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Emissions Go Beyond Global Warming?
Some people do not believe Global Warming is actually a problem and I respect their opinion. Global Warming has had its proponents and its critics for a long time. Some say if we do not address this now the consequences can be devastating and life altering and others say it’s a normal occurrence and nothing will happen. Some have even said that the Earths temperature has only increased a couple of degrees, so just turn up your AC.
There has been a lot of talk about Global Warming and what it means and the problems that arise from it, but there are greater issues to look at then just the warming issue. Over the years this issue has become so engrossed in political rhetoric that people got caught up more in arguing about its relevance, that they missed an even greater issue. I have been looking into Global Warming for a while now and my focus has always been on the environmental impact. I have been in agreement that the burning of fossil fuels (i.e. coal, gas, etc.), methane and some other gases and how the environment can not process all of these greenhouse gases as the reason for Global Warming. Then one weekend, my thinking expanded even further and that started me down the road I am still on today.
Check Your Manual
One Saturday I was cleaning out my garage and I picked up the manual for my lawn mower and I was totally shocked at what I read. There is a warning on the mower that reads as follows: “The engine exhaust from this product contains chemicals know to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm".
The emissions from the lawn mower are the same emissions that are believed to be causing Global Warming, so if you think about it, you can still believe that Global Warming is not real but look at the health figures since we started burning fossil fuels at such a high rate and then let me know what you think.
I contacted the EPA and they did not have any real answers as to the chemicals being emitted or their quantity. I did some research but unfortunately the information must be a well kept secret and not readily available, because I could not find the results and nobody I spoke with at the EPA could help me find the answers. The tests had to have been done by someone because I do not think a company would put such a harsh message on their product, if they were not required to and if the results were correct. Through my research I have found that these small two stroke engines and the bigger four stroke engines release a higher quantity of harmful gases than do automobiles, in reference to their size.
Here is something to think about:
We know that if you run your automobile in an unventilated space for a period of time, it can kill you. We also know that if you breathe in those same emissions, they can cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm. These chemicals are being emitted to our atmosphere and the environment is not able to dissolve the ever increasing amounts of those chemicals. So what is happening to all of those chemicals? They are just continually building in our atmosphere at an ever increasing rate and we know what those chemicals can not only do to the environment but to our health. I am not making a very long preverbal jump but those chemicals are doing more to us as people than just causing Global Warming.
What is even more confusing in all of the Federal Government data is their long term projections on emissions of these greenhouse gases. The EPA’s projections almost all seem to stay the same, decrease or only slightly increase. How is that possible if the population keeps growing, and our consumption continues to increase? The Federal Government is assuming that there will be new technology created or they might pass new laws governing the acceptable emission levels. Their long term estimates are based on conjecture, hopes, dreams and an attitude of, we will get around to it sooner rather than later.
Remember the Millennium bug problem, the panic that it caused and how programmers were working nonstop to change the computer code. When the code was originally written they used 2 characters for the year instead of four because their theory at the time was it was quicker and thus cheaper to do and it would be corrected well before the turn of the century. We all remember how those times where and the pure uncertainty it caused but luckily they were able to get most of it completed in time and 2000 came and everything did not crash. Do you want to take a wait and see attitude, and hope these greenhouse gases do not affect us further?
Where Do You Live?
Just one sobering health fact about one of the emissions we are talking about in terms of the environmental and Global Warming This is not the worst one, but it just happens to be one the EPA has shared publicly.
PM2.5, which is an emission from mostly locomotives and marine diesel engines, can cause death, cardiovascular problems, and cancer, in people who live in areas where this gas exceeds the United States Governments Air Quality standards. Currently there are over 106 million people who are living in counties where monitors show a violation of the 2006 standards. An even more troubling thought from the sentence in the EPA document that preceded the one giving us the “current” numbers: “The monitored county violations may be an underestimate of the number of counties and populations that will eventually be included in areas with multiple counties designated nonattainment”.
You may disagree with the proponents of “Global Warming”, but the Federal Governments own data, shows that vehicle emissions can be causing problems beyond just the environment.
Do you know anyone with cancer?
Do you know any young children with asthma or allergies?
We all have to work together and start to aggressively address Global Warming and Energy Independence, NOW.
Are you ready to Lead By Example?
References:
Lawnmower engine manual full image
EPA