Exploding lithium batteries on airplanes: thank you, Republican leadership

Here's yet another beauty out of Washington, from the Republican leadership: Lawmakers tentatively agree to block proposed safety rules for lithium battery air shipments Yes, our Congress thinks it's just too much to ask that we require "air shipments of lithium batteries be treated as hazardous cargo because of the danger of fires during flight." Sure, they sometimes catch fire and/or explode but having that happen in the air, while on a jet plane is a-okay with our legislators in Washington. Forget that "Pilot unions said the international standards don’t provide enough safety and are weaker than rules the administration proposed nearly two years ago..." No big thing. Oh, and forget this, too: "The unions and the National Transportation Safety Board for several years have sought new rules on air shipments of the batteries to prevent fires that can cause air crashes and deaths." Unions stink. Who needs to listen to them? They're just people. Oh, and forget this: "A fire broke out five years ago in cargo containing lithium batteries and other goods on a United Parcel Service plane, forcing an emergency landing in Philadelphia. No one was killed, but one of the pilots said he was able to escape with seconds to spare. The cause of the fire wasn’t conclusively determined, but batteries were suspected." And this, forget this or ignore it: "Last year, another UPS plane with a fire raging on board, and carrying thousands of lithium batteries, crashed near Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, killing both pilots. The accident is still under investigation, but preliminary reports indicate investigators have focused much of their attention on the batteries." Easy prediction: if/when one plane--only one--finally catches fire and crashes, the bill will pass immediately. But then we will have learned. The horse will have already bolted the corral. So it goes. Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/lawmakers-tentatively-agree-to-block-tougher-air-cargo-safety-rules-for-lithium-batteries/2011/12/02/gIQAh07KLO_story.html