Green industries, although growing, are still having a hard time getting the acceptance from the U.S. Government in the form of funding, supporting regulations and support from the EPA (Environment Protection Agency), or as Grampa Simpson called them, Eepah! \u00a0EEEPAH!<\/p>\n
EPA was established in 1970. \u00a0It responsibilities cover issues dealing with the protection of the environment and public health. \u00a0They set clean water standards. \u00a0They specify limits for toxic waste sites. \u00a0They are also tasked to regulate industrial pollution, and now even the pollution from everyone’s vehicle. \u00a0Law mandates that the EPA use proven science and technical and legal data to make decisions that are in the best interest of all citizens. \u00a0(Contrary to the depiction in The Simpsons Movie, EPA doesn’t have armored tanks nor huge impregnatable city covering domes.)<\/p>\n
In my opinion, these regulations should consider new environmental technologies. \u00a0The EPA should take a role in fostering new technologies that create solutions for environmental protection efforts. \u00a0When the EPA is doing its job, this happens. \u00a0Such efforts have already helped spark development of U.S. green industries.<\/p>\n
The problem? \u00a0EPA is supposed to be partisan neutral. \u00a0It hasn’t be treated as such under the current U.S. presidential administration. \u00a0Its purpose and over all ability to function have been hampered on two fronts as a result of agendas that belong back in the Industrial Age. One, its budget has been substantially reduced to force it to downscale its operations. \u00a0Two, according to a recent Design World article, the head of the EPA, appointed by the President, is an individual that seems to act without regard to science or even his own staffs recommendations, in favor of the President’s agenda. \u00a0This agenda unfortunately focuses on protecting old industries, ignores the facts that those old industries can still be supported while encouraging green industry, and that old industries can actually be made safer and more efficient by using green technologies.<\/p>\n
Beyond that, it is important to recognize that the human population is growing too rapidly for the current industrial centric paradigm to support in the long run. \u00a0I’m not talking about Global Warming. \u00a0Our planet simply does not have the resources to support the projected populations if things remain on their current path. \u00a0Being the largest consumer of resources, the U.S. bares a large portion of responsibility for these issues. \u00a0This isn’t a guilt trip. \u00a0We simply need to act in our own self-preserving interests.<\/p>\n
New technologies need to be supported, developed and implemented to deal with the changing and currently unknown challenges 21st Century will bring. \u00a0Though some will argue that it is not the government’s job to be at the forefront of technological development, the reality is that this is a job the government takes on. \u00a0Without government “encouragement”, industry acceptance tends to lag until problems is so big that it cannot be ignored. At times, this has been to the detriment of our country, as the current fiscal crisis attests.<\/p>\n
The EPA plays a particular role in all this by working with (and sometimes against) industry to do what is best for America’s people. \u00a0It can be a leader that creates new opportunities for U.S. industry, new jobs, new technologies, etc. \u00a0Hopefully the EPA will be able to fulfill the role for which it was established. \u00a0If allowed it, I believe it will benefit our economy (perhaps even sooner rather than later), including the creation of engineering jobs in the new and growing green industry.<\/p>\n