Political Rave: Boxer Passes Mercury Export Ban to Help World's Children

Hello Bloggers - We finally have something positive to celebrate for a change. Barbara Boxer was very instrumental in pushing through the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 in the closing days of Congress. It's amazing but people wanted to ban mercury exports all the way back to the eighties when I worked in the Senate. I'm glad they finally succeeded.

The law bans the export of mercury from the United States. Boxer said that she "strongly supported this important bill and thanks Senators Barack Obama and Lisa Murkowski for their leadership in introducing it and working for its passage."

An email from Boxer to her constituents today reports that mercury, when ingested, can lead to severe learning disabilities and physical illnesses, and it is especially dangerous to pregnant women and children. The United States has consistently ranked as one of the world's top exporters of mercury.

The exported mercury often finds its way back to our nation and increases the risk of harm to children's brains and neurological systems along with other physical and developmental problems. The law will remove a significant amount of mercury from the global market. As Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, Boxer said the bill had been one of her highest priorities. This law could go a long way to helping your own children and grandchildren. It is a positive step during a very dark time.

Protecting children and the environment is critical to our survival in this world. I'm not an idiot. I know this probably cost us jobs, but perhaps those jobs were costing the world and its children too much. There are always many ways to measure the losses in complicated legislation. I would like to thank Boxer, Obama and the other legislators for trying to create a better world for us all.

Tuesday's Political Rave #1 - Michael