Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Sustainability is Sexy of bombs, as a form of “protest.” Obviously, the irony of quoting Peace-
ful Uprising in his writing is lost on him. Additionally, he uses words and
phrases much too liberally, which only hurts his cause. Oil companies
have not signed any “declarations of war,” are not committing “genocide”
A weekly column dedicated to environmental issues and are not pursuing “direct violence.” If we are to use his definitions of
these words, then the Fort McKay First Nation is committing a form of
The EPA is half naked and being further stripped suicidal genocide by developing their land for oil sands production.
Other errors dot the article, further spreading misinformation. It is
BY RACHEL YOUNG Cement factories and energy and a huge step back for climate true that the combined areas of the Athabasca, Peace River and Cold Lake
Staff Writer production are the highest carbon change solutions. deposits are approximately the size of England. The affected area of oil
emitting activities. Under this au- According to Lisa Jackson, cur- mining operations, however, is thus far only 160 square miles, about the
The GOP has been discredit- thority, the EPA could mandate rent EPA Administrator, the anti- same size as the city of Portland. This is because much of the deposits are
ing climate science and destroy- significant reductions in the car- EPA climate rule will overturn too deep to be reached by strip mining. All told, the potential mineable
ing climate-change legislation and bon emissions in the United States. the administration’s fuel economy area is only 1,300 square miles, nowhere near the size of England.
greenhouse gas regulations since However, political pressure has standards and greenhouse gas emis- Stating that the land is dead is also inaccurate. Oil companies are re-
the Clinton years with relative suc- been scaring the EPA away from sion limits for cars and light-duty quired, by law, to restore land to useful purposes once their mining is
cess: the Kyoto Protocol was never doing their job. trucks. completed. In some cases, boreal forest will return; in others, pasture and
ratified in the Senate, the United This June, the Senate is vot- The Resolution of Disapproval farmland fit the bill. Nonetheless, it is a far cry from leaving the earth
States withdrew from internation- ing on the “Resolution of Disap- is being expedited through con- maimed and scarred, as Mr. Guerrero would have you believe.
al climate negotiations in 2005 proval,” which would overturn gress with no filibusters or amend- Finally, and importantly, there is no mention of the benefits the Al-
and the climate cap-and-trade bill the EPA’s already weak author- ments. Murkowski only needs berta oil sands bring. More oil production lowers the price of oil for every-
was crushed in the Senate over the ity to regulate greenhouse gases. an additional 10 votes to solidify one, whether they are Canadian, Chinese or South African. This, in itself,
summer. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) the passing of the resolution—41 saves lives because it allows for more economic opportunity and growth.
The only promising avenue for is championing the resolution. Senators are co-sponsors, three of Medical supplies and care, among countless other goods and services, will
regulation left is the little legal Murkowski nearly lost her Senate whom are Democrats. be cheaper and more available as a result. Locally, the economy and de-
and political authorizations within seat to a Tea Party candidate in the Fortunately, the passing of the mography of Fort McMurray are changing as well. Immigrants from the
Federal Agencies, and now conser- 2010 elections. To protect her em- resolution in the Senate does not Middle East are raising families with access to better healthcare and edu-
vatives are unjustly attempting to ployment she has flipped sides on guarantee that the resolution will cation than they would have otherwise been able to receive. These issues
undermine the EPA’s greenhouse climate; in 2009 she was actually be enacted. The House does not are conveniently missing from his arguments.
gas regulation authority and oblit- leaning towards voting “yes” on a have the same expedited proce- Protest all you want, but go about it in a way that does not degrade
erate all potential for carbon diox- Senate climate bill. dures of the Senate, and President yourself and the people you wish to help. Trying to solve “violence” with
ide regulation. This resolution is the last straw, Obama is likely to veto the resolu- real violence is not a valid creed in any sense at all.
To date, the EPA has not ex- destroying any climate regulation tion anyway.
ecuted their regulatory power to in the United States for the next However, even if they get to Garik Lawson Asplund
the necessary extent. Currently, 10 years. Murkowski’s disapproval keep their power, this resolution CAS Alum
the EPA is allowed to regulate resolution seeks to veto EPA’s “en- will further frighten off the EPA Class of 2010
greenhouse gases under the Clean dangerment finding,” a formal de- from mandating greenhouse gas
Air Act. The authority to regulate termination that allows the agency emission reductions. Hopefully
The Pioneer Log accepts and encourages letters to the editor from all students,
greenhouse gases has the potential to regulate greenhouse gases. Un- federal greenhouse gas regulations staff, faculty and community members.
to significantly reduce emissions dermining the authority allotted to will not be thrown by the wayside Submissions should be kept under 350 words and sent to piolog@lclark.edu by
from industrial sector and energy the EPA under the Clean Air Act or permanently suppressed by po- Monday at 6 p.m. for the following issue.
producers. is a failure for the Administration litical partisanship.