Page 28 - Flathead Beacon // 6.4.14

28 | JUNE 4, 2014
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OPINION

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LETTERS
And what do we gain by shutting down clean, healthy air.
American coal plants, killing American In the case of coal burning plants,
ONLINE STORIES
jobs, and sticking every American with there are no limits at all on current carbon
more-expensive energy bills? From a emissions. It’s essential to public health
carbon emissions standpoint, the gains that we reduce the amount of carbon that
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are virtually nonexistent. The world is goes into our air.
OBAMA ENERGY PRICE HIKES using increasing amounts of coal and Carbon pollution and climate change
ARE AVOIDABLE
other fossil fuels, and necessarily so – 1.2 are already having measurable impacts
Recent reports by the Associated billion people in the world still don’t have on health. Scientists have shown that
Press and other news organizations Glacier Country access to electricity.
the buildup of carbon pollution in our
depict a bleak future for American energy Braces for Tidal Wave
of Tourists
President Barack Obama and his atmosphere creates higher temperatures,
consumers. Electricity prices are on the environmental allies are so blinded by which has in turn increased the frequency
rise, and your wallet will soon know it. The Future their opposition to coal that inding an exposure to ozone, unhealthy smog levels
Frustratingly, the reason those prices are American solution through cooperation and extreme weather events, including
going up have nothing to do with normal of Glacier Park is no longer an option. Instead, they’ve more loods, drought and longer, more
economics.
Transportation
pushed our country in the opposite intense wildire seasons.
The problem isn’t that demand has direction by placing a de facto ban on In Montana we’ve witnessed the
been increasing – in fact, even as the SUMMER GUIDE:
U.S. population has grown, our energy Ten Can’t-Miss investing in coal technology due to the health impacts of larger and more
regulatory overload enacted by the EPA.
frequent wildires during recent years,
consumption has leveled of over the past Events
Shutting of our cheapest and with our pulmonologists seeing more
15 years due to increased eiciency and most eicient source of electricity is an children in respiratory distress due to
conservation.
With Growing irresponsible course of action, and does smoky air. More wildires are especially
And the problem isn’t that prices for Demand, Eagle nothing to secure America’s future. If we risky for children with asthma and older
fuel have increased – coal historically has really want to ensure the prosperity of our adults with COPD.
had amazing price stability, and today Transit Prepares for nation for generations to come, we must Higher levels of smog (ozone) also
other fuel sources, notably natural gas, are the Future
make responsible public policy decisions mean more adult and childhood asthma
at incredibly afordable levels.
SUMMER GUIDE: that aim for practical outcomes rather attacks and complications for those
The reason you and I and every other Boots on the Ground
than relying on the power of wishful with lung disease. Children are more
consumer will take a hit in our pocketbook thinking.
susceptible to the health efects of air
with higher energy prices has nothing SUMMER GUIDE: Sen. Ed Walker, Republican pollution because their lungs are still
to do with the normal forces of supply Billings
developing, they breathe more air per
and demand. This situation is entirely Paddling Paradise
pound of body weight and they often spend
artiicial and being imposed upon us by SUPPORT CARBON LIMITS ON
Obama Administration iat.
SUMMER GUIDE: POWER PLANTS
more time outdoors when compared to
Decadent Decks
adults.
AP reported this month that 69 coal- Recently, Gov. Steve Bullock received Others who are sufering health
ired power plants across 20 states are Do Your Job a letter signed by more than 50 Montana problems due to climate impacts include
expected to shut down between 2014 and health professionals from across the people struggling with heart disease,
2017 due to current EPA standards – and Congress
state. The letter asks Bullock and his allergies, diabetes and obesity, as well as
this doesn’t even include efects of even administration to strongly support athletes and seniors.
more-draconian regulations expected SUMMER GUIDE: proposed limits on carbon pollution from According to a bipartisan survey by
soon.
Weekend Warrior
power plants.
The U.S. Department of Energy The reasons are simple: Discharge the American Lung Association, most
Professional Grade
voters support eforts to update our clean
expects coal plants with the output of toxins and carbon from coal burning air protections. An astounding 72 percent
capacity to supply 30 million homes to plants are causing health problems and of voters speciically want limits on power
shut down by 2020. That supply will climate change, which also carries serious plant carbon pollution.
be replaced by more expensive energy health impacts.
That same survey shows that
sources. DOE expects prices to increase Currently, there are no limits on how 73 percent of voters don’t buy into
13 percent by 2020, and that doesn’t much carbon power plants are allowed industry’s “false choice” that we must
even take into account additional EPA to emit. However, the Environmental
choose between public health and a LETTERS
regulations on the horizon.
Protection Agency, under the Clean Air strong economy – we can achieve both. Tell us what you think. To submit a letter, please e-mail your submission
Does this look like progress towards a Act, has proposed limits on such emissions By a two-to-one majority, voters believe to [email protected]. Please
more energy-independent America?
from future power plants and is expected that strengthening safeguards against keep your letter to 300 words or less.
Tens of thousands of Americans to propose limits on carbon pollution from pollution will create, not destroy, jobs by The Flathead Beacon reserves the right
will lose jobs due to plant closures. As existing plants in June.
encouraging innovation. The cost savings to edit letters for length, clarity and
electricity prices rise, it will be more The physicians, nurses, respiratory in terms of health care expenditures alone to prevent libel. Letters must include
diicult for energy-intensive industries, therapists and others who signed the the writer’s irst and last name, phone
like manufacturing, to add jobs. And most letter to Bullock understand how coal- will make cleanup of toxic emissions number and address for veriication
inancially feasible.
purposes. Only the name and hometown
of the country will see serious negative burning plants are already worsening Reducing carbon pollution, coupled of the writer will be printed. To mail a
impacts on their cost of living from rising Montanans’ health. The public health will with steps being taken to cut other letter, please send to 17 Main Street,
electricity prices. Electricity is an input only worsen if we don’t take action to limit dangerous power plant pollution such Kalispell, MT 59901.
cost in virtually every consumer product carbon pollution and slow climate change.
as soot, mercury and other toxics, will Fax letters to (406) 257-9231.
we buy – these policies will literally afect We also understand that the voice of protect public health, improve eiciency
the price we pay for everything.
industry and its allies is loud and strong, and encourage innovation.
CORRECTIONS
Advocates of anti-coal policies point and there’s a danger of public health If a Beacon story includes a factual
As health care professionals who error, please tell us about it. Call
to alternative energy as the answer to impacts being ignored or overshadowed value our state’s clean, healthy air, and Kellyn Brown at 257-9220; or e-mail to
ill the gap left by closing coal plants. by heated rhetoric. We can’t let that spend our careers safeguarding the health [email protected]; or fax to
Their claims ignore the data – even with happen – Montana’s healthy future is too of people in Montana, we urge Governor 257-9231.
rapid growth in renewables over the past important.
Bullock and other state leaders to support FLATHEADBEACON.COM
several years, they can still supply only a Polluters have always resisted Clean the reduction of carbon pollution in For daily news, local community pages,
small fraction of our coal output. And with Air Act rules, yet the Act’s 40-year history Montana.
video, multimedia, story archives and
the expiration of the renewable energy shows – time after time – that cleaning up Dr. Paul Smith, Missoula lively online conversation, visit our Web
production tax credit at the end of 2013, our air and reducing toxic emissions saves site at latheadbeacon.com.
Dr. Colette Kirchhof, Bozeman
the true cost of renewable energy sources lives and billions of dollars in health care Dr. Lori Byron, Hardin
will soon become apparent.
spending. People want – and deserve –