EPA Wakes Up and Smells the Exhaust
In a not-so-stunning reversal of the Bush Era Suppression of Science, the EPA has supposedly sent a proposal for a “endangerment” finding for greenhouse gases to the White House, according to Reuters.
Finally.
EPA pie chart...mmm, pie.
Last year, the Supreme Court ruled in a case brought before it by a alliance of states and environmental groups that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are indeed a pollutant, and therefore should be regulated by the Clean Air Act and its erstwhile enforcer, the Environmental Protection Agency. You see, the EPA’s argument against regulating GHG emissions (and in particular carbon dioxide) was that there was uncertainty as to whether or not GHGs caused global warming.
The Bush Years were not a happy time at the EPA, and let’s just be glad it’s over.
What does an endangerment finding mean for us? Well, if something is a public danger it is then regulated by the EPA in terms of how much of it can safely be pumped into the air, water, what have you. That begs the question what is a safe amount of carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, even water vapor (although water vapor is directly related to temperature, so keep the temperature low and there is in turn less water vapor).
To determine a safe amount…This is what I’ve been waiting for, people. I am curious as to how much more carbon dioxide and CFCs and nitrous oxide can be allowed before we hit a tipping point. Not trying to be a Negative Nelly today, but we really need to take a sober look at the state of our planet.
On a positive note, I was heartened to see President Obama put out an op-ed in newspapers across the globe, calling for collective action and cooperation in the economic crisis. I’m hoping that his next international appeal will be for collective action on climate change.
EPA, White House, President Obama, Bush, carbon emissions, pollutant, greenhouse gases, GHG, methane, Clean Air Act, global warming
March 28th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
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