Today, as part of the President’s plan to cut carbon pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the first-ever national limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants, the single-largest source of carbon pollution in the United States. The Clean Power Plan is an historic step in the fight against climate change. It sets flexible and achievable standards to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, while creating tens of thousands of jobs.
But just because this common-sense proposal will have huge benefits for hard-working Americans across the country, doesn’t mean some people won’t spread misinformation and launch false attacks. There will be critics of what we’re trying to do, and cynics who say it can’t be done. Long before the details of this plan were even decided, the special interests and their allies in Congress were already mobilizing to oppose it with everything they’ve got. In fact, we are likely to see the same tired arguments naysayers raised last year — and in 1990, when the United States tackled acid rain; and in the 1970s, when the Clean Air Act was passed.
Before we get into the details, we want to remind everyone, throughout our history, when America has taken steps to cut pollution and protect public health, opponents have made dire predictions about destroying jobs and harming the economy — and throughout our history they've been wrong.
This time will be no different. As the polluting interests and their allies come up with new and creative myths, we’ll dispel them on Twitter at @Rohan44.
Myth: Carbon pollution standards will destroy jobs and hurt the economy.
Fact: Americans know we can cut pollution and protect the health of our kids while creating jobs.
Over the years, this has been the polluters' favorite myth. When Republican President Richard Nixon signed the Clean Air Act to combat smog, he talked about the promise of tackling pollution and our responsibility to future generations. Polluting interests and their allies said new pollution standards would decimate the auto industry. That was false. In 1990, when Republican President George H.W. Bush took steps to stop acid rain, polluting interests and their allies claimed the lights would go out and businesses around the country would suffer. That was false.
EPA has been protecting air quality for more than 40 years, and in that time we've cut pollution by 70 percent while the economy has more than tripled.
So Americans know we don't have to choose between cutting carbon pollution to protect the health of our kids and creating jobs.
In fact – they go hand in hand. Cutting carbon pollution from power plants will spark innovation and drive investment in clean energy technologies and energy efficiency that will create jobs and save families money. It will also result in significant health benefits, which will yield medical savings.
EPA’s detailed economic analysis shows that this proposal will create tens of thousands of jobs all over the country. And they aren’t the only ones. Two independent studies show even larger job gains of around 300,000 jobs when the Clean Power Plan is fully implemented. And if we look at carbon reduction programs that are already in place, we find that from 2014-2016, the Regional Green House Gas Initiative trading program, is expected to create 14,000 new jobs across nine states.
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