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AFTERNOON TEA
Afternoon TEA: Chinese Pollution Lands In The Western U.S.
Did you know?
The Hawaii state supreme court recently ruled that out-of-state emissions must be considered for natural gas imported from the mainland by a local utility. But, the reality is emissions produced by the U.S. pale in comparison to those produced by other countries, like China, which inordinately effect the Western states.
The U.S. is in fact enjoying its best air quality in the last half century or longer, thanks in part to increased use of domestic, clean-burning natural gas to fuel America’s energy needs.
However, even though the U.S. is producing less air pollution, smog levels are still rising in the western U.S. because of pollutants released in China and other Asian countries that then drift over the Pacific Ocean. A 2017 study found Asian air pollution contributed as much as 65 percent to an increase in Western U.S. ozone, offsetting our American gains in air quality.
Penalizing American workers and businesses with policies that would increase the cost of energy and limit access for consumers is not the right approach. Rather, the bar should be raised for all nations to meet the U.S.’s successful air quality standards.
… Do you agree that other nations should be held accountable for their pollution rather than penalizing American businesses and consumers?
