Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet
Sierra Club Currents -- Breathe Easier Quote of Note: "There is no enforcement." -- Carolyn Merritt, the outgoing chairwoman of the U.S Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, on federal regulation of industry and workplace safety. (1) Take Action: Breathe Easier! (2) Take Action: Restore the Clean Water Act! (3) Victory: Landmark Clean Energy Bill Passes House! (4) Victory: Unique Coalition Takes on Mining Destruction (1) Take Action: Breathe Easier! Smog pollution, or ozone, can cause a wide range of health problems including shortness of breath, increased risk of asthma attacks, and even premature death. The EPA has acknowledged that current smog standards do not protect public health and the agency is considering tightening the standards. EPA is currently accepting public comment on the smog standard, and now is the time to speak up for clean air at one of the five public hearings at the end of August and beginning of September in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Please let EPA Administrator Johnson know you want an ozone standard that truly protects public health, not one cooked up by industry. (2) Take Action: Restore the Clean Water Act! With the recent revelations from bottled water companies that bottled water is often just tap water, it is more important than ever to keep our tap water sources clean. Unfortunately instead of protecting our drinking water sources from pollution, new government policies could strip them of Clean Water Act protections. According to EPA estimates more than 110 million people get their drinking water from sources at risk of losing protection. Tell your Members of Congress to support the Clean Water Restoration Act, which would restore protections for these important waters. (3) Victory: Landmark Clean Energy Bill Passes House! For the first time ever, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) this weekend. This landmark RES will help kick-start a clean energy economy- bringing clean, renewable energy and green jobs to America. The national RES will save consumer billions on their electricity and natural gas bills; create billions in new income for ranchers and rural landowners; and create tens of thousands of new good-paying manufacturing jobs Learn more about the benefits of clean energy. (4) Victory: Unique Coalition Takes on Mining Destruction A unique coalition of hunters, anglers, conservationists, tourism industry representatives and clean water advocates won a huge victory on Friday when a federal court in Pennsylvania ruled that coal operators must post bonds to cover the entire cost of environmental cleanup. Coming on the 30th anniversary of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), this decision takes a great step toward enforcing and strengthening environmental protection policies to better protect communities and wildlife. Read more about the ruling. |
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Currents is the Sierra Club's weekly e-mail update providing you with facts, stories, quotes, and "take action" features. |