Guest Post By Jeff Wiltsie, Vanamatic Company.
Here is a photo of manufacturing in China.

Proposed USEPA GHG regulations will actually promote this overseas.

The comment period for USEPA proposed Greenhouse Gas (GHG)  Regulations is coming to a close on 28 December 2009.  It is important to understand that GHG emissions are a global problem, and without global solutions, all that  these “US ONLY”  regulations will do is distort  and reduce even further the competititveness of US manufacturers compared to countries that are not held to the same standards.

Unilaterally regulating US GHG emissions will actually make world GHG conditions worse, by creating a vicious cycle: 
  1.  US GHG regulations increase costs for US manufacturers;
  2. Increased  manufacturing costs result in US customers shopping for cheaper goods;
  3. Cheaper goods will be produced by manufacturers in countries where GHG regulatory controls are not enacted;
  4. US manufacturing declines as production is moved overseas;
  5. Jobs are lost;
  6. Imports of High GHG produced goods replace US goods in our market;
  7. US deficit in balance of trade grows;
  8. Increase in Global GHG emissions as regulated US manufacturing is replaced with high emitting Non Regulated GHG production overseas.

GHG is a global issue, not just a local issue. US manufacturing jobs are the only thing likely to be reduced under the USEPA’s proposed regulations, and world GHG emissions will continue to rise. 
What am I missing here? Do you see unilateral rules as being in our favor? Or is the plan to eliminate manufacturing here in the US, to Export our pollution? What do you think?
To comment  :
Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2009-0517 by one of the following methods:
    • http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions
for submitting comments. Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0517.
    • E-mail: vog.ape@tekcod-r-dna-a. Attention Docket ID No.
EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0517.
    • Fax: (202) 566-9744. Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0517.
   
For more information on the differences between US and China Environmental performance: http://www.americanmanufacturing.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/chinaenvironmental-report-march-2009.pdf

By our reckoning, China has produced over 11 times more steel in June 2009 than the US. Apparently their stimulus is working. We question whether their environmental laws are as effective.
GD*3153294
China produced 266.6 million tonnes of crude steel in the first six months of 2009, this is 48.6% of total world production of 549 million tons, according to a report by the World Steel Association.

According to that association, for the month of June 2009, the US produced 4.4 million tonnes, down 46.9% from June 2008. China produced 49.4 million tonnes for June 2009, up 6% from June 2008’s 46.6 million tonnes.  The Chinese  crude steel production figure is 11.23 times the US Crude steel production reported by WSA.
Globally, the total steel production in the 66 countries tracked by WSA decreased 21.3% for the first six months  of 2009 compared to same period 2008.
What does not seem to be working is any kind of environmental restraint: see the two page fact sheet on China Steel Industry Environmental Record here:
Or get the full report.
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