Blum makes misleading statement

In a statement last week, Rep. Rod Blum applauded President Donald Trump's decision to make the United States one of three nations in the entire world not committed to the Paris Climate Agreement's efforts to fight climate change. To justify his support, Blum quoted biased statistics which show the worst scenario costs of participating in the agreement. He does not mention the projected costs of unchecked climate change on the U.S., nor the potential side benefits of following the agreement such as development of new, cleaner technology, fuel savings from increased energy efficiency, or reduced health costs from a cleaner environment.

According to information from OpenSecrets.org, Blum received $43,364 from the anti-regulatory Club for Growth, $10,000 from the Koch Brothers, and $50,000 from energy PACs. Is Rep. Blum looking out for Iowa, or for his donors?

Blum says that instead of following our commitments, we can rely on 'common sense regulations” to keep our environment clean. Meanwhile, this administration has threatened to eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency and has shown commitment to protecting the fossil fuel industries. Who exactly will enforce these common sense regulations?

Catharine Cashner

Cedar Rapids