Many people find the concept of deregulation appealing under the guise of unshackling businesses. But, most regulation came about in response to a problem. In the past, there were no pollution standards. Coal was the primary method of heating in homes and factories could expell whatever they wanted into the atmosphere or waterways. The air quality was dreadful and the rivers literally smelled foul in industrialized areas. For example, London experienced severe air and water pollution starting in the 1700’s and extending into the early 20th century.
“Although ‘pea-soupers’, as the smogs were known, had been an unavoidable feature of Britain’s major cities for more than a hundred years, the Great Smog of 1952 was the worst. It also marked something of a turning point: until then, people had accepted smog as a necessary evil. “In Britain’s coal-fuelled cities, smoke was tolerated for more than a century as a trade-off for jobs and home comforts” BBC
The extreme pollution London experienced led Britain to adopt pollution regulations and is a major reason coal fell out of favor as a fuel source. A more modern example is Beijing, China. The air quality is awful primarily due to vehicle emissions and because the Chinese allow their factories to pollute at high levels. As shown below, the US estimates that for about 80 percent of the days the air quality is unhealthful. The Chinese lie about the statistics but even their measures suggest that nearly half the days are unhealthful.
Wall Street Journal August 14, 2014
I do not want to have to wear a mask to go outside and I doubt you do. I want to maintain our environmental standards and keep our air and water clean. Let your views be heard in Congress and in November.