WEBVTT - The EPA 0:00:00.960 --> 0:00:04.320 From UFOs to ghosts and government cover ups. History is 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:08.000 really with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 0:00:08.080 --> 0:00:16.799 learn the stuff they don't want you to now. Planet 0:00:17.440 --> 0:00:22.480 Earth unique amongst all the heavenly bodies man has found 0:00:22.760 --> 0:00:31.720 with a circumference of twenty four thousand, nine hundred miles, animals, insects, 0:00:33.120 --> 0:00:40.680 and of course human being almost seven point four billion 0:00:40.800 --> 0:00:44.440 of them as we record this podcast, with the projected 0:00:44.720 --> 0:00:49.360 ten billion people on the planet in twenty fifty six. 0:00:49.440 --> 0:00:53.479 But wait, there's more. The Earth faces peril. Just this 0:00:53.600 --> 0:00:58.040 past year, four million, five hundred and sixty six thousand, 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:01.720 seven hundred and twenty six hectar AARs of forests were lost. 0:01:01.640 --> 0:01:08.480 To put that into perspective, since over one and twenty 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:13.560 nine million hectares of forest the equivalent area of South 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:20.679 Africa have been lost. Also, desertification soil is being destroyed 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:23.760 at an alarming rate, over ten and a half million 0:01:23.840 --> 0:01:28.039 hectares this year. And that's not all. The air is 0:01:28.080 --> 0:01:33.319 being polluted. Thirty two billion, sixty seven million tons and 0:01:33.480 --> 0:01:36.440 counting of c O two emissions are released each year, 0:01:37.040 --> 0:01:41.240 not even to mention the methane and other gases. But 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:45.720 all is not lost in this epic battle of destruction 0:01:46.000 --> 0:01:50.800 and creation. In the darkness has emerged a shining white 0:01:50.880 --> 0:01:56.760 light of hope. That is the e p A, the 0:01:57.000 --> 0:02:01.280 Environmental Protection Agency is here us. Welcome to the show, 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:04.120 ladies and gentlemen. We did it a little bit differently today, 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:10.200 but we hope you enjoyed it. I'm Ben and hopefully 0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:13.400 you are you and in the right place which makes 0:02:13.440 --> 0:02:16.760 this stuff they don't want you to know. This week 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:21.000 we did a video on the e p A. Yes, 0:02:21.080 --> 0:02:23.440 it's it's one that we shot while we were in Washington, 0:02:23.560 --> 0:02:26.919 d C. This year. M and Uh. The e p 0:02:27.120 --> 0:02:30.480 A is uh Environmental Protection Agency kind of like a 0:02:30.480 --> 0:02:35.120 lot of other countries have. It's also uh, well, I 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:37.760 don't know, let's just say what it's supposed to do. 0:02:38.160 --> 0:02:41.440 Oh sure. So d PA was actually established on December 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:44.840 second of the nineteen seventy two consolidate into a single 0:02:44.919 --> 0:02:49.600 agency a variety of federal research, monitoring, standard setting, UH 0:02:49.639 --> 0:02:54.200 and enforcement activities to ensure the protection of our environment. 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:57.040 Now the mission of the e p A, there are 0:02:57.120 --> 0:03:00.120 many of them. Uh. They are wide ranging, and it 0:03:00.160 --> 0:03:04.040 goes from everything to UH to ensure that Americans are 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:07.480 protected from threats to health. Right, and that's where they work, 0:03:07.520 --> 0:03:10.959 where they live, and where they learn. Um. What else, 0:03:12.280 --> 0:03:18.160 let's see also to hold companies or even other governmental 0:03:18.200 --> 0:03:24.640 bodies responsible for pollution or contamination, keeping people up to 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:29.040 the standards that are issued in their policies, right exactly, 0:03:29.080 --> 0:03:34.520 in other words, holding corporations accountable for their pollution. Right. Perfect, 0:03:34.639 --> 0:03:38.840 Please stop putting all of this. Uh, let's what's what's 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:44.000 