posted on Apr, 9 2010 @ 11:53 AM
There are people saying that the EPA has no real authority to tax anyone. I believe that's technically true. However, they can sure lean on
government branches and officials and work to change policy.
Which leads me to all of the talk about the EPA taxing and regulating the Co2 that we exhale, or... er... etc...
At any rate, the justification for what follows was actually about the ozone layer, not climate change, but the EPA was a primary mover in what
occurred. They (the EPA) has already had an effect on my breathing. I'm an asthmatic and because of EPA regulations regarding CFC propellents that
were used in inhalers, they changed the propellant to HFA's. Many asthmatics (including myself) have trouble with them. Funny thing, by most
accounts when they tested tht new inhalers they tested them on people with healthy lungs, not asthmatics.
As a result of this I am 'slowly drowning' in the words of my physician. My rescue inhaler often simply doesn't help at all, or sometimes actually
makes the situation worse. My asthma over all has deteriorated significantly since the switch, and I am dependent on a nebulizer (my new 'rescue'),
and steroids (which is tricky for me, because I have an auto-immune disorder as well). And there is absolutely nothing, I can do about it except try
to manage and not die.
My point with all of this, is that I may be a bit unusual, and part of a rather marginal group in this case, but you may be surprised by the hidden
ways these regulations can affect you. In my case, best case scenario, it has literally knocked years off of my lifespan, as well as puts my life at
risk on a day to day basis, and has forced enormous lifestyle changes.
They don't always think this through, or they simply don't care if certain groups suffer (or even die), as long as they don't make too much noise.
In this case, there were several factors involved from other branches of Government, to the American Lung Association, to pharmaceutical companies,
but the EPA was right in the middle advocating and pushing the whole thing.
I apologize if this is perceived as off topic by the moderators, but I felt that it was pertinent to a discussion involving the EPA and their
influence on regulations that can affect everyday lives.