Foreign Policy Blogs

More Progress on GHG Regulation

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It’s been a busy week.  I hope you didn’t get caught in any of the massive travel snafus in Europe or the US that have made holiday travel a nightmare for hundreds of thousands.  If you did, then I hope you survived with most of your sanity intact.  It’s a cold, windy morning here in New York City after one of our biggest winter storms ever.  My kid and I celebrated the day after Christmas by taking a walk during the storm and playing in the snow. Last week, I had schoolwork to finish up, and entertaining to prepare for and do.  Very busy.

So, the big news from last week was EPA’s announcement on regulating greenhouse gases from electric generating units (EGUs) and petroleum refineries.  According to EPA’s release, these two sources represent 40% of America’s GHGs.  Their factsheet emphasizes that the GHG requirements will be coordinated with other rules that  are in train to reduce other key pollutants like mercury.

As you know, the Clean Air Act requires EPA to regulate air pollutants that are found to be an “endangerment” to public health.  Indeed, a lawsuit challenged the Bush Administration’s decision to not investigate whether or not greenhouse gases were an endangerment and the Supreme Court subsequently found the EPA not only could but was mandated to make that investigation.  EPA announced in March of 2009 their initial finding of endangerment, and in December of 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson signed a finding that “…six key well-mixed greenhouse gases… in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.”

EPA’s approach to climate change has, in the past two years, been comprehensive.  It has coordinated efforts on science with NASA, NOAA and other agencies; has negotiated an extraordinary and historical agreement with the auto industry to regulate GHGs; has created a greenhouse gas registry program; and is moving along at a measured but steady pace to rein in emissions that are exacerbating climate forcing.

As we approach the new Congress, to be dominated in the House by Republicans with a feral dislike of environmental regulation – not to mention the tendency to reject long and universally accepted science – a violent reaction to the Obama Administration’s measured but steady progress on meeting the challenges of energy and climate is inevitable.  Anticipating this, the lead editorial at the NY Times on Christmas Eve was A Coming Assault on the E.P.A. The paper calls for a robust defense of EPA’s sound programs from the White House in the face of the already declared war from Fred Upton, the next chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

 

Author

Bill Hewitt

Bill Hewitt has been an environmental activist and professional for nearly 25 years. He was deeply involved in the battle to curtail acid rain, and was also a Sierra Club leader in New York City. He spent 11 years in public affairs for the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, and worked on environmental issues for two NYC mayoral campaigns and a presidential campaign. He is a writer and editor and is the principal of Hewitt Communications. He has an M.S. in international affairs, has taught political science at Pace University, and has graduate and continuing education classes on climate change, sustainability, and energy and the environment at The Center for Global Affairs at NYU. His book, "A Newer World - Politics, Money, Technology, and What’s Really Being Done to Solve the Climate Crisis," will be out from the University Press of New England in December.



Areas of Focus:
the policy, politics, science and economics of environmental protection, sustainability, energy and climate change

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