the all these all these benzene derivatives into the rivers, 0:03:44.160 --> 0:03:48.120 right or lead let's say, lead from an old gold 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:51.720 mine perhaps, yes, it runs the gamut for sure. And 0:03:51.800 --> 0:03:55.560 so these efforts, these national efforts to reduce environmental risk, 0:03:55.680 --> 0:03:58.560 let's call it, are you know, ultimately based on the 0:03:58.600 --> 0:04:02.600 best scientific day that's available, and federal laws that protect 0:04:02.680 --> 0:04:06.400 human health and the environment are enforced, you know, hopefully 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:10.960 fairly and effectively in theory, in theory. Indeed, if you 0:04:11.040 --> 0:04:13.160 go to e p A dot gov, you can find 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:15.720 their entire mission statement all the things that they are 0:04:15.760 --> 0:04:19.120 supposed to do, at least officially. Um Nolevan and I 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:22.039 were just going over the mission statement, and uh, they 0:04:22.160 --> 0:04:25.680 so they develop the e p A actually develops regulations 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:28.679 and enforces them as well. So if you think about 0:04:28.680 --> 0:04:32.719 Congress goes and rites an environmental law, or let's say 0:04:32.760 --> 0:04:37.280 maybe a lobby or a company writes writes a law, 0:04:37.320 --> 0:04:40.719 and then Congress rewrites it and signs it. Maybe maybe 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:44.919 that happenste it, Yeah, maybe they rewrite it. The e 0:04:44.960 --> 0:04:47.599 p A will then write the regulation to go along 0:04:47.640 --> 0:04:52.640 with whatever Congress says needs to happen. Oh, and they 0:04:52.640 --> 0:04:56.919 will also set national standards and enforce those regulations that 0:04:56.960 --> 0:05:01.160 they put forth in theory, in theory, and something Noll 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:04.040 that I found out is that one of the big 0:05:04.080 --> 0:05:06.760 parts of the money that goes to the e p 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:09.800 A is actually spent on giving out grants. Right, So 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:12.960 nearly half of the ep A budget actually goes into 0:05:13.040 --> 0:05:17.240 grants to state environmental programs, nonprofits, educational institutions in the 0:05:17.279 --> 0:05:22.760 like UM. And these grants are intended to fund environmental studies, 0:05:23.160 --> 0:05:26.120 UM conduct research at labs across the US, and to 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:30.840 share these findings with private organizations, academic institutions, other agencies, 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:34.360 and other countries. So, as you've heard, we've been peppering 0:05:34.440 --> 0:05:38.520 this conversation thus far with the the caveats of in theory. 0:05:39.040 --> 0:05:41.760 In a perfect world, this is what's supposed to happen. So, 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:44.919 Ben Matt, how does the e p A ultimately stack 0:05:45.000 --> 0:05:52.559 up to their mission? Well, see, that's the thing. Um, 0:05:52.600 --> 0:05:55.360 that's and and when it's so polite that you say, 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:57.880 we've been peppering with we've been peppering the show with 0:05:57.960 --> 0:06:01.040 in theory because for the past couple points were making 0:06:01.080 --> 0:06:03.239 I was just sitting back with my arms crossed, leaning 0:06:03.279 --> 0:06:07.160 in and saying in theory, because it's true, the e 0:06:07.279 --> 0:06:12.400 p A does not always reach the goals it sets right, 0:06:12.800 --> 0:06:17.200 it's maybe, you know, there's a fair amount of defense 0:06:17.279 --> 0:06:20.000 we could say about that. What's little? Is it Robert Browning? 