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WO Sept. 7,2000 The Blue Banner Page 3 Perspectives WNC fogged up with emissions problems On environmental viewpoint Candice Carr Environmental Columnist Most people living in Asheville are probably aware that the quality of the air we breathe here is sicken- ingly bad. In 1999, N.C. as a whole had the third-highest number of violations of health standards for ozone pollu tion, second only to Calif and Texas. The Great Smoky Mountains Na tional Park has been disgraced with the title of the most polluted Na tional Park due to the emissions of power plants and automobiles. State regulators attribute 40 per cent of N.C.’s smog to the power plants owned by Duke Power and Carolina Power and Light. N.C. is home to 14 coal-fired power plants, which each pollute up to 10 times as much as is allowed by the Clean Air Act. These plants, along with those of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), were exempted from the standards set by the act in 1970 by a loophole in the legislation that assumed that power plants built before 1960 were going to be retro fitted soon anyway. Notso. Instead ofadoptingcleaner sources of fuel or making the plants emit less pollution, the same old inefficient coal-fired plants com pete for customers at the same level as newer, cleaner plants. As a result, there is no incentive to change their unhealthy, EPA-limit- exceeding ways, and so coal mini ng, acid rain and low-level ozone are raping mountains and killing the forests of Appalachia and, ulti mately, the entire east coast as the wind blows eastward, up along the Appalachian spine. In fact, power production at older coal fired power plants that are ex empt from the Clean Air Act in creased 15.8 percent from 1982 to 1998. N.C.’s citizens should not be sub ject to this pollution just because power companies have more time, power and money to influence poli tics. This year, the Environmental Management Commission (EMC) will be setting up new rules for Nitrogen Oxide emissions from power plants. Nitrogen Oxides (when combined with hydro-carbons, or particulates) are responsible for the dangerous levels of ground level ozone and smog this region has been increas ingly experiencing. Ozone is invisible, odorless gas made of 3 Oxygen atoms which occur naturally way above the at mosphere and protect us from UV rays, but down here at ground level, they decrease lung function by scar ring the tissue, and also contribute to haze and nitrification of soils and water. Studies by renowned air quality scientists show that that, in order to even begin to reverse the effects of NOx, we must reduce their emis sions by 80 percent. Anything less is not a solution. It is a waste of time. Yet 2 of the 3 reduction proposals are exactly that - high enough to be difficult to implement, but not high enough to get results. Governor Hunt proposes a 68 percent reduc tion in NOx emissions, while the Power Companies propose a 62 percent reduction, but only the N.C. Clean Air Coalition (com prised of grassroots environmental organizations from all over N.C.) proposes an 80 percent reduction. This summer there was a forum held here at UNCA, which the Clean Air Coalition advertised as the “NOxcuses” hearing, in which each of the proposals were intro duced to the EMC and citizens were allowed time to stand up and make comments. Lipinsky Audito rium was packed and overflowing with citizens in overwhelming sup port of the 80 percent reduction. The electric power industry, one of the most polluting industries in the world (coal emits 29 percent more carbon per unit of energy than oil and 80 percent more than natural gas) continues to lobby for lower standards, while smog, acid rain, global warming and mercury contamination plague the planet and contribute to asthma, cancer, neurological damage and prema ture death. Here in Western North Carolina, we know that we are experiencing more air pollution from the TVA than from the dirty power plants of N.C. by looking at the pattern of Western-slope tree death, like Mount Mitchell. I'VA has the largest group of coal- burning power plants in the coun try, second only to a gargantuan cluster of plants in Texas, which only produces 60 percent of the electricity that TVA does. TVA also uses hydroelectric and nuclear power, and, in addition, has a plant called Y-12 where nuclear weapons are manufactured and as sembled. Because of wind patterns, we would be the first to experience the ill effects of any kind of accident over there. Here in Asheville, we live in a bowl surrounded by mountains, and so we must deal with thermal inver sions. This is when the emissions produced here in the heat during the middle of a summer day are trapped in the valley without circu lation, because of the downward pressure from the cooler higher at mosphere. Only after the sun goes down and the cool air slides down the moun tains does the ozone danger dissi pate. Last year, the air was only healthy one in four days during the ozone season. The ozone season directly corresponds to the tourist season. This indicates not only the hotter days but the increase of NOx and particulate-spewing traffic driving through our region. The number of miles driven by the average American has risen 150 percent since 1970. Not only are people driving more, they are also driving more polluting and gas- guzzling sport utility vehicles (SUVs), minivans and pickup trucks. An increasingly large percentage of large pickups are diesel-fueled. The average SUV is