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I'll admit it. Earth Matters looks at the world through the eyes of those concerned about the future of the planet and our own community. Despite that environmental perspective and emphasis, we also try hard to convey the facts as they really exist, not as someone makes them up.
From time to time, that prompts us to clarify the record or tell a part of the story which has been conveniently omitted. Two such recent twisted stories dealt with new air pollution regulations and incentives for more environmentally sustainable energy production.
In particular, concerns were raised when the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed changes to their fine particulate pollution standards. The new standard, it was incorrectly argued, would be very harmful to three central Pennsylvania paper mills. Industries like paper mills had long been sources of particulate pollution (which becomes lodged in the lungs and causes a host of respiratory ailments and premature deaths).
Paper mills generate particulates in both the wood pulping and drying processes, most often by burning coal or the by-products of the pulping on site. Once upon a time, paper mills in central Pennsylvania produced considerable amounts of particulates, both smaller and larger than the 2.5 micron size that differentiates the categories of the unburned particles.
But critics have left out a very important detail in their efforts to discredit and villainize the EPA. For it turns out that these three mills long ago addressed their fine particulate pollution. Using recycled fiber, none of the three mills pulp virgin wood fiber anymore, meaning they don't have to burn the lignin-related waste produced by pulping. Those making paper have also converted their drying process to natural gas.
American Eagle Paper in Tyrone, who has successfully found their niche in the industry by manufacturing nearly 100% recycled paper, has also converted their drying process to natural gas, reducing their total particulate emissions by 97%, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) emission summaries.
The Biglerville International Paper mill in Franklin County does no pulping of virgin fiber either. They manufacture cardboard boxes from recycled cardboard produced in their Maysville, Kentucky plant, according to Corporate Communications Director Amy Simpson.
Nittany Paper in Lewistown is operated by Marcal Paper, the successful New Jersey company that has made tissue and napkin products from recycled paper since the 1950s. It also shows up with zero PM2.5 emissions on the DEP report.
Meanwhile, criticism has grown in connection with green energy requirements in Pennsylvania and the federal government's tax incentives for green energy development. Syndicated op-ed writer Stephen Moore recently wrote in the Mirror, "A lot of people are getting really, really rich off climate change hysteria."
But some important facts are omitted from the protests of greenhouse gas-producing fossil fuel interests. U.S. fossil fuel subsidies were calculated to be $14 billion by FossilFuelSubsidyTracker.org. Those subsidies and the costs of climate change-related disasters (conservatively estimated at $150 billion annually by the National Climate Assessment) are conveniently left out of critics' equations.
As recently as 2016, the Energy Information Administration reports annual renewable subsidies were less than $8 billion. More notably, renewable energy's environmental damage footprint is minuscule compared to that of fossil fuels.
"Climate change hysteria" or "draconian" regulatory "overreach" which would "devastate manufacturing" may be catchy political rhetoric. It does not, however, reflect reality nor address real problems.
John Frederick (www.johnjfrederick.com) writes about environmental issues twice each month.