Just Look At What’s Been Happening – When You See This Deregulation All Together, It’s Terrible!
13 March 2017
I can’t say I’m a huge fan of regulation. Sometimes the requirements for running my small business seem onerous. But most regulations are there for a purpose. They help to avoid wrong-doing.
Each industry or business type has specific regulations. And I’m sure that, just like me, industries object to regulations, feeling they prevent them from “getting down to work”.
But you see, businesses don’t have a moral compass. They are simply required to make a profit. (Otherwise they don’t survive).
Employees are required to keep the business profitable (otherwise they won’t have a job).
So while you or I might judge that it’s wrong to belch pollution out of a factory and into a river for example, a business will try to do what’s most profitable. It won’t judge.
And generally, getting rid of waste for free is the most profitable option. Treating it, cleaning it, disposing of it safely costs money and time – and that decreases profits.
And that’s why some regulations exist. So businesses will do the right things.
Some regulations are necessary.
And that’s why I am so worried about the deregulation that’s going on right now in the US.
Let’s look at some of the regulations which are being removed – just in the last 2 months.
- On Jan. 24, H.R. 637 was introduced – it will curtail the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases. (Greenhouse gases are the pollutants that cause climate change. Companies will have more freedom to pollute).
- Luckily, a February plan to sell over 3 million acres of public land was mostly quashed, due to public opposition.
- On Feb. 14, a rule was repealed that required oil, natural gas, coal, and mineral companies to disclose royalties and other payments made to foreign governments. Corruption, bribery, call it what you like – it’s wrong. But American energy companies can now bribe their way into other countries with no oversight thanks to this deregulation.
- On Feb. 16, a federal rule that restricted mining companies from dumping waste into streams was repealed. Why should mining companies be allowed to pollute the very water we drink – for free? Surely this deregulation is wrong!
Politics?
Before you start thinking that this article is about politics, it’s not.
It doesn’t matter who wants deregulation and changes the rules. Whoever and whatever political party does this, has no right to favour polluting corporations and their profits over the rights of citizens to clean air and water.
The EPA
And then there’s the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency. Just what will it mean to have it stopped?
To answer that, let’s look briefly at what it does.
US President Nixon and a bipartisan congress created the EPA in 1970 to respond to major environmental problems such as pollution and a reduction in wilderness areas.
(Wise and prescient words from someone who is perhaps NOT regarded as a leading statesman!)
So, the EPA protects against pollution.
What’s been happening to the EPA?
At the end of January, the EPA was ordered to freeze all grants and contracts. This caused huge problems with ongoing work at local level to improve air and water quality, research into climate change effects and more.
On Feb. 17, congress approved Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA. He has a legal and a political background, not scientific. He has represented the oil industry in lawsuits against the EPA, so it doesn’t take much imagination to work out his viewpoints and loyalties. Pruitt does not believe climate change is caused by humans.
On Feb. 21, Pruit’s speech outlining his vision for the EPA sounded almost reasonable – until you consider what he was really saying. He said he wanted to protect jobs and protect and negotiate with industry. (Climate change – the greatest threat we’ve ever faced – was not mentioned).
The problem with this is it actually goes against the agency’s mission to protect “human health and the environment—air, water, and land.” Why should the EPA “negotiate” with polluters? Its mission is to protect land, air and water, and it can’t do that if it negotiates with polluters.
And in case you had any doubts about the future of the EPA, the new bill H.R. 861 introduced on Feb 3, calls for an end to the Environmental Protection Agency in 2018.
Timeline
We hear about some or all of these changes in the news, but over time. When you put them all together in a timeline like this, you begin to see the scope of the deregulation problem.
The Effects on US Business and The Economy
New EPA head Pruitt says that carbon dioxide emissions do not cause global warming. There is a huge amount of scientific evidence that says he’s wrong.
Of course he’s entitled to his opinion (even though it goes against proven science and is recklessly untrue) – but that attitude will hurt the economy.
