Environmental Law
EPA Seeks to Regulate Greenhouse Emissions
Posted Apr 17, 2009 10:28 AM CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to consider whether greenhouse gas emissions should be regulated under the Clean Air Act.
Today the EPA announced its answer. The agency said in a statement it considers greenhouse gases, the pollutants that contribute to global warming, to be a serious problem needing regulation, according to the Washington Post. During the Bush administration, EPA officials had determined that the greenhouse gases endanger public safety, but that finding was suppressed, the New York Times reports.
A formal EPA finding of endangerment starts in motion a 60-day comment period followed by publication of proposed regulations, the Times says.
Congress could beat the EPA to the punch. Lawmakers are developing a climate change law that could pre-empt EPA action, the Times says.
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Comments
J.D.
Apr 17, 2009 11:54 AM CST
But since we’re experiencing global cooling right now, won’t this hasten the next ice age?
In the ‘70s, “all scientists agreed” that we should put black soot on the ice caps in order to hasten their melting as a means to reduce global cooling.
And now “all scientists agree” that we should do the exact opposite.
The science seems pretty unsettled. We do know that global temperatures fluctuate from century to century without any human influence, however.
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J.D.
Apr 17, 2009 12:00 PM CST
And today, middle-of-the-desert Las Vegas is reporting 5 inches of snow.
“The last time snow fell in Las Vegas in April was on April 4,1958, making Wednesday’s activity the latest snow sighting recorded to date.”
http://www.lvrj.com/news/43087482.html
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DR
Apr 20, 2009 8:58 AM CST
J.D. said: “We do know that global temperatures fluctuate from century to century without any human influence, however.”
Oh, so it’s okay to pollute, since there is an alternative explanation for fluctuations in climate? I think any responsible citizen would want clean air despite his/her politics. Umm, but then again, maybe I expect too much.
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J.D.
Apr 20, 2009 10:02 AM CST
Clean air and water is fantastic. But every time you exhale, do you consider yourself “polluting” dangerous CO2 into the air?
There’s a difference between pollution and stopping all industry to appease the God of Weather known as Gore.
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J.D.
Apr 20, 2009 10:14 AM CST
And, again, this is all about finding an excuse to take more of your paycheck. It’s amazing how easily so many people can be duped into believing politicized “science.”
Do you realize that there are computer-generated scenes of the ice caps from Hollywood’s “Day After Tomorrow” spliced into “Inconvenient Truth” and presented as real, photographic images?
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