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:23.920 Uh man's reach must exceed his grasp? Else, what's a 0:06:23.960 --> 0:06:27.000 heaven for? It's a very nice way to say, it's 0:06:27.000 --> 0:06:29.800 a very nice way to look at ambition. But uh, 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:32.760 the the thing is that the e p A gets 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:38.479 numerous criticism. Uh, not just from people who think it's 0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:42.200 too big government and too regulatory, not just from people 0:06:42.440 --> 0:06:47.440 who think that it's UM two two in the hands 0:06:47.520 --> 0:06:50.560 or in the pockets rather of corporate America. And even 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:52.760 people who would say that the e p A is 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:56.040 part of a lot of government agencies that do too 0:06:56.160 --> 0:07:00.960 much hand holding and prevent private industry from creating the 0:07:01.040 --> 0:07:03.960 wealth that it should be right. And add to that 0:07:04.440 --> 0:07:07.960 another group of critics, people who are formally employed at 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:10.360 the e p A. Who have a lot of stuff 0:07:10.400 --> 0:07:13.760 to say about it, just like Joseph Stiglets, you know, 0:07:13.880 --> 0:07:16.160 going from working at the World Bank to being one 0:07:16.160 --> 0:07:19.360 of its largest detractors. Well yeah, because when you're inside, 0:07:19.640 --> 0:07:22.400 you know, the belly of the beast, it's the most 0:07:22.400 --> 0:07:26.440 stinky inside, right, Yes, not a biologist, but I would 0:07:26.440 --> 0:07:28.520 be What do you think It always reminds me of 0:07:28.520 --> 0:07:32.160 that scene in Return where he has to get inside 0:07:32.200 --> 0:07:37.200 the Kangaroo Monster. Yes it is in Hollywood. Punched me 0:07:37.240 --> 0:07:39.720 for not knowing that, but not really. She wouldn't really 0:07:39.720 --> 0:07:41.960 punch me. She doesn't punch, but she would punch me 0:07:42.040 --> 0:07:46.240 with her eyes. You're referring to Holly Fry District Lass. 0:07:46.240 --> 0:07:50.200 She is an avid Star Wars aficionado. Let's say. But yeah, 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:52.640 they always talk about how, oh, it's also gross. What 0:07:52.680 --> 0:07:54.520 if it's not a tonton and I just that's just 0:07:54.560 --> 0:07:56.920 a word that I know it is. Okay, we've literally 0:07:56.920 --> 0:07:59.640 had this conversation before and I questioned what a tonton was, 0:07:59.680 --> 0:08:01.440 and you said, you know, the one that smells worse 0:08:01.480 --> 0:08:04.000 on the inside than was on the outside. Oh nice, 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:07.600 that's my favorite reference here. So that's the that's where 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:10.280 you're coming from with the belly of the beast. The 0:08:11.280 --> 0:08:14.840 belly of the e p A beast. Um really comes 0:08:14.880 --> 0:08:18.680 to light in some criticism Spike guy named William Sanjoor. 0:08:19.160 --> 0:08:24.400 For about twenty years Sandrew worked for the It was thirty, 0:08:24.520 --> 0:08:27.320 so for decades he worked at the e p A. 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:31.760 And he did not come out a happy camper. He says, 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:35.120 the entire place is corrupt. Yeah, and he wasn't just 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:38.040 somebody who I don't know works in a small office 0:08:38.080 --> 0:08:40.200 as part of the e p A or a small 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:43.520 lab operated by the e p A. Uh. He started 0:08:43.520 --> 0:08:46.160 as a consultant, but then he ended up as a 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:51.000 branch chief in the Hazardous Waste Management division. So he 0:08:51.040 --> 0:08:54.160 knows his stuff. He's been in charge of some things there. 0:08:54.520 --> 0:08:56.719 He's been in the belly of the tonton. That's right, 0:08:56.760 --> 0:09:00.480 did I steal your life? It is yours and it 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:04.280 does go fairly far back. I think he's been employed 0:09:04.920 --> 0:09:09.800 during three presidencies, worked for three different white houses while 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:15.480 he was working there. Um, he's got this really great gosh, 0:09:15.480 --> 0:09:18.360 it's kind of long. Um, well, when do you split 0:09:18.400 --> 0:09:22.400 it up with me? Just because I think it it 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:26.040 It really encapsulates the criticism that he's making well, and 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:29.559 it's an insider perspective, so I mean it's certainly to 0:09:29.679 --> 0:09:33.439 be taken relatively seriously. So this is