Breathing Verses Bullets

It is impossible for the United States to conclude a two-thousand year old religious war in the Middle East, but that does not stop trillions of tax dollars from attempting to solve the problems. Therefore, it seems like it would be worth allocating a few billion dollars to improve, if only slightly, the air quality and health of the citizen’s of the United States. Americans seem completely obsessed with keeping evils away from their hallowed soil, but these same politicians and citizens can easily live with the consuming miasma of their own pollution. A strict plan posed by the Environmental Protection Agency is being considered. Their goal is to instate measures that would lower the levels of ozone in the air, but those opposing do so simply because the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan seems unlikely to succeed.
The largest obstacle impeding the progress of cleaner air quality is the cost involved in producing results. According to Scott Streater of the Star Telegram (http://www.star‑telegram.com/news/story/190006.html), “A cost-benefit analysis of this proposal indicates that it will cost Texas billions of dollars to try to comply with the proposed standards, but that Tarrant, Dallas, Denton, Collin, Ellis, Johnson, Parker and Rockwall counties could not meet the proposed regulations,” and that is apparently enough of a reason to not even make an attempt. The Environmental Protection Agency has a specific goal in mind; Streater cites that their goal is to lower the federally mandated pollution standards from an average of 85 parts ozone per billion during an eight hour period to somewhere between 70 and 75 parts per billion. However, since this objective has been deemed impossible for some cities, the opposing politicians seem to believe that no one should even be bothered; it would cost too much. Any improvement, regardless of the amount, will yield healthier lives for everyone in the area.
An attempt must be made. This proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency would undoubtedly be expensive; however, there is plenty to gain that would more than justify the monetary investments. Streater explains that an analysis done by the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that “lowering ozone would prevent hundreds of premature deaths a year nationwide, and eliminate as much as $33 billion a year in healthcare costs associated with respiratory disease, heart attacks and emergency room visits associated with air pollution.” These increased standards for air quality are not just something to simply consider; lowering the amount of pollution is a fight for the same young and elderly being protected during times of war. Their protection from harming themselves is just as crucial of a battle as the fight to keep them safe from outside evils, and there is a $33 billion savings as an additional bonus to those keeping score with money.The United States believes that the trillions of dollars spent funding wars overseas are to protect its citizens at home; that is a valid reason for war, especially in this current state of turmoil. However, the safety inside the United States must be prioritized. If there is not enough money to sustain a decent quality of life, then there are few problems beyond America’s borders worth pursuing.