EPA’s Role on Smog/Clean Air Act Protection

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)completed the additional Clean Air Act Protections to reduce emissions of mercury, other air toxic and air quality standards for sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Hundreds of thousands of tons of smokestack emissions that travel long distance through the air resulting to soot and smog, threatening the health of hundreds of missions of Americans living downwind.  The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule will protect communities from smog and soot preventing premature deaths, nonfatal heart attacks, acute bronchitis, and aggravated asthma. Around 27 states in the eastern half of the country will work with power plants to cut pollution under the rule that has proven cost-effective control technologies. Additionally, EPA will work with states to assist developing the most suitable path forward to deliver significant reductions in emissions while reducing costs for utilities and consumers.

Power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxide (NO_x) continually travel across state lines as they are carries long distances across the country by wind and weather. The pollution is transported and reacts in the atmosphere contributing to severe levels of ground level ozone and fine particles that are scientifically connected to illnesses and premature deaths, destructing the air quality of cities. Therefore, this rule will enhance the air quality by cutting SO₂ and NO_x emissions that contribute to pollution problems in other states. The rules followed by the states are expected to reduce SO₂   emissions by 73 percent from 2005 levels by 2014. NO_x emissions are expected to reduce by 54 percent. Further, this rule will help states that are struggling to protect air quality from pollution emitted outside their borders. Furthermore, this rule uses an approach that can be applied in the future to assist areas continue to meet and maintain air quality health standards.

The rule will also facilitate to improve visibility in state and national parts while better protecting the ecosystems. In a supplemental rulemaking based on further review and analysis of air quality information, EPA is also proposing to require sources in lowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma and Winconsin to decrease NO_x emissions during the summertime ozone season. This rule will optimistically bring a positive result and lead those states to have a better air quality while minimizing the adverse effects.

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Kyoto Protocol and Nations’ Contributions

Kyoto protocol is a universal treaty which connects the United Nations Frame work conventions in Climate Change. The main goal of this protocol is cutting the green house gases emissions in thirty seven developed European countries. Kyoto protocol was formed by Japan in December 11, 1997 and made to be strict in February 16, 2005.   The President of Barak Obama has called sixteen large economic nations to Washington for a forum on Climate change to remind the responsibilities to them according to the Kyoto protocol, which will be held at the end of this April. The focus in this meeting will be about cutting the emissions of green house gases and providing clean energy before the Kyoto protocol expires in 2012. Moreover, there will be another forum in Germany on this case, and 190 nations are going to participate in that forum. There will some agreements be formed on limiting carbon dioxide emissions after 2012.  It seems like all nations have realized that we should do something for alleviating global warming. However, making it into reality is the most important role of all nations and there should be more protocols formed like Kyoto, so that  the earth will be not vulnerable to extinction.

References: http://www.energyusa.net/kyota_protocol.htm 

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/03/28/obama_calls_major_economies_climate_change_meeting/

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G8 plans to SHARE greenhouse gases

Presently, the world is more aware about climate changes and tries to alleviate the current problem as we can see there are numerous conferences on this case. The leaders from European countries and other developed nations assert that the green house gases such as carbon emissions will be reduced by 50 % by 2050 in order to attempt global warming. Unfortunately, the United States has declined to place temporary aims for this case where as they prefer long term goals. Five of the largest world upcoming economic countries alleged that the 50% should be increased at least until 80%. In Japan, climate changes have been a difficult issue to solve, so they also have some targets as the developing countries are expected to have. South Africa previously discarded as they thought it wouldn’t work and they were not willing to agree with this. Optimistically, there are 200 countries signed on this contract in UN climate change convention, so we can anticipate that it will work in the future. While G8 countries lead the convention the whole world except some countries will play their roles in this plan. So, as a hope the impacts of climate change will be alleviated sooner.

Refrences: http://www.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUST60132, http://www.energy-enviro.fi/index.php?PAGE=791&NODE_ID=791&LANG=1

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