacks and exhaust pipes. The current maximum for soot emissions is 15 micrograms per cubic foot of air. The suing states want to see this maximum down to 1 or 2 micrograms. This is a large reduction in soot emissions and can only positively affect the health of the environment and the people if the new limit is met.
One thing that struck me about this article was the fact that it focused on what soot does to human health: “premature death, chronic respiratory disease and asthma attacks.” However, we know that soot and other emissions affect the environment just as much as it affects humans, causing acid rain and increasing the acidity in bodies of water, affecting the health of animals living in them.
While it is no doubt very important to consider the health of the people, environmental health is just as important because of what can happen in the future. I think this is a large problem in dealing with environmental issues. We are too concerned with the immediate effects. By letting the long term damage get worse and worse, we are setting ourselves and the future up for major environmental disasters. I do think that lower soot standards would be helpful either way, but we need to make sure we are making these reforms while keeping the big picture in mind.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/regulation/2006-12-18-epa-sued-soot_x.htm?csp=34