from What's Wrong 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:36.160 with the e p A by William Sanjeur, written in 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:41.800 absolutely quote. To understand why the e p A is 0:09:41.840 --> 0:09:43.679 the way that it is, you have to start at 0:09:43.679 --> 0:09:45.560 the top. And since the e p A is part 0:09:45.600 --> 0:09:49.840 of the executive branch, that means the White House. The president, 0:09:49.880 --> 0:09:52.800 any president, Republican or Democrat, and his immediate staff have 0:09:52.880 --> 0:09:55.720 an agenda of about half a dozen issues with which 0:09:55.720 --> 0:09:59.079 they are most concerned. These are usually national security, foreign affairs, 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:01.240 the economy, of the budget, and maybe one or two others. 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:05.559 Call them Class A priorities. All others, housing, education, transportation, 0:10:05.640 --> 0:10:09.440 the environment are Class B. The president expects performance in 0:10:09.520 --> 0:10:12.240 Class A. He will expect the military to to be 0:10:12.320 --> 0:10:14.680 able to deploy forces anywhere in the world when an 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:18.120 emergency arises, and if it isn't, he'll bang heads until 0:10:18.160 --> 0:10:21.120 it is. If Congress doesn't support his budget, he'll bring 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:23.600 the budget director into his office and slam his fist 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:26.120 on the table. But can you picture the President bringing 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:28.640 in the Secretary of Transportation to his office and yelling 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:31.719 because of poor bus service and Sheboygan are calling the 0:10:31.760 --> 0:10:34.959 administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency into the Oval office 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:37.199 to chew him out for pollution in the Cuyahoga River. 0:10:37.600 --> 0:10:41.079 I can't. That is the difference. The president expects performance 0:10:41.080 --> 0:10:46.720 in Class A and Class B. He expects peace and quiet. Yikes. 0:10:47.200 --> 0:10:50.360 I really thought that encapsulated just I mean, an understanding 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:53.640 of if you tear out all the different things that 0:10:53.960 --> 0:10:56.280 a White House has to deal with a president and 0:10:56.320 --> 0:10:59.319 all the people who work in the White House, the environment, 0:11:00.080 --> 0:11:03.960 while it is not currently up there, doesn't it feel 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:07.640 like it kind of should be. Well, that's that's part 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:09.440 of the that's part of the thing, and that's something 0:11:09.440 --> 0:11:12.000 we're gonna talk about spoiler alert, ladies and gentlemen in 0:11:12.000 --> 0:11:15.880 an upcoming podcast next week on Congress, and it is 0:11:15.920 --> 0:11:19.880 going to be about how uh individuals elected officials are 0:11:20.040 --> 0:11:24.000 or are not incentivized to take certain action. You know, 0:11:24.080 --> 0:11:27.560 if you're president. The thing is that president is such 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:29.960 a I'll say it, it's a bum job to have 0:11:30.200 --> 0:11:32.040 I know, you only get to have one at a 0:11:32.080 --> 0:11:36.000 time here in the US, and so psychologically everybody wants 0:11:36.240 --> 0:11:38.960 to do something like that. But their place that has 0:11:38.960 --> 0:11:41.120 more than one at a time, well, I mean, you 0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:44.800 could be president of other things. You can be president 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:47.720 of the Ben Bull and Fan Club, you know, and 0:11:48.320 --> 0:11:51.280 a tax a tax attorney. You could be president of 0:11:51.360 --> 0:11:55.200 Noel Brown Enthusiast Association. We started those clubs on the 0:11:55.240 --> 0:11:59.040 same day. I didn't get up the memo. Sorry, it's 0:11:59.040 --> 0:12:03.520 pretty exclusive mailing list. Kidding, but but you know, the 0:12:03.559 --> 0:12:07.600 point is that the point is that if you are 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:11.240 president for four years or