EPA vs Texas

Texas feels that the EPA has reinterpreted the Clean Air Act in order to exempt smaller pollutants from greenhouse gas regulations. The “tailoring rule” was an amendment to the Clean Air Act and a sort of add on to the endangerment findings that was reports in 2009. The state of Texas feels that the EPA is taking the bill to far and overstepping their boundaries.

Lisa Jackson, an EPA Administer, feels that the greenhouse gases pose a harmful threat to the safety of humans and the quality of the atmosphere, along with the fragile o-zone layer that effects the climate change. The EPA is pushing the protection of human lives on this issue, hard. They want the oil and gas companies to know that they have to have these changes in effect by the deadline or the companies will be shut down and a construction ban will be set. The EPA feels that Texas has different priorities right now and hopes to get back to working smoothly with the State.

Texas, home to some of the nation’s largest refineries, doesn’t feel that the EPA’s claim on how harmful greenhouse gases are is something for concern. Texas wants the issue to go to a court ruling to get more evidence that these chemicals are as harmful as they say, and that it is impertinent that they be regulated more strictly. The state environmental commission does not think that the EPA has the “authority to regulate greenhouse gases, and calls the new rules illegal.”

This is going to be a long battle and some people are unsure about why the EPA is pushing the issue now, possibly due to President Obama’s plan to help regulate climate change. Some also feel that the EPA is using legislative power they should not be able to use. This is making Texas very wary on the idea of changing all the rules and regulations of the oil and gas companies that sit along the coast and are stretched out along the plains.

This is from a letter to the EPA from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; “Texas has neither the authority nor the intention of interpreting, ignoring or amending its laws in order to compel the permitting of greenhouse gas emissions."  This is proof enough that the state is not budging on the issue just yet, hopefully they will come around to idea of helping to preserve our Earth and help improve the health of the people. 


Sources:
National Journal
Statesman.com
US EPA

No Trail of Lights This Year in Austin

 The City of Austin has put on a show for the towns people every year around Christmas since 1965 and now they want to stop doing it because of vanishing funds. The source of the budget is an ongoing problem lately, with the economy, and now there might not be a Zilker Park Trail of Lights. There will be a tax increase soon on utility bills for people in Austin and then they are going to take away the Trail of Lights because they cannot afford it this year. I believe this blogger is trying to let everyone know where the money that is set aside for the trail of lights is being spent, and maybe have a few charities come through so that everyone in Austin will be able to enjoy the trail of lights this year. I can see the good that the City is trying to do with cutting back the budget and not putting up the trail of lights, they want to improve on other problems that Austin parks are having, but the Trail of Lights is an icon of Austin. It’s one of the only trails like it around and I believe everyone enjoys going out to see it. The conclusion is that we will have a couple bucks to help get more jobs to people in need, we will be able to get more police men out in the area and get more firemen, but we also need to have our traditions around. The City of Austin should try to find more people to help support the Trail of lights before they just take away the budget and deny Austin the joys of the season. 

Giving grants to those that need them

I came across the news article of the ‘Promise Neighborhood Grant’ that the Austin Achievement Zone had applied for and did not get. Along with that the St. Johns and Coronado area did not get the $500,000 for improvement to schools and the help to low income children make it through school. The article argues that the people in the Austin Achievement Zone deserve this money and they need the help from the government to better their community and their schools.  The publisher brings up the dropout rate for local school s in that area and how the rates are increased with low-income and minority students.  He also states how other parts of town were passed for the grant along with the St. Johns area. This article has opened my eyes to the constant need for better everything for children around my town. I do not have children and have not had any experience with the school districts or other problems of that nature, but if I did have kids I would want the best chance for them, even if I could not provide a safe healthy environment for their growth and development. That is what the Austin Achievement Zone wants to do and can’t, because of funding. It’s sad that Texas spend millions of dollars on toll roads and we can’t give more to those who need it, those children that will be running this country in 20 years. The significance of this story is to let the people know the need for help right outside their front door. Every little bits help when it comes to the achievement of success for the youth of America, and more needs to be done to get those kids to stay focused and on track.