Since 2008, 30 States Have Cut Their Environmental Budgets; 40 Have Cut Environmental Staff

[hatrack]

A new report from the Environmental Integrity Project found that 30 US states have cut their environmental budget since 2008. Another 40 states have also reduced the size of their environmental agency’s staff. These cuts come as a great shock, considering the rising threat of the climate crisis in the past decade. And, with every state that slashes their environmental budget, the consequences sky-rise even more. We encourage you find out if your state is one of the culprits.

EDIT

31 states cut funding for pollution control programs. In 25 of these states, those cuts amounted to at least 10%. And 16 states imposed cuts above 20%.

40 states reduced the workforce of their environmental agency. Of these, 21 states cut their workforce by at least 10%. In 9 states, their environmental agencies lost at least 20% of their workforce. Combined, the US lost 4,400 positions at environmental agencies from these budget cuts. (Excluding the 2,700 positions lost at the EPA.)

Arizona, Delaware, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Texas, and Wisconsin cut the most funding from their environmental agencies. In terms of cutting their agency workforce, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Tennessee did the most damage.

3 states in particular cut far deeper into their funding. Texas cut its agency’s funding by a whopping 35%. North Carolina follows closely with 34% cuts and Illinois trails behind with a still alarming 25%. These states ironically cut environmental funding despite allowing general government spending to grow.

Alaska and Hawai’i were not included in this report.

EDIT

https://therising.co/2019/12/12/environmental-budget-significant-reductions-30-states/

[Newest Reality]

1. Way to go!

That just means you are going to incur billions of dollars more in damage from the destruction in the long run, especially if the ludicrous march backwards also retreats into a massive failure to start funding for projects to mitigate the effects of the changes in climate.

Let's not try to even stall the progress of climate change, and while were at it, let's not do a damn thing to fortify and protect anything in anticipation of the results. Brilliant!

Of course, that's not all! Wait...there's more. Pollution you say? Plastic? Well, vulture and disaster capitalism is all about the amount of profit you can suck from negative results. The secret is that there is much money to be made both on the way up and all the way down. Somebody will be in a position to reap rewards for this and stuff more wealth into their immense coffer.

For instance, when your health system largely revolves around profit, then what's the problem? I would not impute too much in the way of altruistic motives to healthcare in the US. More cancer and diseases for more people means more profits all across the board. How much can you make from healthy, happy people? Though the insurance companies do manage that as best they can in the interim, its the payouts they try to avoid.

Welcome to the willing ignorance and neglect that assures the devastation of the Anthropocene Age where the Sixth Mass Extinction is already in progress and we might be able to avert that, but it seems our leaders won't even bother. If that does not change soon, well, then it is a good time to prepare one's self in whatever way makes sense for the obvious outcomes.

There is saying that goes, everything contains within itself the seeds of its own destruction. Humanity is preparing a bumper crop of them now.

[DAMANgoldberg]

2. Thanks North Carolina..

on your continued attempt to outdo Alabama in nuttiness and sheer Drama. A Current NC resident who grew up in AL.