US Leads New Effort Cutting PM…By Stalling New PM Standards

Wasn’t it just the other day that we were talking about the harms of Particulate Matter (PM) pollution and mentioning that the Obama Administration was holding up new PM standards? And yet on Wednesday the US was announcing a new international effort to cut methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and yes, PM pollution, in an effort to make short-term gains in fighting global warming. “The science is quite clear that the only way to slow warming in the near term . . . is
to reduce emissions of these so-called short-lived climate forcers,”
said Erika Rosenthal of the advocacy group Earthjustice.” Specifically, the “Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants” (CCACRSLCP?) will fund programs to reduce diesel exhaust, ag-waste burning in the field, capturing methane from landfills, coal mines and…natural gas wells. Come to think of it, that’s another area of possible mixed messages being sent since this Administrations is simultaneously promoting fracking like a carnival barker in the US while telling other countries they need to limit their own emissions from drilling. But you know they must be really serious this time. Combined, the US and Canadian governments are throwing a whole $15 million at the campaign.