OMB vs. EPA Follow-up

In response to my last post on Tuesday I have received a number of e-mails. (You people really should be less shy about posting comments.) I’d like to share an edited version of one such e-mail with you. It demonstrates how different environmental ‘epiphanies’ can be. Nonetheless, they are all intensely personal.

“I really enjoyed your latest blog recounting your epiphanies and quoting Eiseley. I was drawn to your comment about wanting another one. So I am compelled to share mine with you.

It was about ten years ago. It was rooted in an earlier epiphany - similar to yours - and I had a deep spiritual sense of being part of the earth. The realization that the minerals and molecules comprising my body had been processed through the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, oxygen and water cycles of the earth, and that those elements had been created in a super nova explosion, and the matter in the super nova was crafted in the mystery of the big bang of creation, was truly a moment of enlightenment that resulted in a transcendental experience. I was the earth and the universe being conscious of itself.

An EPA Sunroll

My guru in all of this is Brian Swimme, a mathematical cosmologist. His book The Universe Story is wondrous. He has helped me see the wonder of the planet not just as a planet, but as a living organism within the evolution of the entire universe.

Because of this, I no longer experience 'sunrise.' Rather it is the experience of riding on the back of a huge planet (something like a whale) that is slowly rolling over toward the sun. The next time you have the opportunity, try to feel it this way rather than thinking of the earth as fixed and the sun 'rising' (or setting). You have a much different experience.

Just as you stated, I too love working at EPA. And I’m particularly blessed to have the opportunity to work with the people and in the building that I do. I’m an early bird so most mornings I have the privilege of participating in the planet’s great “roll over” as it rotates toward the sun, and energy once again floods the face of the planet where I live. I get to meditate on the fact that the sun is this great metaphor of service and self-sacrifice, focusing on the fact that it is a gift that powers the planet and me. In time it will be gone – as will I; the difference being the sun has about 5 billion years left and I’ve got 15-20 years if nothing untoward happens.

I’ve attached a photo that I took from our building. The confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers is in the foreground. Some of that water came from the Platte. You can see why I love to come to work each day."

Comments

[Dana]

I've been waiting to hear about the 3rd epiphany since August 21, 2007! How much longer must I have to wait?

[Marcus]

Dana, if I were to guess I'd say early May. Anyway, I'm heading up into the Shenandoah, so maybe I'll have a fourth by then.

You got one you want to share in the meantime?

[Dana Brown]

How about the OMB squelching of the Public Health advisory concerning asbestos contaminated vermiculite? It seems as if EPA has dropped the ball big time concerning asbestos enforcement and problems.

Could you make a blog entry concerning the asbestos issues.

I have had a FOIA in for Asbestos questions on just whom sets national asbestos policy and enforcement policy. Apparently no one and the EPA FOIA office told me that the FOIA does not require the agency to answer questions, on to get records and documents.

I have questions. Where are the answers from EPA?

ONe of those questions is why is the asbestos NESHAP not enforced as a priority in asbestos regulation, but instead the choose to enforce TSCA and AHERA and only the recordkeeping in schools.

The asbestos NESAHP stops emissions, recordkeeping stops very little emissions.

Whys is the EPA PRoposed Risk Assessment from Berman and Crump under fire, and why were these industry shills hired to develope this in the first place? Additionally why does EPA only count "dead bodies" via death certificates in their risk assessment and only address Mesothelioma and basically ignores the lung cancer and asbestosis deaths in the risk assessment? any other use the calculation of "incidence of disease" but this is not applied for asbestos. Why does EPA ignor the effect of fibers less that 5 mics as a cancer initiator? Why did EPA use this disputed proposed risk assessment to assess risk in the Katrina Hurrican Strik area as a "screening level".

My view is that asbestos is no longer a "sexy" environmental problem, and EPA does not want to deal with it anymore.

Additinally, why does EPA Regions 6 and 7 enforce asbestos regulations very loosely and basically abdicate their federal authority to the states? EPA still has primacy.

As I said there are many questions. If we cannot control asbestos in a human built environment, addressing golbal climate change controls is a moot poiint friends.

BTW, please google "PLASTIC OCEAN POLLUTION".

This is another big enmvironmental problem. 6 pounds of plastic per pound of zoo plankton in the upper 5 feet of the eastern and western pacific gyres.

As I said, I have many questions, and EPA does seem like a closed arrogant governmental agency that needs an attitude adjustment.

[chad]

It is comforting to know there are people with passion for what they do working at the EPA.

About experiencing sunrise, the Beatles summed up that perception 40 years ago:
"But the fool on the hill,
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning round."

[Dana Brown]

"But the fool on the hill,
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning round."

Thank you but haredly relevant or helpful. How did the moderator let this on the board?

Again, WHAT is EPA doing about the Health Warning with Vermiculite?
Why is the risk assessment bogus, and why are they using Berman and Crump, which is obviously incorrect on Risk assessment for asbestos?
WHO is in charge at EPA within the current administration that can and will answer questions on asbestos policy in EPA?

IF theis blog is for information and issues, then by all means do so.

Otherwwise, shut it down. IT is a waste of taxpayer money with the person posting Beatles lyrics that we all know instead of constructive answers!

[Genavive]

Marcus said, March 28

How about the OMB squelching of the Public Health advisory concerning asbestos contaminated vermiculite? It seems as if EPA has dropped the ball big time concerning asbestos enforcement and problems.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It makes me wonder too.

Is the World Health Organization in charge of the EPA?

March 31 9:30 AM said,
WHO is in charge at EPA within the current administration that can and will answer questions on asbestos policy in EPA?

Or do they not know who is in charge?