Reports are that the current administration is planning on rolling back requirements related to reducing air pollution.
Specifically they are going to allow power plants to pollute more than the current rules allow going forward.
As I understand what they are arguing it is because the current rules were imposed in violation of the authority of the EPA.
Of course it also may benefit some coal mine owners as demand for coal will be reduced less quickly.
To a small extent it may save some coal mining jobs but coal is not the fuel of the future, natural gas is abundant, cleaner and cheaper.
Of course as solar technology improves, we will see it overtake the other methods more and more.
The fact that solar can be installed at the point of use and reduce energy bills mean it will continue to grow in use over time.
Is this attempt to appease some coal mine owners a dangerous thing? Well we have a crisis coming of biblical proportions with climate change. Every thing that makes it worse is a problem, its just a matter of degree.
These are pretty significant impacts based on the projections but of course they are going to play with the numbers and show that emissions will still be going down, just not as much.
As the glaciers melt and flood our coastal cities assuming they haven't been destroyed by hurricanes due to rising ocean temperatures we should consider that argument.
Maybe we just need to remember it while we vote in November.
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