Transcript The Politics of Pollution

B. Clean Air and Water




Read the textbook for a history of regulations
Try to remember the main environmental laws,
even if you don’t remember all the amendments
See also the six “criteria pollutants” targeted by
the EPA
Compare the book’s emphasis on problems and
crises to Assignment 2 – have the regulations
worked? (More on this in a few minutes)
C. Particulate Matter

Textbook has information on previous
regulations – this section focuses on more
recent developments
1. PM 2.5
Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns (about
1/20 the width of a human hair)
Consensus says 2.5 microns and below is most
dangerous to human health
a.
b.
i.
ii.
One study’s finding: decrease soot by 1
microgram/cubic meter  3% fewer deaths from
respiratory/cardiovascular disease
More than 2000 peer-reviewed studies agree that
PM 2.5 is hazardous to health. EPA estimate =
20,000 deaths/year
2. Levels of PM 2.5

Harvard “Six Cities Study” Data:
a. Current levels of PM 2.5
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
Fluctuates over time and space
Texas
b. Regional Differences
b. Regional Differences
c. Trend: Decline?
3. No single cause of PM2.5
VI. Trends and Policies
A.
Is pollution increasing or decreasing in the US?
(Assignment 2 used global, not national, data).
CO2 already covered. Some more examples to
consider:
1.
Major industries – Power plants, chemical industry,
refining, mining, agriculture
a. Power
Plants
b. The chemical industry
c. Refineries: Criteria Pollutants
c. Refineries: Carcinogens
3.6
3.5
3.4
3.3
1999
2003
2004
3.2
3.1
3
2.9
2.8
Carcinogens
· Excluding BP Texas City, the refinery industry reported a 13%
decrease in emissions of carcinogens between 1999 and 2004.
d. Mining and Agriculture


Little data available on mining – reporting not
required for most pollutants (i.e. cyanide)
Agriculture: Major pollutants are methane,
fertilizer runoff, and POPs (pesticides)
Agriculture: Methane Emissions


No data
on
runoff.
Fertilizer
use
2. Cars
3. Toxic Chemicals
a. Mercury
b. Volatile organics
c. Lead
4. Other Criteria Pollutants (Air)
a. Ozone
c. Carbon Monoxide (CO)
b. NOx
c. SO2
5. PM10
6. Water Pollution

Little long-term data like that for air pollution.
Best estimates are probably water quality measures
Problem: Inadequate Monitoring
B. Is Pollution Too High?
1. Legal standards: 40% of Americans breathe polluted
air and 8-10% drink water from violating sources
2. US vs. Europe: One Example
C. Costs of Regulation
1. Growth can coexist with pollution reduction
2. Typical cost curves

Marginal costs
of pollution
control usually
increase. Why?
Costs
0
25%
50%
75%
Pollution Reduction
100%
Possible Benefits Curves


Marginal costs
of pollution
control usually
increase. Why?
Need to know
size and shape
of benefits
curve (generally
linear or
diminishing
returns)
Costs
0
25%
50%
75%
Pollution Reduction
100%
3. The Apple-Orange Problem
a.
b.
Costs are largely economic: pollution control
/ prevention costs money – and other things
one can buy with money.
Benefits are only partly economic: Fewer
health problems means more hours worked
and less spent on medical care – but also
keeps Grandma alive for her grandkids!
Coal Processing Plant, Bigler, PA

The coal chute crosses a road
Coal Processing Plant, Bigler, PA
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Across the road is a house
Wallace and Violet Dixon
The Story
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Coal plant begins operating in 1981
Coal chute is uncovered  coal dust blankets
nearby homes for years
Lawsuit in 1980s gains each family about $5000
in damages, agreement to cover chute
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Violet awarded more than others since she lived next
to the chute and experienced chronic respiratory
distress BUT pretrial agreement divides all awards
evenly between all plaintiffs
Violet’s respiratory symptoms are severe by the
time the lawsuit is concluded
Wallace outlives Violet by 13 years
The Other Side of the Story
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William and Elsie
Crandall (my other
grandparents)
Affordable coal heated
their home for 50 years
D. Details Matter: How do we reduce
pollution? Example: GWG Policy
E. Political Concerns: Party
Correlates with Pollution