<p>A particulate is a microscopic solid or liquid matter suspended in the Earth&#8217;s atmosphere. Most people are more familiar with the term aerosol, which commonly refers to a mixture of particulates and air. Particulates are considered the deadliest form of air pollution due to their ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and blood streams.</p>
<p>Under the guise of protecting the public from such pollution, President Obama announced sweeping regulations for U.S. power plants, forcing them to drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions 32 percent by 2030. Coal stocks plummeted to record lows and two of America&rsquo;s largest coal companies filed for bankruptcy. ;</p>
<p>After such dramatic hits to the job rate and overall economy of America, one would certainly conclude such a sweeping, dramatic action would be backed up by science. That validation, however, does not seem to exist.</p>
<p>The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a number used by government agencies to communicate to the public how pollute the air currently is. The scale is typically from 0 to 300. ;</p>
<p>Here is a key to better understand the scale:</p>
<p><strong>0 &ndash; 50:</strong> Good, Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk</p>
<p><strong>51 -100:</strong> Moderate, Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive ;</p>
<p>to air pollution.</p>
<p><strong>101-150:</strong> Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.</p>
<p><strong>151-200:</strong> Unhealthy, Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects</p>
<p><strong>201-300:</strong> Very Unhealthy, Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.</p>
<p>300+: Hazardous, Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects</p>
<p>Using stateoftheair.org, a website that tracks pollution rates throughout America, Bakersfield-Delano, CA is the most polluted city in the country. Their annual particulate matter level has fallen from 22.5 and 17.5. since 2000. Despite the constant claim by the left that America&#8217;s pollution merits extreme policy change, the internationally respected AQI would indicate the opposite: 17. 5 is well within the little or no risk portion of the scale. ;</p>
<p>For some perspective, most of China falls between 50 and 140.</p>
<p>Thousands of men and women have lost their jobs, a once strong industry of America has been destroyed and a storm of environmental propaganda has fallen upon our country. The most reliable data for pollution indicates America has one of the healthiest air rates in the developed world, but we are now making rash,irresponsible policy changes to curb a problem that only exists in some men&#8217;s imagination. Hopefully America will wake up from this rhetoric educed nightmare before its too late. ;</p>