heck, let's say eight, you 0:12:11.280 --> 0:12:15.160 get the double whammy. Then the hard and bitter truth 0:12:15.200 --> 0:12:18.040 about it is a lot of meaningful change for a 0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:21.400 country at all. Anything that size is going to take 0:12:21.440 --> 0:12:24.640 more than four to eight years to reach fruition. I mean, 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:26.280 what occurred to me when we were talking about, you 0:12:26.320 --> 0:12:29.160 know this class A and class B. In order to 0:12:29.280 --> 0:12:32.760 make something that is considered class B under a presidency 0:12:32.800 --> 0:12:37.200 in the nineties, two move up the ladder. That's gonna 0:12:37.240 --> 0:12:39.960 take a long time. Things move slow. The system is 0:12:40.000 --> 0:12:42.120 designed for things to move slow. And you know, I 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:45.240 would argue in some cases for good reason. But it 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:49.120 takes a whole lot of support from both sides of 0:12:49.120 --> 0:12:53.359 the aisle for something to become a class A consideration 0:12:53.440 --> 0:12:56.240 that has been historically a class PIECES consideration. And I 0:12:56.240 --> 0:13:00.480 think we're just now starting to see inklings of septance 0:13:00.559 --> 0:13:03.360 of things like climate change, you know, actually making its 0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:08.920 way to the forefront of political discussion. And furthermore, Sandor 0:13:09.120 --> 0:13:13.360 also accuses the e p A of something that that 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:15.319 we've heard a lot in the course of our research, 0:13:15.400 --> 0:13:18.960 which is chrony ism, protecting the bureaucracy or the status 0:13:19.080 --> 0:13:24.480 quo rather than protecting the mission critical policies, right, which 0:13:24.520 --> 0:13:26.720 would be the environment. So a lot of people when 0:13:26.760 --> 0:13:30.000 they encounter the e p A, we're expecting something to 0:13:30.000 --> 0:13:31.800 be on their side, but they find that it can 0:13:31.800 --> 0:13:36.120 be adversarial instead. Or those are the reports. Um. One 0:13:36.200 --> 0:13:38.920 thing that Sandra said that and I'm not gonna read 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:40.640 it in full here, I'm in a paraphrase. He says, 0:13:40.679 --> 0:13:43.840 regulatory agencies, by their very nature, can do little that 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:49.119 doesn't adversely affect business, especially big business, and that disturbs 0:13:49.200 --> 0:13:52.079 the president. So what he's saying, like that Class B 0:13:52.360 --> 0:13:55.880 priority all of a sudden has some class A problems. 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:58.680 You know what I mean. He has Champagne problems on 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:02.960 a PBR budget and Uh, it's it's not it's not 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:06.760 a good look. I guess if we're being we're being slaying. Uh. 0:14:06.800 --> 0:14:10.240 But the e p A acorns Sandra can't write regulations 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:14.640 governing big industries like petroleum without the oil companies going 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:17.640 to the White House about an energy crisis. And this 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:21.640 is this is again his this is again his opinion. 0:14:22.000 --> 0:14:26.440 And what we found is that, Uh, in the e 0:14:26.600 --> 0:14:30.720 p A there have been repeated cases of chronyism or 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:34.360 people people kind of playing along and jumping through the 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:36.520 hoops so that they can later get a job in 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:40.240 the private sector. Yes, helping out industry while you're inside 0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:42.040 the e p A, so that eventually you're on the 0:14:42.080 --> 0:14:45.960 other side and helping out a company. Another interesting thing 0:14:46.040 --> 0:14:48.360 that Sandra writes here that I am going to read 0:14:48.360 --> 0:14:52.360 a bit in full, uh, is about how the agency 0:14:52.600 --> 0:14:57.160 is dealt with by environmental groups as opposed to industrial 