Environment

Texas Impact: The Politics of Conservation and Environmentalism

In the area of the environment, Texas Impact works primarily on issues relating to global warming, air pollution and energy. Texas Impact's project "Texas Interfaith Power & Light" helps congregations and their members take direct action to reduce air pollution and global warming emissions.

- National -

Where Do the Presidential Candidates Stand on Global Warming?

Wondering which presidential candidate has the best global warming policy plan? Compare and contrast candidates' positions with this easy chart from the League of Conservation Voters.

Or, for more information, official statements, and interviews, reference this excellent page by "Grist: Environmental News and Commentary". There are fact sheets about all the candidates and interviews with Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Barak Obama, and Bill Richardson.

- State -

Vehicle Emissions & Air Quality

Air pollution comes from many different sources such as factories, power plants, dry cleaners, cars, buses, trucks, construction sites, windblown dust and wildfires. This pollution in turn affects air quality and the health of human beings, trees, lakes, crops, and animals and can cause haze and building erosion.

As clean air and its components are vital to the overall quality of life on the planet, air quality is a concern that everyone should have when it comes to making decisions such as who to vote for, how to get to work or school in the morning or what kind of light bulbs to install at home. Vehicle emissions are particularly dangerous to human health and the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, respiratory health problems as well as other health complications occur in the presence of higher concentrations of "criteria" pollutants found in vehicle emissions consisting of ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), particulate matter (PM) and lead (Pb). Each element has a threshold at which it becomes dangerous to human health (termed "Primary Standards") and a level at which it becomes dangerous to "public welfare" which includes hindering visibility, endangering crops and animals, and becomes harmful to buildings (termed "Secondary Standards") (EPA, National Ambient Air Quality Standards). For an area to be in "attainment" with the federal standards set by the Clean Air Act, it has to meet the "ambient" air quality standard for that particular substance, while anything over the designated ambient level for the period of time designated for that matter will cause an area to be classified in "nonattainment" status.