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Under the Bush administration, the EPA has downgraded the value of a human life to $6.9 million. Seems innocuous? Guess again. By cooking their books, it is easier for the administration to decide that many more regulations, particularly environmental regulations, are just not worth the cost of enforcement.

According to the AP article, this is not the first time they dropped it. In 2004, they lowered the value to $7.15 million in time for a new air pollution ruling. Among previous efforts, the EPA was forced to reverse a 2002 ruling that an over 70 year-old was 38% less valuable than a person under the age of 70.

The upshot? Among other things, millions of people down stream of power generators can expect more soot, more particulates, more air pollution. Stock up on asthma meds and air cleaners. One in ten of us lives with unhealthy air. You can also take action.