As my colleagues Kim Knowlton and Meleah Geertsma wrote Wednesday, members of the public now have a powerful new tool to find out who are the biggest carbon polluters in their own backyards. We can find out far more than ever before about where carbon dioxide and other dangerous global warming pollutants come from, using the Environmental Protection Agency’s new web-tool.
Armed with this “right to know” data, citizens now can demand to know what corporate executives and public officials are going to do to cut this dangerous pollution that threatens our health. Kim outlines (once again) the many ways that carbon and other warming pollution pose threats to our health.
So, where all this pollution coming from, and which states have the most?
Nationally, power plants, refineries and chemical plants are the lead culprits, as the EPA data shows.
Given the obviously significant role power plants play, we were pleased to see EPA Deputy Administrator Gina McCarthy reiterate yesterday the EPA’s intention to put forward tough standards to limit carbon pollution from new power plants. Of course, even more important will be getting standards in place forexisting power plants (which is where the current pollution comes from), and we look forward to working with the EPA on that step as well.
Here’s a rundown of the Top Twenty States for Climate Pollution (includes carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollutants): Texas, Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Louisiana, Illinois, Alabama, Kentucky, California, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Iowa, Arizona, Tennessee and South Carolina. Click on each state to see where their pollution comes from.
