Scientists knew about the dangers of global warming in 1957,[1]
the year I was born, and in 1970 the Environmental Protection Agency was
created under the Nixon Administration.[2]
After 40 years of protections and environmental cleanup of super fund pollution
sites, the Trump Administration wants to roll the clock back to the pre-Nixon
era of toxic dumping, energy inefficiencies, and blatant disregard for public
health.
Taking Responsibility
The Paris Climate Accord is a voluntary agreement by the
major industrial nations and 174 total countries to recognize the catastrophic
effects of global warming and attempt to do something about it. The 2016 climate
accord’s goal is to limit global warming to no more than 2 degrees. The odds of meeting this target are slim (1
in 20) and require drastic changes in human behavior, which include; reducing
carbon dioxide levels generated by; coal burning, fossil fuel powered vehicles,
and industrial pollution from CFC’s and other poisons. Scientists have been studying
global warming for sixty years, through core ice samples, air quality tests on
top of mountains, and space surveillance of the ozone layer. There is plenty of
scientific evidence to validate the unprecedented global warming the world is
now experiencing and the link to human causes. Under the Trump Administration
the United States dropped out of the Paris Accord, leaving China to absorb a
leadership role in compliance. The U.S. is the single largest contributor to
global warming on a per capita basis, which means the proportion of carbon
generated from each US resident is far greater than the rest of the world. The
top three countries for global warming carbon emissions are; China, United
States, and India.[3]
What happens if we
exceed 2 degrees warming
To put the challenge of an uncontrolled warming of the earth
into perspective, here is what is currently happening to harm our world and the
delicate mixture of oxygen and carbon on which we all rely.
Dying Oceans Which
Support Biodiversity and Serve as the World’s Air Conditioner
Massive decline in coral and seagrass resources, which
support sea life and provide food for fish and humans has already occurred. This
precipitous decline could contribute to a dead ocean at some point, unable to
support much of the biodiversity we now have. Besides food, we also rely on the
oceans for medicine and even cosmetic products, so a real decline in Gross
National Product will occur with loss of ocean habitat. Island nations which
are hyper dependent on the seas, like Japan, the Philippines, and all South
Pacific Islanders will experience the greatest losses.
Permanent Rise in Sea
levels
Antarctic ice is melting and the Ross Ice Shelf alone will
raise sea levels by several meters. A sea level raise of three meters is nearly
ten feet and that means that millions of people throughout the world will have
to evacuate their current homes. All coastal cities would be affected. I live in a coastal city off of Puget Sound
(recently renamed the Salish Sea) and at present I am about 39 feet above sea
level. By 2050 it is expected this will be reduced by 10%. At that rate, here
is a map showing how the rise of sea levels will impact the United States. At
least 270 households live at sea level on low or no bank property, which would
be susceptible to a sea level rise of 4 feet in my city. In Seattle 800
households are living on land susceptible to a sea level rise of 4 feet, which
is expected to occur, by 2050, at least during storms. You can use the risk
finder map to see how your community would be impacted by a four-foot sea rise.
You will recall that New York City’s subways were flooded
during the last hurricane. Boston, is already at sea level and much of the city
would be flooded. Ditto for Washington, D.C., all of Florida, Houston, New
Orleans, the entire Gulf Coast region, and much of the west coast. Here is a
map showing how many households would be affected throughout the U.S. with a
sea level rise of 4 feet.
Water Shortages
Global warming means there will be less snowpack and that
means less water in the rivers and aquifers. This means Washington and Oregon
will have less water to sell to California, where half of the state is a desert.
Colorado will also have less water to offer California, New Mexico, Texas, and
Arizona as the mighty Colorado will not be refilled with as much water from the
less snowy Rocky Mountains. Much of the produce in the United States comes from
Southern California and water rights will dominate the politics there.
