This NY Times article is scary and begins: "Do environmental regulations kill jobs?" Wow, is this the wrong question. Environmental regulations might hurt jobs and might create some jobs too, but also, and more importantly, a complete lack of environmental law mean that we’re killing people (since I am not convinces that either individuals or corporations can be relied upon and trusted to keep us health and safe in the face of potential profits). I’m at a loss at the willingness of the global community (here, I’m pointing directly at the U.S. and China) to fully appreciate the link between environmental harm and public health. And the arguable lack of ethic and morality that allows so many of our choices in this debate (e.g., antibiotics in animal feed purely to increase growth; lack of air quality regulation despite asthma in kids), and there is continual underestimation of the economic benefits of environmental regulation (e.g., ecosystem services, lower heath care costs; less illness). I’m currently reading "Making Supper Safe" by Ben Hewitt and he raises this concerns directly in looking at food safety regulation and it’s impact on public health.

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