Jessika Ziglar/02-15-08 11:38 pm/Pollution
The Bush Administration is pushing for more global standards to reduce emissions from large diesel-burning ships that pump pollutants into U.S. ports. The main reason for these stricter regulations is the terrible pollution in Southern Californian ports brought about by international ships burning asphalt-like diesel which is 1,800 times dirtier than U.S. truck diesel.
A unilateral plan is being pushed so that foreign vessels with different standards will not continue polluting American ports. If the regulations only applied to U.S. ships, any good done by reducing their emissions would be counteracted by the foreign vessels.
Problems with such a plan are all economic of course. Much of the outcry against international regulations comes from the Louisiana oil representatives who fear shipping will move to Canada and Mexico who have lower standards. Sen. David Ritter of Louisiana said, "There's a problem in Southern California," he said. "Don't drag us down to fix it."
Unilateral regulations might also bring about rising shipping rates due to the lack of qualified ships, which according to Ken Wells, president of the Offshore Marine Service Association, would hurt the Mississippi River grain export business.
The article lays out some of the dangers the foreign vessels bring into ports: "The nitrogen oxide, soot and sulfur oxide emissions from the large ships are linked to burgeoning asthma, respiratory and cardiac problems."
Like essentially every article I've read about pollution this semester, this one left me feeling angry and hopeless. Its a damned if we do, damned if we don't situation. If congress pushes for a unilateral, global emissions reduction, then US industries will lose out to other ports and suffer. But, if only US regulations are established then what is the point? Pollution will still come pouring in from elsewhere. I'm angered by Sen. Vitter's proclamation that air pollution is just the port of Los Angeles' problem. Pollution ANYWHERE is a problem, if for no other reason than it spreads. Pollution is not stopped by state, country, or any other arbitrary borders people have established. Eventually California's problem will be everyone's problem.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h4HLoLlOA5hTROjk8zRlsQjus_NwD8UQ8GGG0
1 comment:
It's unbelievable how people love money so much that they are willing to live in dirty conditions to save a little bit. Our waters are important to keep clean and if they don't want to meet regulations they should not have the opportunities to go to other countries. Stuff like this has got to be handled by the 'voluntary' UN, and they have to establish a task force.
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