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美國眾議院大砍預算 環境保護工作受限

2011年02月23日
摘譯自2011年2月19日ENS美國,華盛頓特區報導;謝雯凱編譯;蔡麗伶審校

美國眾議院19日上午通過一項預算刪減法案,環保人士稱此舉對清淨空氣法與淨水法的工作推展而言,可說是近代史上最大的一次重擊。

共和黨籍眾議員以「繼續決議案」的形式提出2011年預算法案,235票對189票通過,僅有3位共和黨議員協同民主黨議員一起投下反對票。共和黨的預算版本大幅刪減聯邦預算計畫中的610億美元支出,作為政府在剩餘財政年度中的運作資金。

這項預算案不僅大砍環保署1/3的預算,更以表決方式禁止環保署針對煤炭火力電廠與煉油廠的監測計畫,這項計畫自1月2日開始,目的是要減少二氧化碳與其他全球暖化污染物。

此法案也禁止環保署依淨水法修復該國最為脆弱的諸多河域,其中包括供應1.17億人口飲用水的水源。

眾議院發言人約翰‧博納。圖片來自:眾議院。對在眾議院掌握多數席位的共和黨而言,此法案旨在於削減政府開支。眾議院發言人約翰‧博納(John Boehner)在同日的聲明中表示:「本週,是多年來首次眾議院能夠行使其意志,最後做到了美國史上最大的開支削減。為了我們的經濟與民主更好,我呼籲參議院多數黨領袖里德(Harry Reid)將此案立即逕付表決。」

若法案未能經參議院表決成為法律,眾議院共和黨議員揚言要癱瘓聯邦政府,意味將中止給付老年社會安全津貼,以及軍人、退休人員、邊防與其他政府雇員的薪資給付。

自然資源保護委員會(NRDC)氣候中心主任拉舍夫(Daniel Lashof)表示:「眾議院面對氣候變遷既聾、且啞、又盲。」他指出,這項預算刪減案將阻止環保署蒐集基本資料,監測污染源排放了多少二氧化碳與其他吸熱的汙染物到空氣中。法案也阻止環保署依任何理由設置任何溫室氣體排放限制:包括二氧化碳、甲烷、氧化亞氮、六氟化硫、氟氯碳化物與全氟碳化物。

此繼續決議案也會阻止美國捐助聯合國政府間氣候變遷專家小組(IPCC)。這個組織是由老布希政府協助成立,提供氣候變遷上權威的國際評估,曾於2007年因其成就榮獲諾貝爾獎。

儘管共和黨聲稱美國民眾支持他們的行動,但同是共和黨員的環保人士卻在19日表示對削減案的失望。

「眾議院共和黨議員已在2月19日落入反環保的極端主義中,所通過的2011年開支計畫滿是對公共健康標準與環境保育的攻擊,卻對減少國債沒什麼幫助。」全國性草根組織「環保共和黨員」(Republicans for Environmental Protection)表示:「眾議院通過的繼續決議案,滿足了反環保極端主義者所希望的許多事項。」

該組織政府與政治事務副理事長詹金斯(David Jenkins)說:「決議案包含非預算性的政策要求,阻止環保署限制碳污染排放與保護水質,禁止內政部保護野生景觀地區,並不顧科學證據,決議將北方灰狼自瀕危物種名單中剔除。」

U.S. House Slashes Funding for Public Health, Clean Air, Clean Water
WASHINGTON, DC, February 19, 2011 (ENS)

Early this morning, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a funding bill that environmentalists say amounts to the biggest attack on clean air and clean water in recent history.

H.R. 1, the continuing resolution offered by House Republicans to keep the government funded for the rest of the fiscal year, passed by a vote of 235-189. Only three Republicans joined all the Democrats in voting no.

H.R. 1 slashes the budget of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by one-third and prevents the agency from acting to reduce carbon dioxide and other global warming pollutants from coal-fired power plants and oil refineries, a regulatory program that began January 2.

The bill also blocks EPA from restoring Clean Water Act protections for many of the nation's most vulnerable waterways, including those that feed into drinking water supplies for more than 117 million Americans.

To the Republican House leadership, the bill is all about spending cuts. In a statement today House Speaker John Boehner said, "This week, for the first time in many years, the People's House was allowed to work its will - and the result was one of the largest spending cuts in American history. For the good of our economy and our democracy, I call on Senate Majority Leader Reid to allow it to come to an immediate vote."

The House Republicans have threatened to shut down the federal government if their bill is not enacted into law, which would halt Social Security payments to seniors, as well as payments to members of the armed forces, veterans, border guards and other federal government employees.

Daniel Lashof, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's climate center, said, "the House is deaf, dumb and blind on climate change." He notes that H.R. 1 would prevent EPA from collecting basic data on who is pumping how much carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollutants into the air; and would prevent EPA from setting any limits on emissions of the greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, or perfluorocarbons for any reason.

The continuing resolution would also prevent the United States from contributing to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The IPCC, which won a Nobel Prize for its work in 2007, was established with the support of the George H.W. Bush administration to provide authoritative international assessments of climate change.

The Republican leadership claims to have the support of the American people for these measures, but environmentalists who are also Republicans expressed dismay today at the extent of the cuts.

"House Republicans fell prey to anti-environmental extremism on February 19, passing a 2011 spending plan loaded with attacks on public health standards and conservation that have little to do with reducing the nation's debt," said Republicans for Environmental Protection, a national grassroots organization of "stewardship-minded" Republicans.

"The continuing resolution that the House passed fulfills many items on the wish list of anti-environmental radicalsm," said David Jenkins, REP vice president for government and political affairs. " The resolution includes non-budgetary policy mandates that would prevent EPA from limiting carbon pollution and protecting water quality, bar the Interior Department from protecting wilderness-quality lands, and decree, without regard to scientific evidence, that northern gray wolves are no longer endangered."

全文及圖片詳見:ENS報導

作者

蔡麗伶(LiLing Barricman)

In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.