allowed to emit three times the amount of smog- forming pollution as the typical passenger car. The EPA’s new Tier Two Stan dards are trying to do something to lower that, but they are also cur- If you are interested in being a colum nist for Tiie Blue Banner, please stop by our office at Karpen 244, call 251 - 6586 or email banner@unca.edu, RTTil Emma. Strong opinions, good writing sliills necessary, mriting sample re quired. Come hear readings from UNCA’s "Headwaters” magazine at Malaprops bookstore on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. The Blue Banner welcomes letters and comments re garding the content or quality of this publication. Letters should be typed, double-spaced, and should not exceed 300 words. Letters for publication should also include the author’s signature, class standing and major or other relationship to UNCA. All submis sions are subject to editing for length and content. E- mail and web submissions should contain a telephone number for verification. The deadline for Letters to the Editor is noon on Tuesday. Please send letters to: The Banner, Karpen Hall 244, One University Heights, Asheville, N.C. 28804, submit a letter via the Blue Banner Online, or e-mail banner@unca.edu. ten tly in the midst of law suits with various trucking and manufactur ing interests. At least N.C. finally dropped the lawsuit against EPA for their “un reasonably high” standards. The lion’s share of the NOx pro duced by vehicles (non-point sources) is contributed by diesel engines, most of which are the big trucks and trains we use as our primary means of transporting freight in the U.S. Also, non-road diesel engines such as bulldozers, construction equipment and trac tors are considerable sources ofNOx pollution, contributing as much as on-road sources. Automakers are allegedly discuss ing increased use of diesel engines in popular sport utility vehicles. Diesel engines are beginning to ri val coal-fired power plants in being the largest source of NOx emis sions. At the hearing this summer, the Duke Power dude said in his spiel that we must remember that ve hicles are also a large contributor to air pollution. I was the only one in the audito rium who clapped and cheered, holding my bike helmet up as a suggestion. Yes, he was certainly trying to imply that the yucky power plants should be less accountable, which, is not the case, but his point is still a good one, albeit not one that any car owner wants to hear. No one wants to hear that they are part of the problem, but if we are going to reduce this town’s emis sions and clean up our air, it’s going to take all of us. So, my proposal to you all — students, faculty and staff alike — is please bike, carpool and take the bus. Please don’t own a stupid SUV. Please only drive when you need to, and drive a fuel-efficient car with a catalytic converter. Use less electricity at home. Get compact fluorescents and turn your air con ditioning down. You will feel better and breathe easier when you go hiking, and perhaps you will even be able to see the view when you get to the top. The Blue Bdnner Stdff Editorial Board Emma Jones Sarah Wilkins Kathryn Krouse Lena Burns Sarah Lacy Lauren Deal Matt Hunt Ben Weigand Edi tar-in-Chief News Editor Features Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor Online Editor Asst. Online Editor Staff Kay Alton, Amanda Anderson, Casey Blankenship, Patrick Braswell, Annie Crandall, Rachel Crumpler, Kristina Elliot, Ben Ezell, Walter Fyler, Sachie Godwin, Anthony Greco, Seth Horner, Luke Knox, John Locke, Justin Meckes, Angela Nantz, Bridgette Odom, Lauren Owens, Sanna Raza, Edward Ruschmann, Rebecca Travers, Justin Wolf managers Cate Bergman Angela Nantz Business Manager Circulation Manager Columnists Candice Carr, Ashley Penland, Ryan Southern Mark West, faculty advisor The Blue Banner is the student newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Asheville. We publish each Thursday except during summer sessions, final exam weeks and holiday breaks. Our offices are located in Karpen Hall, room 244. Our telephone number is (828) 251-6586. Our campus e-mail address is banner@unca.edu. An on-line version of The Blue Banner is also available at http://www.unca.edu/banner>. Nothing in our editorial or opinions sections necessarily re flects the opinion of the entire Blue Banner staff, the faculty advisor, or the university faculty, administration or staff. Unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of The Blue Banner editorial board. Letters, columns, cartoons and reviews represent only the opinions of their respective au thors. The Blue Banner reserves the right to reject any advertisement on the basis of content or space availability. Advertisements represent only the interests of the paying contributors. The Blue Banner welcomes submissions of letters and articles for publication. All submissions are subject to editing for clarity, content and length, and are considered on the basis of interest, space, taste and timeliness. Letters should be typed, single-spaced, and should not ex ceed 300 words. Letters for publication should also contain the author's signature, classification, major or other relation ship with UNCA. The deadline for letters is noon on Tuesday. If you have a submission, you can send it to The Blue Banner, Karpen 244, One University Heights, Asheville N.C. 28804. The deadline for display ads and the FYI calendar is Monday at 2 p.m. Classified ads are due at 5 p.m. on Monday.
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