{"id":28286,"date":"2020-11-30T00:01:56","date_gmt":"2020-11-30T04:01:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=28286"},"modified":"2020-11-29T16:45:17","modified_gmt":"2020-11-29T20:45:17","slug":"tell-president-elect-biden-we-need-an-environmental-leader-to-head-the-epa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2020\/11\/tell-president-elect-biden-we-need-an-environmental-leader-to-head-the-epa\/","title":{"rendered":"Tell President-elect Biden We Need an Environmental Leader to Head the EPA"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, November 30, 2020) The \u201cenvironment\u201d is central to President-elect Biden’s priorities: climate change, COVID-19, and the next pandemic, racial equity, and economic recovery. The new administration should include an EPA administrator who understands the relationships among these and other environmental issues and has a clear vision of the changes needed to dramatically change our course, currently heading for ecological destruction.<\/p>\r\n

Tell President-elect Biden to appoint an EPA Administrator who is an environmentalist with broad environmental credentials and a vision that embraces a dramatic transition\u00a0away from hazardous chemicals and polluting practices at this perilous time.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n

Let’s start with what the past four years has taught us about who we do NOT want as EPA Administrator. We do not want an industry lobbyist, someone whose work has been funded with industry money, who has represented industry in litigation or as a lobbyist, who has attacked environmentalists, or has never read Silent Spring<\/em>. Such a person is not qualified to provide the leadership needed to address priority issues and understand the interconnections necessary to address the crises associated with climate, health, and biodiversity decline.<\/p>\r\n

On the other hand, a strong candidate will support holistic thinking, with an understanding of interrelationships in ecosystems. This requires an understanding of\u00a0\u00a01)\u00a0the relationship between a healthy environment and a healthy economy;\u00a02) disproportionate risk and environmental racism;\u00a03) the importance of standing up to polluting industries; 4) the existential threats facing the country and the globe;\u00a0and 5) the failure of risk assessment and unrealistic risk mitigation measures that poison people and the environment, and destroy life;\u00a0and 6) the need for meaningful results, rather than politically expedient compromises.<\/p>\r\n

Relationships Among Priorities and Relationship to Environment<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Climate change has been shown to increase people’s susceptibility to COVID-19<\/a>, disproportionately affect the low income and people of color<\/a>, and pose a major threat to the economy<\/a>. COVID-19 affects our response to climate emergencies<\/a>, disproportionately affects minorities<\/a>, and has had a severe impact on the economy<\/a>. The data is clear that racial injustice is inextricably linked to the climate crisis<\/a>, the disproportionate impact of the pandemic<\/a> on black and brown essential workers, and an imbalanced economy that functions poorly<\/a> in ensuring everyone an equitable share of United States wealth and promise. Because of this, environmental leadership must work hand-in-hand with economic decisions that affect\u00a0sustainabilty<\/a>\u2014only sustainability can bring us solutions to the urgent issues of climate change, pandemics, and racial inequity. Currently, all environmental decisions are screened and controlled by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, which fails to address the disparities that are causing unimaginable harm in the interest of \u201ceconomic health.\u201d We cannot achieve sustainability until we change our relationship<\/a> with the \u201cenvironment\u201d\u2014that is, the total biosphere of the Earth. An EPA administrator must be empowered to challenge these foundational problems.<\/p>\r\n

Climate Change<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

President-elect Biden has prioritized climate change, having appointed John Kerry to the cabinet post of \u201cClimate Envoy,\u201d and is likely to choose someone who is strong on this issue to head EPA. Climate change, however, is affected by, and affects, other environmental and health concerns. It is important that the Biden EPA work across agencies to ensure a coordinated approach\u2014so that industry production and use practices, individual and multiple chemicals effects, and background sensitivities associated with elevated risk factors can be addressed in the context of their interrelationships.<\/p>\r\n

The leadership provided by this holistic analysis must prioritize the solutions as a replacement for polluting practices and widespread harm. For example, toxic pesticides kill nontarget organisms, including pollinators, soil micro- and macrofauna, predators and parasites of pests, and plants that support the agroecosystem, are unnecessary to achieve productive, cost competitive, and profitable food production, and can be replaced by organic agriculture<\/a>. EPA leadership can and must question the reasonableness of the conventional wisdom that toxic chemical dependency (including fossil-fuel based toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers) is acceptable, given the viability and nontoxic practices. This can be achieved under current risk standards of most environmental laws with the appropriate leadership that takes seriously the existential threats that we face and the viability of alternatives that eliminate toxic practices. We have entered a period that requires toxic chemical and fossil fuel elimination, driven by communities across the country that understand the threats and are forcing a change in their community practices. We need leadership at the top of EPA that is willing to listen to local leaders and urgently change the path we are currently on. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

COVID-19<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

EPA has a number of responsibilities that affect the pandemic and the prevention of another future pandemic. Exposure to toxic chemicals\u2014especially those affecting the respiratory, immune, and nervous systems\u2014makes people more susceptible to the disease<\/a>. EPA’s programs can recognize the threats to vulnerable population groups and tighten the reins on controlling how and when we use toxic chemicals\u2014leading to a phase-out. In the case of disinfectants, EPA lists disinfectants that can be used to destroy the virus on surfaces, but has done so without providing information<\/a> about the risks of using those disinfectants and the availability of safer materials.<\/p>\r\n

Racial Equity<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

A blatant example of systemic racism is imbedded in risk assessments in environmental regulation. In deciding on \u201cacceptable\u201d risks, exposure assessments inevitably discount the impact workers,\u00a0people of color<\/a>, and those with preexisting health conditions or comorbidities. For example, EPA routinely calculates worker exposure separately from other exposures. In applying aggregate exposure assessments of pesticides, EPA does not include worker exposure<\/a>. Risk assessments do not include exposures to multiple chemicals\u2014and such exposures routinely affect fenceline communities<\/a>, farmworkers, and factory workers.<\/p>\r\n

Work with Other Agencies<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Achieving the goals expressed by President-elect Biden will require cooperation among agencies. While the Climate Envoy position is an important step forward, EPA must step up to fulfill its mandate and ensure our future and the future of following generations.<\/p>\r\n

The EPA administrator must have the experience to regulate and the background to understand that it is critically and urgently important to:<\/p>\r\n