When you run a business, you look at what is happening around you and then make good decisions based on your evidence. Climate change is already having wide-ranging ripple effects on businesses – for example, coastal areas are under threat from rising sea levels and this is not only an insurance issue, it has huge knock-on effects on businesses too. Business supply chains are already being affected by climate change, and some business operations will need to change.
Almost 900 companies and investors have called on the President and Congress to support the Paris Climate Agreement and low-carbon policies that will help the U.S. achieve its carbon-reducing commitments.
It’s About Risk
Running a business is all about managing risk. When you tackle risk successfully, you can create huge business opportunities – look for example at the clean energy economy which is creating hundreds of thousands of jobs all across the US. Taking action to reduce carbon pollution is necessary not only for survival but also to put the nation’s economy on a strong long-term path.
Governing a country can be difficult and complex. Problems need to be solved.
The evidence of climate change is so overwhelming, and its threat so real, that the debate is NOT if it’s a threat. The debate is how best to tackle it.
Ignoring the problem and recklessly disregarding the truth is simply denying reality.
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Do you think this deregulation is just the start of a slippery slope into autonomy for powerful corporations? Or are companies too tied up in red tape to operate properly? Let me know in the comments below.
Warm regards,
P.S. Don’t forget to download your free climate change report here!
Related:
- How many will you get right in this climate change QUIZ?
- A funny story about living green – is green new?
[…] See what I’m upset about, here. […]
Help! I couldn’t find the article about the man who walked the length of the pipeline. Hey, did you hear about the hundreds of truckloads of garbage the protesters left behind!? I think I heard 800+ dump trucks full! Good thing it was cleaned up before it polluted the river the protesters were there to protect!!
Hi Dorrie, the article on the Keystone pipeline route walk is at http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/keystone-pipeline-trespassing-across-america-ken-ilgunas/.
I think you’re referring to the garbage left behind by the DAPL protestors? I noticed with interest that this story was reported by mainly anti-environmentalist media. If you look at Snopes, which examines stories to see if they’re myth or fact, you’ll see that yes, there was indeed garbage left behind – mostly due to a forced evacuation from a series of severe blizzards. Subsequent sub-zero temperatures froze it to the ground, hindering cleanup. It’s primarily the remaining protestors who are cleaning it up. There are no garbage collection facilities at Standing Rock, and I’m guessing if you’re running from a blizzard it’s difficult to collect everything. There have also been forced evacuations by the Army Corps – again, not necessarily time to pack everything. People are very quick to criticize protesters – but they’ve been enduring tough winter conditions without home comforts in order to stand for what they believe in. I believe they should be congratulated, not vilified.
Dorrie, I forgot to add the link to the Snopes article, here it is: http://www.snopes.com/2017/02/10/standing-rock-trash/
Clare, I almost didn’t read this because I am overwhelmed with discomfort and fear over what is happening in my country with this new President and his appointments. I’ve had trouble posting anything myself because I wanted to rant, but my rant wouldn’t have been as straight forward or educational as your so carefully worded rant.
Pruitt, like many of the other appointees is the wrong person for the job. He sued the EPA multiple times in past years and has been a mouthpiece of the oil and gas industries. It’s the same with Education. The woman who is now in charge of public education has tried to end public education. And so it goes.
I sit here many nights trying to figure out how we can stop this administration and I just don’t see how we can. Even world leaders from other countries are trying to do their best. Today the leader of Ireland gave a speech with Trump talking about immigration yet it seemed to be scorned on by Trump.
I better quit my rant or I’ll never stop. Thank you for educating others on how bad this truly is.
Being Irish I was most interested in the Taoiseach’s (Prime Minister’s) speech at the White House for St. Patrick’s Day. He was quite right about immigration – and I agree, Trump was scornful. What a dreadful example of leadership! I really do wonder just how much worse it’s going to get, because in this administration I believe the only ones who will “win” are the big corporations and their top executives. No one else. Rants are indeed very difficult to control – thanks Lois!
[…] has already acted. For example, he has removed limits on the toxic waste that coal companies can dump in rivers. He has cut regulations that promote more fuel-efficient […]