0:14:57.200 --> 0:15:01.760 groups or private organizations. Um. And basically what he's saying, 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:03.600 I'm not going to read it for he Basically what 0:15:03.600 --> 0:15:06.240 he's saying is that environmental groups will deal with the 0:15:06.240 --> 0:15:10.120 e p A as an organization, through courts, um as 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:13.920 an institution in fact, you know, through committees, courts, and 0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:16.560 through the top EPA executive, so you go through the 0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:20.320 main channels, right, But what he's saying is that industry 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:23.640 does the same thing, but it also interacts with individual 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:27.560 EPA employees at the lower levels, so they will come 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:31.560 through and talk to an inspector, let's say, and it 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:35.560 what it What it seems like, uh Sandra is saying 0:15:35.640 --> 0:15:38.560 is that they almost groom these employees from an early 0:15:38.840 --> 0:15:41.960 stage of working at the e p A to eventually 0:15:42.120 --> 0:15:47.440 become one of their's. Huh. It's almost like I would 0:15:47.520 --> 0:15:50.160 think from the perspective of like a CEO of a 0:15:50.160 --> 0:15:52.920 big corporation that you know has dealings with the e 0:15:53.000 --> 0:15:57.160 p A, having high level board member that was once 0:15:57.280 --> 0:15:59.440 in the ranks of e p A probably be pretty 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:01.720 helpful a lot of ways and dealing with the p A. 0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:04.880 And right, well, sure it's a strategy move. I mean 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:06.720 that's you see that all the time. You see that 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:09.880 with like sec you know, folks ending up on the 0:16:09.920 --> 0:16:12.440 boards of big banks, and you know, it just seems 0:16:12.480 --> 0:16:14.520 like a very a lot of potential for abuse there. 0:16:14.560 --> 0:16:17.280 It's a common practice. If we could run through some 0:16:17.520 --> 0:16:19.560 other criticisms of the p A, I just want to 0:16:19.640 --> 0:16:21.680 laundry list of these real quick so I don't slow 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:25.400 us down too much. Uh. The most usual criticism the 0:16:25.520 --> 0:16:28.560 A p A, according to a lot of people, and 0:16:28.600 --> 0:16:31.480 there's a political one, is that all these regulations keep 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:35.000 people from making money. So the idea would be like 0:16:35.240 --> 0:16:41.800 latest um CEO two emissions regulations are costing coal mining 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:46.480 right and eroding the margins um or you'll also here 0:16:46.760 --> 0:16:49.000 when I do the car show on car stuff with 0:16:49.000 --> 0:16:52.320 Scott Benjamin, you'll also hear people I'm talking about the 0:16:52.360 --> 0:16:55.479 regulations in the way they impact the price or performance 0:16:55.560 --> 0:17:00.360 of cars. Uh. And another criticism again, I'll keep this 0:17:00.440 --> 0:17:04.280 really fast so I'm not you know, I was gonna say. 0:17:04.359 --> 0:17:06.560 We saw a great example of that last one with 0:17:06.640 --> 0:17:09.760 Volkswagen recently that we've kind of talked about already, but 0:17:10.200 --> 0:17:12.959 just there the way they were getting around e p 0:17:13.080 --> 0:17:17.919 A standards and guidelines. Yeah, excellent example. Another criticism that 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:20.919 kind of is used to support the first one is 0:17:21.040 --> 0:17:23.879 this idea like what does it matter? You know what 0:17:23.920 --> 0:17:29.680 I mean? Other developing nations, like the bricks nations, don't 0:17:29.720 --> 0:17:32.760 care as much you know, uh, and then and I 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:36.200 think there is a valid question there about pollution from 0:17:36.240 --> 0:17:40.639 developing countries because a lot of the developed countries talking 0:17:40.680 --> 0:17:44.239 about pollution to the developing world are just sort of 0:17:44.560 --> 0:17:49.480 ignoring the fact that the industrial revolution rested on the 0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:53.320 that kind of that level of pollution, and without that 0:17:53.359 --> 0:17:56.639 then there wouldn't be any of the advances that have 0:17:56.760 --> 0:18:01.720 gotten you passed polluting that in I mean, that's crazy. 