New EPA director debunks environmental regulations as “job killing”
In her first speech as the new adminstrator of the EPA, Gina McCarthy addressed a crowd at Harvard Law School.
From the AP: “Can we stop talking about environmental regulations killing jobs? Please, at least for today,” said McCarthy, referring to one of the favorite talking points of Republicans and industry groups.
“Let’s talk about this as an opportunity of a lifetime, because there are too many lifetimes at stake,” she said of efforts to address global warming.
As you know, the jobs vs. environment claim is a popular talking point. Especially, as the Obama climate plan is getting rolled out, Congress describes it as a job-killer. Here's the good stuff from her speech:
The truth is cutting carbon pollution will spark business innovation, resulting in cleaner forms of American-made energy...
Right now, state and local communities — as well as industry, universities, and other non-profits — have been piloting projects, advancing policies, and developing best practices that follow the same basic blueprint: combining environmental and economic interests for combined maximum benefit. These on-the-ground efforts are the future. It’s a chance to harness the American entrepreneur spirit, developing new technologies and creating new jobs, while at the same time reducing carbon pollution to help our children and their children.
Starting this week, McCarthy will begin traveling around the country to discuss the importance of acting on climate change as the Obama Adminstration plays offense for a change. Now if they could get on the offensive about fracking and crude oil train regulations we would be friends but it's nice McCarthy using her power to get out in front of cutting carbon emissions .
