Weekly John Locke Foundation research division newsletter focusing on environment issues.
This weekly newsletter, focused on environmental issues, highlights relevant analysis done by the John Locke Foundation and other think tanks, as well as items in the news.
1. Possible new EPA regs on fine particles essentially outlaws dust and may outlaw outdoor barbecues.
What has become an out-of-control Environmental Protection Agency run by environmentalist zealots is now seeking to tighten the already extremely restrictive standards on what are called fine particles, or particulate matter (PM). Until now most of the focus has been on controlling emissions from coal-fired plants that contribute to the formation of PM. But if the EPA moves ahead with new standards, we will see a major impact on farmers, who kick up dust when they pursue such polluting activities as plowing their fields, and on homeowners, which like to spend summer weekends grilling a steak or roasting some pork in their backyard.
Karen McMahan, writing in the Carolina Journal, looks at the possible impact of these onerous regulations on North Carolina. Over the last decade, the John Locke Foundation has looked at the alleged health risks associated with PM and has concluded that they are overblown and possibly purposely distorted. Below are links to several of our studies:
https://www.johnlocke.org/research/show/policy%20reports/171
https://www.johnlocke.org/research/show/policy%20reports/70
https://www.johnlocke.org/acrobat/spotlights/213_soot_study.pdf
2. Prominent U.S. physicist resigns from America Physical Society over the group’s approach to global warming, calling it a "pseudoscientific fraud"
Dr. Harold Lewis has submitted his letter of resignation to the American Physical Society claiming that their approach to global warming has been biased and corrupted by funding. Dr. Lewis is Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara and is a prominent member and fellow of the Society, the nation’s leading organization of academic physicists, His entire letter of resignation has been published in a blog by the UK Telegraph; read it at "US physics professor: ‘Global warming is the greatest and most successful pseudoscientific fraud I have seen in my long life.’"
JLF on global warming:
https://www.johnlocke.org/agenda2010/climatechange.html
https://www.johnlocke.org/research/show/policy%20reports/147
https://www.johnlocke.org/research/show/spotlights/195
https://www.johnlocke.org/research/show/policy%20reports/86
3. Population propaganda in N.C. Public Schools
I draw your attention to a Locker Room post by my colleague Dr.Terry Stoops, director of education studies at the John Locke Foundation. Stoops posts a video from a history teacher at West Carteret High School, who is using his class as a vehicle for propagandizing his students about alleged overpopulation and pollution — subjects clearly beyond his area of expertise as a history teacher. I think that John Lennon comes much closer to the correct perspective on the question of overpopulation. Imagine that.
4. Weekly Ozone Report
For the week of October 3-9, the NC DAQ reports no high ozone readings registered on North Carolina monitors. From April 1 through October 9, a total of 28 weeks, North Carolina has had 106 high ozone readings (0.076 ppm or above over an eight-hour period). These readings were scattered around the state over 33 out of 39 different monitors and over 26 different days. Most of the high ozone days to date have occurred in the Charlotte area and in the Triad. [Note: When an ozone alert is made through the media, it is only a prediction. Very often an ozone alert is issued but a high ozone day does not materialize. That is why we are reporting here that during certain weeks there were no actual high ozone days even though ozone alerts may have been issued and reported in the media.]
Links to recent JLF reports on ozone:
https://www.johnlocke.org/research/show/spotlights/234
https://www.johnlocke.org/research/show/spotlights/229
