Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Environmental Protection Agency
       
I recently learned something that upset me.   I attended a town hall meeting with our U.S. Congressional Representative.    He brought it to our attention that the EPA has put new restrictions on industrial boilers.  The objective is to further reduce potentially harmful emissions into the environment. 
I agree that we have climate change.  I seriously question if the primary reason for that change is due to any man made emissions, but we will leave that to another blog.  For the sake of argument, let’s assume our current industrial boilers do produce emissions harmful to the environment. 
What will happen with these new EPA regulations?  One thing that will happen is the closing down of the paper industry in Wisconsin.  The paper industry cannot comply with the proposed boiler regulations and remain competitive with foreign producers of paper.
The end result is closed plants, lost jobs, higher unemployment, lost revenues, and a slower economy.  We will also have higher paper costs for every paper product and any product packaged with paper. 
On the good side, we reduce emissions harmful to the economy, or do we?  As I mentioned, paper production will go over seas to countries like China.  Since China does not have or care about emission controls, total global emissions will increase dramatically. 
So let’s summarize what the EPA is proposing.  The new regulations will mean higher paper costs, plants closed, jobs lost, a blow to the economy, a larger trade deficit, and higher total global emissions,
This does not sound like a winner to me.  Maybe Reagan was right when he said, “Government is not the solution to our problems.  Government is the problem.”

















Environmental Protection Agency
       
I recently learned something that upset me.   I attended a town hall meeting with our U.S. Congressional Representative.    He brought it to our attention that the EPA has put new restrictions on industrial boilers.  The objective is to further reduce potentially harmful emissions into the environment. 
I agree that we have climate change.  I seriously question if the primary reason for that change is due to any man made emissions, but we will leave that to another blog.  For the sake of argument, let’s assume our current industrial boilers do produce emissions harmful to the environment. 
What will happen with these new EPA regulations?  One thing that will happen is the closing down of the paper industry in Wisconsin.  The paper industry cannot comply with the proposed boiler regulations and remain competitive with foreign producers of paper.
The end result is closed plants, lost jobs, higher unemployment, lost revenues, and a slower economy.  We will also have higher paper costs for every paper product and any product packaged with paper. 
On the good side, we reduce emissions harmful to the economy, or do we?  As I mentioned, paper production will go over seas to countries like China.  Since China does not have or care about emission controls, total global emissions will increase dramatically. 
So let’s summarize what the EPA is proposing.  The new regulations will mean higher paper costs, plants closed, jobs lost, a blow to the economy, a larger trade deficit, and higher total global emissions,
This does not sound like a winner to me.  Maybe Reagan was right when he said, “Government is not the solution to our problems.  Government is the problem.”














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