0:18:01.880 --> 0:18:05.639 I mean, it's a it's an interesting idea to to 0:18:05.640 --> 0:18:09.600 to what if and um, to explore a hypothetical world 0:18:09.600 --> 0:18:13.880 in which everybody was super concerned about the environment from 0:18:13.960 --> 0:18:16.040 day one? You know, would we be as far as 0:18:16.080 --> 0:18:18.680 a species. I don't know, what's a good question to ask. 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:23.600 Another criticism the p A is that it serves the 0:18:23.720 --> 0:18:26.840 political interest of whomever is in charge. Because let's remember 0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:30.400 and listeners outside the US, just to be clear, Uh, 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:34.960 the e p A employees are not elected. A lot 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:39.320 of the policy makers in the US are not elected. 0:18:39.640 --> 0:18:45.520 They get an interview and they get hired. So we're appointed, yes, 0:18:45.600 --> 0:18:47.840 and so there are many that are under multiple presidents 0:18:47.880 --> 0:18:49.960 like Matt was talking about. And I just wanted to 0:18:50.040 --> 0:18:55.200 run through those criticisms because it's something that people need 0:18:55.240 --> 0:18:59.400 to need to hear. I think, oh, yeah, well, I 0:18:59.400 --> 0:19:01.920 I tend to you. You don't hear about the e 0:19:02.040 --> 0:19:05.080 p A very often in the news, right unless something 0:19:05.200 --> 0:19:10.040 really really bad happens, like a spill or I don't 0:19:10.040 --> 0:19:12.840 know something that the e p A is being culpable for, 0:19:13.400 --> 0:19:16.520 or if you hear someone talking about budget cuts, because 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:21.160 organizations like the e p A, they are easy fodder 0:19:21.280 --> 0:19:24.320 a lot of times depending on the administration that's coming 0:19:24.359 --> 0:19:28.040 into the White House. Um, because it's one of those things. 0:19:28.800 --> 0:19:31.960 It's I guess again going back to what the guy said, 0:19:32.080 --> 0:19:35.760 a class b uh issue. And so now that we've 0:19:36.440 --> 0:19:40.160 we've painted some of those pictures, right, and I hope 0:19:40.160 --> 0:19:42.080 we're doing an okay job for you guys out there. 0:19:42.240 --> 0:19:45.040 When we talk about the criticisms that an organization like 0:19:45.119 --> 0:19:48.760 this has, we also point out that an organization can't 0:19:48.800 --> 0:19:54.040 be this big without generating criticism, especially if it seems 0:19:54.040 --> 0:19:58.119 like it's costing people money. And uh, there are people 0:19:58.160 --> 0:20:01.159 who say this has this a short term loss for 0:20:01.280 --> 0:20:03.520 long term benefit. But will I ever see the long 0:20:03.640 --> 0:20:07.040 term benefit? You know, there's a psychological thing at play there. Uh, 0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:12.560 But let's let's go right into the crazy stuff at first. 0:20:13.400 --> 0:20:28.560 A word from respons here's where it gets crazy. Yes, 0:20:28.680 --> 0:20:33.560 so surprised. There are a lot of conspiracy theories about 0:20:33.640 --> 0:20:35.760 the e p A. And I'm just gonna go ahead 0:20:35.880 --> 0:20:38.280 and stray out say it. Uh. Some of those that 0:20:38.440 --> 0:20:43.600 are that concerned corruption are absolutely spot on. Uh, it's 0:20:43.600 --> 0:20:47.920 hard to disprove some of those. It's hard to disprove however. Um. Well, 0:20:47.960 --> 0:20:51.320 also they easily prove themselves, That's what I mean. Yeah, 0:20:52.000 --> 0:20:55.320 But also, um, there are some that we found that 0:20:55.320 --> 0:20:58.959 that we're really interesting that we wanted to explore with 0:20:59.000 --> 0:21:02.960 you guys today. Yeah, some of these have a foot 0:21:03.000 --> 0:21:06.600 in reality for me, and then a foot in kind 0:21:06.600 --> 0:21:11.840 of the fanciful where it would it would require one 0:21:11.840 --> 0:21:15.280 of those big conspiracies that there are so many human 0:21:15.320 --> 0:21:18.840 beings that would have to be behind it, and uh, 0:21:19.040 --> 