Unfortunately, propaganda works, especially with enough money pumped into it, and with help from the right-wing media. How many times do we fall for this snow job before we get wise to their tactics?
Another propaganda technique is telling people that they can’t do anything about the environment. For example, saying that it will destroy our economy. Well, you can do something about the environment. Thirty years ago we were facing an environmental catastrophe from a hole in the ozone layer, but we did something about it and now the UN has announced that the ozone layer is showing “signs of recovery”. It is estimated that this has already prevented around two million cases of skin cancer. That’s not just a lot of lives saved, it represents a lot of money saved.
For more information about climate change and things you can do go help, see The Climate Reality Project.
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Also, the removal of tetraethyl lead has resulted in a HUGE drop in the concentration of lead in the blood of the U.S. population, especially in cities, with a resulting decrease in health issues due to chronic lead poisoning. Fuel for piston-engine aircraft puts roughly 100 tons per year into the atmosphere, but the improvements in health due to the near elimination of lead in fuel and paint has made an enormous difference.
Unfortunately, reductions in the requirement for health care result in reductions of GDP… so the statement that regulations resulting in BETTER public health ultimately cost jobs is absolutely true. How’s that for irony?
Being healthier and working less sound good to me. If you figure that a good portion of people only work (or perhaps work where they do) in order to maintain their health and really to survive, it makes a bit of sense that removing the need for health insurance by removing sources of illness also removes a big incentive to work a typical job rather than pursuing something you actually enjoy.
Jon, the removal of lead from gas is a good example. Thanks.
But have you ever read why they put lead in gasoline in the first place? They knew it was unhealthy, and there were better anti-knock compounds available. But then, there was this powerful lead lobby…
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetraethyllead
8 out of 10 doctors prefer Marlboro. Here’s a great essay by Jeff Masters (wunderground)on Manufactured Doubt from back in the days of the hacked email “controversy.” http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/the-manufactured-doubt-industry-and-the-hacked-email-controversy
but, if, without lead, there are less health issues then people will live longer and increase demand for medical care. Another negative on GDP could be that with less lead comes less violent crime and a decrease in demand for prison guards? Thankfully we’ve come up with a solution for that with private sector owned prisons and their lobbyists pushing making just about everything a minimum jail time required felony. heeheehee