Clean Air Act

This week, progressives everywhere are celebrating a recent victory against the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). They have dropped support for the “stand your ground law” made famous by the case of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, as well as support for similar laws all over the nation. ALEC is a collaborative organization of conservative politicians, lobbyists, and corporations. This organization formats and introduces bills regarding anything from gun laws and prison regulations to education and voter identification laws. There is certainly nothing wrong with a group collectively working to make change in country. That is the beauty of democracy. 

However, the most positive change comes from those who seek to create a better quality of life for everyone. This is not something that ALEC seeks. ALEC is supported by major corporations; these corporations want government regulations (or lack thereof) that allow them to maintain and increase their profits. Essentially, ALEC serves as a legislative cheerleader for various corporations, putting their “issues” at the forefront of congressional discussion. Money talks; it’s difficult for communities and individuals who suffer at the hands of these corporations to present their case as effectively as the extremely wealthy ALEC and its multibillion dollar backers. In short, while they say that they're motivated by preserving American freedoms, their actions limit the freedoms for certain groups of people, which is not at all democratic. This brings me to this organization's involvement in attacks against any legislation that supports protection of the environment and protection of health from toxins.

The Will Steger Foundation is actively engaging Minnesota youth in critical Clean Air Act defense. High school students representing Youth Environmental Activists of Minnesota (YEA! MN), a joint program of WSF and the Alliance for Sustainability, joined a coalition of MN youth from across the state, to address US Senator Klobuchar on the issue. Read a similar reflection on the meeting from youth organizers at the MN Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG): http://bit.ly/tvWM3g

What is clear and everywhere you go? Need another hint? Its molecular mass is 28.97 grams. The answer is Clean Air! Recently, Minnesota youth representing eight different student organizations met together to speak with Greg Bohrer, Energy and Environmental Legislative Aide to US Senator Amy Klobuchar, regarding our Senator’s action to preserve the integrity of the Clean Air Act. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) Challenge has been introduced into Congress, and would formally retract the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate cross-state pollution. People who enjoy clean air are worried.

On Thursday a press conference was held in Cincinnati, OH as a call to action, to city and state alike, demanding clean air and protections from pollution for children and families. As I entered Cincinnati proper for the event, the city's advisory level escalated from Heat Advisory to a Smog Advisory. Unfortunately, for both city and state, smog advisories have been rather common, and according to data from the American Lung Association's "State of the Air 2011," report released in April, asthma and other respiratory illnesses plague 127,000 on average in Hamilton County.

The Clean Air Act just cannot seem to get a break lately. The now infamous Upton-Inhofe bill has made it out of Committee and is looming in the Congress waiting for a vote. Now, a three-pronged attack of the forty-year act has begun in the Senate and a vote is expected soon.

Furthermore, the White House announced Wednesday that expansions of offshore drilling and coal mining. Reports broke Thursday morning that President Obama may cave to Big Polluters and accept budget amendments that would strangle the EPA and its budget.

However, we are not going to let that be our legacy on this planet.