Many of us were afraid it would come to this....
News Releases from EPA Headquarters
EPA: CO2 Emissions From Fitness Clubs Threaten Public Health and the Environment - New carbon tax will apply to health clubs and fitness studios.
Science overwhelmingly shows greenhouse gas concentrations at unprecedented levels due to human physical activity
WASHINGTON 4/1/2014 — After a thorough examination of the scientific evidence and careful consideration of public comments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it will begin regulating greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions from Health / Fitness Clubs and other strenuous fitness activities that cause humans to release CO2 at levels above normal, resting, breathing rates.
GHGs are the primary driver of climate change, which can lead to hotter, longer heat waves that threaten the health of the sick, poor, elderly and obese.
“When physically active Americans selfishly chose to participate in activities that cause them to exhale an excessive amount of a known pollutant, they threaten the health and welfare of not just other Americans, but inhabitants of the entire planet” said EPA Administrator Linda Q. Jackson. “Key scientists, government officials, concerned citizens and the United States Supreme Court have called for enduring, pragmatic solutions to reduce the physical activities that are causing climate change. This continues our work towards regulating anything that produce GHGs.”
EPA”™s final findings respond to the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision that GHGs fit within the Clean Air Act definition of air pollutants. The findings do not in and of themselves impose any emission reduction requirements but rather allow EPA to finalize the GHG standards proposed earlier this year for the regulation of facilities classified as Area Sources of GHG, primarily carbon dioxide.
A recently released study shows that human physical activity above normal, resting, breathing rates contribute more than 13 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions. EPA”™s proposed GHG standards for health and fitness clubs and other fitness activities would reduce GHG emissions by nearly 950 million metric tons each year.
EPA”™s endangerment finding covers emissions of key activities shown to produce excessive carbon dioxide — that have been the subject of scrutiny and intense analysis for decades by scientists in the United States and around the world. They are; health club participation, indoor and outdoor cycling, running, swimming and all other forms of human activity at an intensity that increases the rate of breathing.
Scientific consensus shows that as a result of human physical activities, GHG concentrations in the atmosphere are at record high levels. New data shows that the Earth has been warming over the past 100 years, with the steepest increase in warming in recent decades as a direct result of the increase in what was previously thought to be a more healthful lifestyle. The evidence of human-induced climate change goes beyond observed increases in average surface temperatures; it includes melting ice in the Arctic, melting glaciers around the world, increasing ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, acidification of the oceans due to excess carbon dioxide, changing precipitation patterns, and changing patterns of ecosystems and wildlife.
President Obama and Administrator Jackson have publicly stated that they support a legislative solution to the problem of climate change and Congress”™ efforts to pass comprehensive climate legislation. However, climate change is threatening public health and welfare, and it is critical that EPA fulfill its obligation to respond to the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that determined that greenhouse gases fit within the Clean Air Act definition of air pollutants.
EPA issued the proposed findings in April 2013 and held a 60-day public comment period. The agency received more than 380,000 comments, which were carefully reviewed and considered during the development of the final findings.
Information on EPA”™s findings and how this will adversly affect your health club or fitness studio: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment/newfitnessclubregulations.html
John is a member on the AFS (Association of Fitness Studios) Advisory Council.
Holding certifications from; Schwinn, Heart Zones, Team ICG and Life Time Fitness, John's held regularly scheduled cycling classes between 1998 and 2015 when he moved to Florida.
When the weather permits, you'll find him riding and leading outdoor groups by himself or with his Tandem partner (wife) Amy.
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Well done!
Good one, John
no fools here, thanks for the laugh..
Good for a quick laugh John. Thanks.
I did a double take, and then I thought about how funny you truly are, Mr. MacGowan :o)
After the longest and coldest winter on record here in Minnesota, I couldn’t resist re-running this post today 🙂
John, LOL you got me. Just the laugh I needed this morning. We’re here in upstate NY burying my dad.
Whoever posted in Jim Karanas’ name…. that is something he would do for sure.
Sorry to hear that Chuck – I choose to keep the original comments from two years ago – I couldn’t bring myself to delete Jim’s comment.