A Utah legislator is pushing to define things like carbon dioxide and nitrogen as natural components of the atmosphere, not as pollutants. The bill, HB 229, was proposed on Tuesday to the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee.
Rep. Jerry Anderson (R-Price) is a former science teacher. He said he is a sponsor of the bill, which would re-define what air contaminants mean, because carbon dioxide is an important part of photosynthesis.
“The climate, always, is changing and the weather is never the same from one day to the next," said Anderson said. "So, carbon dioxide has been a real culprit but I don’t see it that way. We actually could use twice as much carbon dioxide as we’ve got.”
Anderson also said carbon dioxide gets blamed for things like climate change and the melting of ice caps even though it is very beneficial to human life.
“I hate to think how cold it would have been a couple of months ago if we didn't have some global warming, it’s been a good thing to keep us from freezing to death," Anderson said.
The committee vote fell with a 2-14 vote.
Morgan Pratt is a sophomore at Utah State University seeking a degree in Journalism and Communications.
