Letter to the Editor

Voicing concern on Clean Air Act

Sunday, February 6, 2011

To the Editor:

I am very concerned about the environmental and health impacts of the unlimited amounts of carbon pollution that big polluters are currently allowed to dump into our air.

The impacts of climate change are being seen across the continent, but are often most apparent near the sea. Over the course of two decades, the amount of time the Hudson Bay is covered in ice has decreased by almost three weeks, cutting down the crucial amount of time polar bears need to hunt for food and causing a 22-percent decline in that population.

Sadly, it might be too late to save Hudson Bay polar bears from dying out, but we still have a chance of preventing polar bears further north, near the coast of Alaska, from suffering the same fate.

One of our country's most iconic species -- polar bears located off the coast of Alaska -- only stand a chance of survival if we hold big polluters accountable to reducing their carbon pollution, starting today.

That's why I am disturbed to hear that Congress is currently considering rollbacks to our country's clean air protections as a favor to big polluters.

The target of their attack is the Clean Air Act, one of the strongest tools we have to prevent big polluters from dumping unlimited pollution and guarantee that our air is safe.

Throughout its four-decade history of protecting the public from the devastating health and environmental impacts of air pollution, the Clean Air Act has enjoyed strong bi-partisan support. The result is saved lives, improved quality of life, and protection of our nation's natural resources.

Only polluters benefit by attacking the Clean Air Act. Our elected officials must come to understand that this was not what anyone had in mind when people voted last November.

Sincerely,

Miss Susan Goodman,

Terre Haute