Unfortunately they and their families have to live and eat now.
So fix the economic conditions...it's a false dilemma that your choices are sacrificing quality and quantity of life provided by environmental protection versus unending poverty.
The US was the outlier in this recession. And environmental regs have nothing to do with it.
Take a look at these graphs:
Now compare how the US fared with respect to employment, compared to the other G7 nations:
Something aint right.How do you square the above average GDP performance with the worst employment performance?
If jobs are outsourced, a company can make profits and thus improve domestic GDP while hurting employment. What's likely happening, is that low wage jobs are being lost.
You could cut the regulations to nil, and jobs would come back, but ask yourself if you want to live in a place like Mexico City? Is it worth it?
An alternative is to embrace cleaner air, and cleaner water, and stimulate domestic demand for new technologies. Offer tax breaks to manufacturers like Germany does. High wage manufacturing. Or Implement a carbon tax offset by a reduction in capital gains/income tax. Increase demand for clean tech, and spur investment within America.
There's many ways to get employment back that won't sacrifice life expectancy or your quality of life...