In addition to flooding and loss of useable land, salt water
incursion will occur in water reservoirs, which are underground aquifers. This
means drinkable water will be greatly reduced in coastal areas and of course,
island communities. Lopez Island and others may become unable to sustain
populations due to lack of drinking water. Salt water desalination is already
being used by those who can afford it on Whidbey Island. Goodbye ten-minute
showers, hello compost toilets, and forget about washing your car.
Global warming also means higher and higher temperatures and
environmental stress on current power systems and water supplies. Farming in
the deserts of Arizona, California, Texas, and Mexico will no longer be
sustainable. This phenomenon is already happening in Arizona, where family wells
have run dry because of industrial farming demands.[4] It
is highly likely a new dust bowl era will occur in the Midwest, including
Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska, destroying the livelihoods of millions.
Massive hurricanes and other wind storms will occur with
greater ferocity. Yet the Trump Administration did not require that FEMA funded
rebuilding after the 2017 hurricanes meet storm surge standards which were developed
under the Obama Administration. This is an expensive folly which will be paid
for by taxpayers. All of these scenarios are happening now and will only worsen
in the next twenty-years.
Trump Administration
Actions Which Increase Global Warming
This table shows Trump Administration actions which seek to
roll back environmental protections to the Reagan era, by minimizing
enforcement and standards for the Environmental Protection Agency.
Environmental Factor
|
Current Law
|
Trump Actions
|
Clean Air Act established by Congress in 1963, but
amendments were added in 1970 and 1990; restricts emissions of harmful
pollutants which cause asthma, COPD, and other health problems
|
Standards are set based on scientific evidence, which are meant
to reduce adverse health impacts and environmental harms; these data are
drawn from long term studies, which are observational and include solid data
measurement criteria and statistical analysis
|
Trump has cut the NASA climate monitoring program; his
administration doesn’t want to measure emissions standards, wants to change
scientific standards for administering the Clean Air Act; 1,000 scientists
have signed a petition protesting Trump’s rewriting of science rules which
may be applied to the EPA; also cutting funding for voluntary emissions
reducing programs[5]
|
Clean Water Act was enacted in 1948 and expanded in 1972;
prior to this act industrial pollutants were contaminating ground water
unimpeded, feel free to Google the Love Canal for more information
|
Obama Administration rule would limit fertilizer run off
into streams, which produce harmful algae blooms, harm fisheries, and impact drinking
and recreational water quality; the rules were meant to protect large ecosystems
like Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound from stream and river runoff impacts
|
January 2018, Trump’s EPA suspended the enforcement of
these rules; Essentially this administration says that people in urban areas
must comply with environmental protections but those in rural areas are
exempt; For example, much of the City of Bremerton (40,000 people) has
secondary treatment for storm runoff through the sewer system
|
Auto Emissions Standards are codified to include measurement
of greenhouse gas emissions; for example, auto exhaust measurement in order
to renew license tabs, as a compliance mechanism for the California emissions
standards, which were effective in 2001[6]
|
California has its own stricter emissions standards to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and this represents 1/3 of all vehicles in the US,
13 other states, including Washington use this standard; federal standards
were stipulated in a 1965 amendment to the Clean Air Act
|
August 2018, Trump revokes a legal waiver for California
under the 1970 Clean Air Act allowing them to mandate stricter air quality
standards for emissions and fuel efficiency; federal standards will be rolled
back to pre-1970 pollution standards and mute the sale of clean fuel vehicles
|
Fuel Efficiency Requirements for cars, light trucks, and
SUV’s, reduce fossil fuel pollution without impeding transportation
efficiency; electric and alternative fuel vehicles have been mass produced
for 20 years; one third of all electric cars in the US are in California
|
American autos average 26 miles per gallon fuel efficiency
now, Obama raised the standard to 54 MPG by 2025; fuel efficiency in Europe
is 56.8 MPG and 56.6 in South Korea; the rest of the world is way ahead of
the US in fuel efficiency in transportation
|
Trump rolled back fuel efficiency standards to 37 MPG,
