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symbian diamonds serialMarch 09, 2006
Less oil consumption for more air pollution-- a fair trade?
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed new rule to raise the emissions standards for ethanol plants, allowing them to release more pollutants into the air. Ethanol plants (like the one above) can currently release up to 100 tons of pollutants into the air each year; the proposal would raise the threshold to 250.
In his State of the Union address, President Bush emphasized the need to increase U.S. production of alternative fuel sources. Supporters of the new rule say it would do just that, helping the U.S. to reduce dependence on foreign oil. But it comes at a price: more than double the amount of hazardous pollutants in the air.
Silly me, I thought one of the reasons to reduce dependence on foreign oil and investigate alternative fuel sources was to decrease pollution. Apparently I thought wrong.
Posted by Frances Kingsbury at March 9, 2006 05:44 PM