gene karpinski, who pays him? i hope it is in the debt -- is not the taxpayers that he gets his money from. it's all our important our environmental issues -- -- host: how important is environmental issues -- caller: i have another question. guest: there is no taxpayers subsidy. host: hall important our environmental issues to you? caller: well, i will tell you about these environmentalists. they have almost torn up the earth. the people cannot do anything. people cannot do their jobs. another thing i would like to know is he is always talking about mercury. you know what they put in those new light bulbs, do you not? they put in mercury. i want him to explain to us why mercury is so bad -- its mercury is so bad, why do they put it in the light bulb? guest: the biggest dangers for mercury pollution are from power plants going into the air and getting into our water. many of the lakes, rivers, and streams, you cannot fish and eat the food. mercury contaminated the fish you try to take out of those waters. it is pri

host: let's get a response from gene karpinski.body wants unhealthy levels in our drinking water. in the clean air act, passed in 1970, amended in 1990, they said the job is to look at the science, the law, and the facts, then when you set your standards for pollutants, you follow the science. the scientists decide what level is safe. the epa bases it on what independent scientists find. what is how the process works. we need to not listen to lobbyists, but listen to the scientists. follow the signs, follow the law. if you do it right, if you are creating more jobs, clean energy jobs. host: mary, in independent in warwick, rhode island. caller: i have to agree with the previous caller, as this the administration is looking to shut down mining in the u.s., yet they ok the russian state-owned miner in wyoming and texas. also, the chinese state purchased a coal-mining company in wyoming. they have a deplorable record. american oil companies can not drill in the gulf of mexico. but president obama has rubber- stamped bp. he says he doe