also revokes California’s stricter fuel efficiency requirements; 19 states are
currently suing the federal government over this executive order[7]
|
Obama protocols curbed Power Plant Pollution, cutting
methane gases and greenhouse gases called hydrofluorocarbons; targeted coal
power plants
|
The Obama Administration created a clean power plan to
reduce emissions by 32% by 2030[8]
|
Trump EPA scrapped the clean power plant mandate to reduce
emissions from coal power plants, which kill forests and have harmful health
impacts
|
Building Code updating due to climate change impacts,
especially in coastal areas; 128 military installations are at high risk for
flooding[9]
|
Both the Bush and Obama Administrations included climate
change for emergency planning; Obama criteria included changing building
codes for flood prone areas to mandate construction of key roads and bridges
above flood levels
|
Trump won’t allow FEMA to consider climate change in
federal emergency planning nor will it require upgrading building codes for
flood prone areas, even for public infrastructure
|
Action Required-What
You Can Do
Here is a list of things I have done to reduce my impact on
the environment over the past forty years:
- Ride a bicycle-you save money, stay fit and it provides zero pollution
- Use public transportation instead of a single occupancy vehicle (where possible)
- Share a ride through one of the ride sharing options
- Produce less waste-don’t buy plastic, use recyclable bags, eschew straws, buy in bulk
- Cook and grow some of your own food
- Recycle what you can and give things away rather than toss them into a landfill
- Be mindful about purchasing things, repair things rather than throwing them away
- Buy less but do more-do more hiking, biking, and swimming but make fewer trips to the mall
- Join recreational clubs where you can share access to boats and recreational equipment
- Buy recycled products when possible
- Use natural cleaning products you can make yourself from vinegar and oranges at home
- Design gardens which do not require poisons to maintain
- Collect rain water, through rain gardens or other catchment systems
- Increase the efficiency of your home by installing insulated window coverings & energy saving features
- Avoid Styrofoam containers and packing, but recycle it if you receive a package containing it
- Do not buy any products which have CFC’s in them, which greatly increase global warming because they stay in the atmosphere including: aerosol sprays, solvents, foam blowing agents-like insulation, and refrigerants. Nasal inhalers are now available in the US which are CFC free. Refrigerants manufactured after 2010 are less harmful than before. Refrigerants must be handled by EPA certified contractors and that includes decommissioning.
- Do not buy vehicles with poor fuel efficiency, refuse to buy cars or trucks which do not meet the EPA emissions standards of California, which have been adopted by 15 other states (Arizona's governor repealed theirs in 2012). Here is a list of states which have adopted the California Emissions Standards-California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington[11]
- Do not book or attend conferences or conventions in states which refuse to support healthy environmental practices and are stripping the power of the EPA.
- Work with the National Resources Defense Council and other advocacy groups to contact your legislators and prevent the wholesale gutting of the clean air and clean water provisions of the Environmental Protection Acts. We cannot afford to go backwards, as our lives are at stake, this is about much more than profits.
- Follow federal and state legislation that will adversely impact your health. Here are some links:
https://www.congress.gov/state-legislature-websites
And finally, get involved
politically, most importantly vote,
in local elections, in state elections, and at the national level. Save the
planet before we all burn up or drown-get Trump out of office!
And this is the healthpolicymaven signing off, encouraging
you not to sign blanket waivers when consenting to medical procedures or
hospital admissions. Do specify that for which you consent and that for which
you decline, otherwise your health is subject to medical policies based on
someone else’s religion, values, or business plan. If you need help with this,
bring a patient advocate to your pre-op session.
Roberta Winter is a freelance writer and healthpolicy analyst
who has continuously published Straight Talk on Healthcare since 2007. Her writing
has been published by Rowman and Littlefield, the New York Times, the New York
Journal of Books, and she has served as a peer reviewer and technical editor for healthcare publications. She has continuously published under the healthpolicymaven
trademark since 2007. All opinions expressed here are hers and are not subject
to any corporate or institutional approval.
