Be responsible, let EPA do its job

A recent letter to the editor (“EPA restrictions are costing the nation,” April 4) said Congress needs to restrict the Environmental Protection Agency because coal-fired power plants and drilling for oil need to operate without costly restrictions. But just the opposite is true. If we want to protect our health and that of the earth, the fossil fuel industry needs more regulation.

The massive emissions of carbon dioxide produced by the fossil fuel industry - especially coal-fired power plants - are radically changing our planet's climate. The decades ahead will bring unparalleled flooding, heat waves, the melting of glaciers worldwide, several feet of sea level rise and more insect-borne disease.

While many other nations mobilize to address this threat, some people still want business-as-usual. And business-as-usual means passing the consequences and subsequent immense expenses on to our offspring in the years ahead. It's the height of irresponsibility.

Let the EPA do its job.

Frank Olsen

Cedar Rapids