Positives & Negatives in the Air We Breathe

The Positive: In a handful of years from 1969 to 1972, Congress overwhelming show of bipartisan support passed the National Environmental Policy Act (1969), the Clean Air Act (1970), and the Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972). While there were prior enactments to study and investigate pollution and effects on the environment, this series of legislation implemented means, methods, and controls.

Since then, water quality and air quality has dramatically improved, saved, and prolonged the lives of Americans and those beyond our borders. For example, in just the past 40 years sulfur dioxide (SO2), that contributes to acid rain, lung disease, and a host of other illnesses, have been reduced by 94%.

The Negative and Positive: The past few weeks have seen four executive orders signed to bring back and boost coal production and coal fired power generation. Coal now supplies around 16% of all electrical generation, natural gas is around 43%, nuclear is around 19%, and the balance of around 22% are clean renewables (wind, hydro, solar, biomass --- in that order).

Some fear (or actually believe) these executive orders mean a reset. They don’t. An executive order lacks the power or authority to roll back regulations and acts of congress. Rulemaking, a laborious and time consuming process is required…years. And Congress is, well, a fairly ineffective stalemate these days. But most of all, businesses and utilities are the ones that drive and determine what power generation sources will be selected, not government. And these two hate uncertainties, do not gamble on short term politics, and focus on the bottom line. The odds of new coal fired power plants being approved during this administration are as about as good as me getting a Pulitzer.

I doubt anyone needs to ask why the title referenced two years.