0:21:20.639 it just seems a little out of the reach of 0:21:20.680 --> 0:21:24.040 reality for me. But the first one is that the 0:21:24.080 --> 0:21:27.400 e p A is trying to enforce gun control by 0:21:27.760 --> 0:21:33.160 limiting and removing lead from bullets. Yeah, how's that going 0:21:33.200 --> 0:21:36.400 for him? Well, it was a it was an idea. 0:21:36.840 --> 0:21:38.960 You're saying that if that's the thing they're doing, it 0:21:39.000 --> 0:21:41.960 is failing miserable because that bought the bullets earlier. Well, 0:21:42.000 --> 0:21:45.439 I mean, maybe there's no lead in those bullets. I 0:21:45.440 --> 0:21:47.720 don't know. I haven't bought bullets ever in my life. 0:21:48.000 --> 0:21:50.600 A bullets even still made of leading. They have to 0:21:50.640 --> 0:21:57.280 be right. Oh God, but but go on with this story. Yeah, 0:21:58.680 --> 0:22:03.199 tell tell me really they so they actually said they 0:22:03.520 --> 0:22:06.399 said that, or people thought they were going to say, well, okay, 0:22:06.440 --> 0:22:10.200 that is one of those one of those reports that 0:22:10.280 --> 0:22:12.879 comes out that will mention something like the e p 0:22:13.000 --> 0:22:17.040 A is looking into effects of lead in the environment. Okay, 0:22:17.240 --> 0:22:19.600 and they want to see, well, where are some of 0:22:19.640 --> 0:22:23.040 the man made sources of lead? Where's it coming from? Now? 0:22:23.119 --> 0:22:25.160 We don't use lead paints anymore. There are a lot 0:22:25.200 --> 0:22:28.360 of places where we've reduced our use of lead as 0:22:28.400 --> 0:22:32.200 a human species, especially in the United States. Yeah, where's 0:22:32.240 --> 0:22:37.560 it coming from? Now? Well, one of the places is ammunition. Ammunition, 0:22:37.600 --> 0:22:42.720 and get this ben fishing tackle. Oh yeah, the silent killer. 0:22:44.600 --> 0:22:47.320 I don't know. I guess it surprises fish. So so 0:22:47.400 --> 0:22:49.919 what's what's the truth? Can you can you hit us 0:22:50.000 --> 0:22:52.520 up with a truth bomb real quick? All right, here's 0:22:52.520 --> 0:22:56.480 the truth. So, according to our sources, the Center for 0:22:56.480 --> 0:22:59.920 Biological Diversity and other environmental groups file the petition as 0:23:00.000 --> 0:23:02.159 getting the e p A to consider banning the use 0:23:02.200 --> 0:23:04.800 of lead and ammunition and fishing tackle, arguing that these 0:23:04.800 --> 0:23:07.800 products are exposing wildlife and the people who consume said 0:23:07.840 --> 0:23:12.119 wildlife too harmful levels of this heavy metal. But the 0:23:12.160 --> 0:23:14.680 e PA, for its part, had no plans to actually 0:23:14.760 --> 0:23:17.840 implement this agenda. Quote e p A was not and 0:23:17.960 --> 0:23:20.760 is not considering taking action on whether the lead content 0:23:20.760 --> 0:23:24.320 and hunting ammunition poses an undue threat to wildlife. You know, 0:23:24.400 --> 0:23:32.000 it's kind of interesting that that that proposition, because ammunition 0:23:32.240 --> 0:23:37.480 in a hunting situation inherently poses a threat to wildlife. 0:23:38.240 --> 0:23:41.359 That's what it's supposed it to. I certainly hope so 0:23:41.800 --> 0:23:47.520 phishing tackle inherently aids and a bets fishing. Like I 0:23:47.760 --> 0:23:50.520 I love fishing. I suck at it, but I love it. 0:23:50.600 --> 0:23:53.480 I love the idea that fishing tackle aids and avets 0:23:53.560 --> 0:23:57.840 the harm of wildlife. Right. Yeah, So it's it's just 0:23:57.960 --> 0:24:00.639 it to me, it's strange, and I'm glad you point 0:24:00.680 --> 0:24:02.919 this out and all that there is a grain of 0:24:03.000 --> 0:24:08.920 truth to this that I guess became alarmist. It doesn't 0:24:09.160 --> 0:24:11.880 it doesn't make sense to me. It just it doesn't 0:24:11.920 --> 0:24:16.400 make sense to ban that in that way. Well, yeah, 0:24:16.480 --> 0:24:19.520 and you can see if you've got a political agenda 0:24:20.200 --> 0:24:24.639 that wants to make someone make person B or group 0:24:24.680 --> 0:24:27.560 B look bad, you say, oh, look the this guy 0:24:27.640 --> 0:24:29.120 is trying to get the e p A to ban 0:24:29.760 --> 0:24:33.919 guns and and ammunition. Look at this, and you know, 0:24:34.040 --> 0:24:36.280 you can see how would be used in a political manner. 0:24:37.200 --> 0:24:40.760 It's pretty pretty blatant. Yeah, I could. I can totally 0:24:40.760 --> 0:24:43.200 see that, and I guess it would make sense. But 0:24:43.440 --> 0:24:46.280