In Seminar 3, “Science of New York City”, we learnt a lot about how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has worked to improve water quality across the nation. In addition to solving water pollution issues, the EPA creates and enforces regulations for any type of pollution. Prof. Gregory O’Mullan made it clear that there are many economic hurdles the EPA and local governments must jump over to make environmental change possible, and until this CQ reading, I always thought that he was just referring to money that is needed to make changes – nothing is free after all. I never thought about the economic impacts EPA mandated changes may take on different industries, the energy industry in particular.

While I agree that it is seemingly unfair to impose restrictions that would make sectors of the energy industry obsolete, time has proven that all old technology must make way for new technology in the face of innovation and public progress. So although coal companies have been, and will continue, to lose business as we switch to more efficient and sustainable energy resources, it is necessary so that we as a society can move into a bright future.

With that in mind, President Trump’s proposed budget cuts to the EPA (as well as other organizations) brings some scary pictures to mind. As previously mentioned, one of the problems the EPA faces when attempting to enact environmental policies and cleanups is a lack of funs in local governments. By cutting the EPA budget, it will become harder to preform

New York City: 1973 vs. 2013 Source: EPA Documerica “Then and Now Challenge”

environmental studies and clean up superfund sites – locations so polluted the federal government needs to step in to support clean-up efforts. Take a look at the photo on the right. That is New York City before regulations to prevent smog were in effect, and over 30 years after those regulations took effect. Do you want to see our amazing city go back to the way it was? What is the point of bolstering our military budget if all we have to protect is an American cesspool of pollution? Before we take our efforts across the sea, let us create and maintain a home worth living in.