The Republican
Congressmen in
the US continue to go
hammer
and tongs against all
things
environmental. This
time it is the
ozone layer. Led by
representative
John T Doolittle,
partyman from
California, they have
introduced a
hill to postpone
until January 1,
2000, a ban on the
production of
chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs), considered to be the
major destroyers
of ozone. Production
of CFCs is
expected to cease as
of January 1,
1996, under both the
US law as well
as the Montreal
Protocol on
Substances that
Deplete the
Ozone Layer.
The explanation
Doolittle had
to offer before a
home subcommittee was that "there
has not been a
sufficient showing of
scientific evidence to justify" the
19% deadline.
One of his
supporters, Tom Delay,
representative from
Texas also
contended that the
connection
between CFCs and
human health
was debatable. But
the scientists
beg to differ.
Robert T Watson,
associate
director for the
environment in the
White House office of
science and
technology policy,
testified that the
increased levels of
the harmful
ultraviolet-B
radiation reaching
the earth, a direct
fallout of the
thinning of the ozone
layer, "will,
not may" have adverse
consequences on human
health.
The US citizens also
seem to
have had enough of
the persistent
environment-bashing
by the
Republicans.
More than one million
US citizens have signed an
Environmental
Bill of Rights
petition, prepared by
a coalition of
prominent environmental groups - the
Sierra Club
and the Public
Interest Research
Groups (PIRG). The
petition
"asserts every
American's right to a
safe and healthy
environment and
demands that the
Congress stop its
rollback of critical
environmental
programs". The groups
now plan
to present the
petition before the
Congress in October.
More news
coming up.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.