We’re Removing the Scoreboard for Clean Air. To a large degree, we’ve done this with water for decades–with an estimated 50,000 chemicals in use in the U.S. today, fewer than 100 are regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act–and still to this day, there’s not even a federal mandate around lead testing, when over 50% of American’s have been drinking water laced with lead in it over the last five years.
We wouldn’t play—or watch—a game without keeping score. So why are we considering fighting climate risks without even the simple act of tracking emissions?
That’s essentially what’s on the table with the EPA’s proposed rollback of greenhouse gas reporting requirements for the country’s biggest polluters.
Since this rule went into effect in 2010, emissions from those sources have dropped 20%. Why? Because public visibility drives accountability—and accountability drives progress.
No scoreboard, no pressure to improve.
While most people don’t want overregulation, the role of government should be to protect basic human rights—like clean air / water, and public health and safety.
This isn’t about political leanings (and I generally avoid expressing any of my political leanings, even as a moderate–but I am heavy with my voice on clean water as it relates to policy and infrastructure). This is about rational policy and good management.
In business, we don’t ignore metrics just because they’re inconvenient. We track them—because that’s how performance improves.
Rolling back regulation is one thing. But also rolling back measurement? That’s not just bad policy—it’s bad management. And bad for Americans. If we’re going to roll any policies back, then at least let’s also roll forward—toward more transparency, better monitoring, and through consumer advocacy (and demand) a healthier future towards basic fundamental human rights like clean air and drinking water.