Polls Show Lawmakers Are Overreaching in Attacking EPA

Congress blocks EPA's scientists from doing their jobs...

Courtesy: Google Earth Blog

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - Political analysts agree there was no mandate in last November's elections, leaving many to wonder if some lawmakers would overreach. Now we know.

The answer is a resounding "yes" on overreaching when it comes to efforts in Congress to block the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to update safeguards under the Clean Air Act that further protect our health.

EPA critics could not be more out of step with the rest of America, and especially with public health authorities. Take a look.

Seventy-seven percent of the public--including 61 percent of Republicans—oppose efforts in Congress to block Clean Air Act updates for carbon dioxide, smog and other pollutants, according to a national poll by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) International on released February 2, 2011 for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Here is NRDC's Climate Center Campaign Director Pete Altman's blog about that poll:
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/americans_oppose_upton_and_gin.html

Other surveys show the public prefers EPA scientists to politicians when it comes to making the right decisions on reducing pollution.

In a September 2010 poll, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for NRDC (N=1007 likely voters), 83 percent of voters said scientists and other experts at EPA are most qualified to make decisions about safeguarding the public from air pollution.
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/Opinion%20Research%20Corp%20EPA%20attitudes%20survey%20report.pdf

In a similar show of support for EPA, an array of public-health advocacy groups are opposing congressional efforts to block the agency's scientists from doing their jobs, such as a bill proposed by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., that would allow power plants to spew unlimited amounts of carbon dioxide pollution into our air. Among these consumer groups are the American Lung Association, the American Public Health Association, Trust of America's Health, Health Care Without Harm, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environment and the American Thoracic Society.

Here is Altman's blog about the groups' comments on the Upton bill:
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/leading_health_groups_oppose_u.html

NRDC also has two fact sheets available too on the health effects of climate change:
http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/globalwarming-map/gwhealth.pdf
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/leading_health_groups_oppose_u.html

For additional background, see these editorials in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/opinion/06sun1.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha211
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-epa-20110205,0,2076601,print.story