GOP eases limits on seven major air pollutants: Party over People

Once again, the GOP has put party and profits over people.  The Republican-led Senate approved to overturn an EPA rule that limited some of the most hazardous air pollutants emitted by heavy industry. 

For the first time in the 55-year history of the Clean Air Act, Congress has weakened the rules on emitting seven pollutants.

Republican Senator John Curtis introduced the resolution, saying it “disincentivized” companies to deploy new technology to reduce pollution. He said the rule passed by the Biden Administration “shut the door on progress”.

Of course, Lee Zeldin, Environmental Pollution Agency Administrator, who lives in a fantasy world, said it won’t have adverse impacts on health or the environment.

Just FYI, here are the seven pollutants named in the resolution and their impacts on health.

Alkyllead compounds – Most common are tetraethyllead and tetramethyllead used as gasoline additives.  Neurotoxins, more toxic than inorganic forms of lead.  Lead adversely affects almost every organ of the body.

Polycyclic organic matter (POM) – A class of compounds that includes hundreds of chemicals including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.healtheffects.org/system/files/SR16-Polycyclic_Organic_Matter.pdf

Mercury – Seriously?

Hexachlorobenzene – Shown to cause death, systemic, neurological, developmental, endocrine, and immunological toxicity in humans. One of the “dirty dozen” chemicals outlawed by the Stockholm Convention in 2001.

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp90-c2.pdf

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) – Manufacturing was banned in 1979.  Possible carcinogen.

https://www.epa.gov/pcbs/learn-about-polychlorinated-biphenyls#healtheffects

 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofurans (TCDF) – 100% fatal if swallowed,  allowed to come in contact with skin, or inhaled.

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/2_3_7_8-Tetrachlorodibenzofuran#section=Safety-and-Hazards

2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin – Linked to liver injury, dysbiosis, and heart defects

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/2_3_7_8-Tetrachlorodibenzofuran#section=Associated-Disorders-and-Diseases

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-votes-to-overturn-epa-rule-limits-7-hazardous-air-pollutants-clean-air-act/

 

 

Celebrating Black History Month: Hiram Rhodes Revels, first African-American U.S. Senator

Hiram Rhodes Revels, born September 27, 1827 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, became the first African-American senator when he was elected February 25, 1870, representing the State of Mississippi.  During the Civil War, he organized two regiments of the United States Colored Troops and acted as chaplain.

In 1869 he was elected to the Mississippi State Senate representing Adams County.  In 1870, he was elected by the state senate to finish the term of a U.S. senator which had been vacant since the Civil War.  His election was opposed by southern Democrats, but on February 25, 1870, he was elected by a vote of 48 to 8. 

He served for one year until March 3, 1871 and worked for equality during his term.  He passed away in January 1901 in Aberdeen, Mississippi.

Nerds in Congress! Eight scientists are among the new members of Congress!

The citizens of the U.S. are sending 8 new scientists to Congress!  Well, seven scientists and one who has received a science degree.  Among the blue wave there was a rainbow wave (over 100 LGBT persons won their races) and a pink wave (at least 123 women, including Muslims and Native Americans won their races) changing the face of our House and Senate. 

Jacky Rosen (D-NV) Senator: Rosen is a computer programmer who has represented Nevada’s 3^rd District.  She supports clean, renewable energy, whereas her opponent flip-flopped on the Affordable Care Act and cast the deciding vote on a law that allowed internet service providers sell consumer data without their knowledge.

Chrissy Houlahan (D) Pennsylvania 6^th district Representative: Houlahan is an industrial engineer and an Air Force veteran who campaigned on making healthcare more affordable.  She defeated her opponent who is a tax lawyer and has owned 20 Wendy’s franchises.

Joe Cunningham (D) South Carolina 1^st district Representative: Cunningham, an ocean scientist, used his expertise to campaign against the future of offshore drilling, which won over Republican mayors of coastal cities.  His opponent focused on national issues rather than local ones.

Sean Casten (D) Illinois 6^th district Representative:  Casten, a biochemical engineer, founded a waste-energy recovery program and supported LGBTQ rights.  His opponent was a climate-change denier who later flipped on the issue.

Elaine Luria (D) Virginia 2^nd district Representative: Luria is a nuclear engineer, who spend 20 years in the Navy, operating nuclear reactors as an engineer and a commander. She also focused on increasing the minimum wage.  Her opponent, an ex-Navy Seal, got caught up in a bit of a scandal.

Kim Schrier (D) Washington 8^th district Representative: This race still hasn’t been called as of yesterday, but Schrier has a commanding lead.  Schrier wants to be the first female doctor in Congress.

Lauren Underwood (D) Illinois 14^th district Representative: Underwood, a registered nurse, was a senior adviser at the DHHS under President Obama, where she focused on preventing and responding to bioterrorism threats.  She focused on expanding access to healthcare, since she has an irregular heart rhythm, i.e. pre-existing condition.

Kevin Hern (R) Oklahoma 1^st district Representative: You pretty much have to be a Republican to win an election in Oklahoma, and in such an anti-science state, it’s not surprising he did not campaign on any science-related issues although he has a mechanical engineering degree from Arkansas Tech University.  He said when the space shuttle Challenger blew up in 1986, he decided to give up his dream to be an astronaut and work at McDonald’s flipping burgers?  I suppose if you are a Republican, this would make sense.  He is a Trumpster and owns 10 McDonald’s restaurants in the Tulsa area. 

Happy birthday, Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison "Jack" Schmitt!

Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, born July 3, 1935 in Santa Rita, New Mexico, flew to the moon on Apollo 17, becoming the twelfth person to walk on the moon.  He received his PhD in geology from Harvard University in 1964. 

He was assigned to be the Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 17, with Eugene Cernan and Ronald Evans.  He  is the second to  last person to have walked on the moon.

He resigned from NASA in 1975 to seek election to the U. S. Senate for New Mexico and won in 1976.

Celebrating Pride Month - Tammy Baldwin, first openly gay U.S. Senator

Tammy Baldwin, born February 11, 1962 in Madison, Wisconsin, is the first openly LGBT person to be elected to the U.S. Senate.  In 1992, she ran for Wisconsin's 78th Assembly District and won, becoming one of six openly gay candidates to win public office in 1992.  She got re-elected 3 times.

When Representative Scott Klug announced he would retire in 1998, Baldwin ran for his seat and defeated the Republican candidate in the general election, becoming the first openly gay woman elected to the House of Representatives.

In 2011, she announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate and won the election on November 19, 2012, becoming the first openly gay U.S. Senator in history.

She is running for re-election in 2018.