Clean-air rules for national parks may be eased

This is just the sort of thing that really upsets me:

Scientists, managers oppose plan that may allow for new power plants

The rewriting of air-quality rules would ease the way for the construction of 33 coal-fired power plants within 186 miles of 10 national parks, including Great Smokey Mountains, left, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24658362/

Here’s some interesting facts I dug up…

• China’s Ministry of Health says pollution has made cancer China’s leading cause of death.

• Only 1 percent of China’s 560 million city dwellers breathe air considered safe by the European Union.

• Nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water.

• According to the Journal of Geophysical Research, much of the particulate pollution over Los Angeles originates in China.

Much of the pollution in China is a result of their energy demands, which are primarily answered with coal fired power plants. The effects of China’s pollution have worldwide reach, and will for many years to come. Keeping this in mind, why in the name of all that is sacred, would we even consider relaxing Clean Air protections?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26china.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2005/oct/31/china.pollution

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/070709-china-pollution.html

People never see it coming, when they look the other way.