A Sept. 20 New York Times article offered in-depth coverage of Michael Bloomberg’s mission to combat the fossil fuel industry. The former mayor of New York City has become a major advocate for climate activism, and his latest initiative, "Beyond Petrochemicals," aims to challenge the construction of new petrochemical plants producing plastics, fertilizers and packaging, the New York Times article explains.
Bloomberg has funded various environmental organizations, such as the Sierra Club, Earthjustice and others, to stop petrochemical plant construction. Their efforts have already seen some successes, with the construction of several facilities being halted.
On Sept. 19 Chemical Processing reported that Earthjustice, an environmental law group, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to “review and revise as necessary” emission standards for polyether polyols air toxics on behalf of Louisiana Environmental Action Network, People Concerned About Chemical Safety and the Sierra Club.
While Bloomberg's commitment to combating climate change is resolute, the petrochemical industry remains a formidable force, with more than 100 plants still scheduled for completion, making the outcome of this battle uncertain.
The New York Times reported: “Attempts to shut down American chemical manufacturing are a bet against millions of hard-working men and women in our industry,” Chris Jahn, the chief executive of the American Chemistry Council, said in a statement. He added that Mr. Bloomberg’s efforts “would send essential jobs overseas and threaten America’s leadership to innovate and compete with countries like China.”
The article also pointed out that earlier this year, the director of government affairs for the American Chemistry Council led a session at the West Virginia Manufacturers Association meeting in Wheeling, W.V. The session was promoted as Beyond Bloomberg and promised to educate attendees about “industry’s effort to counter this attack.”
